Alien Run trails. Photo: Greg Heil
San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico has been on an absolute trail-building tear. They’ve landed four Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grants in recent years, and in the last build season alone, constructed seven miles of brand new singletrack.
Next up? Ten new trail miles are coming to the region, thanks to a $700,000 RTP grant, with construction planned for the 2026/2027 build season.
Mountain bike trail building is spreading to Aztec
Aztec lies just a few minutes north of the larger town of Farmington and is home to one of the first designated non-motorized mountain bike trails in the region, Alien Run. This unique trail system is located near the site of a 1948 UFO crash. If you make it to the crash site in the middle of the trail system, a historical plaque details the removal of the unidentified craft by the Air Force and 5th Army Division, and its transfer to the nearby Los Alamos laboratory.
Intriguing history aside, the trails here remain popular thanks to the entertaining slickrock slabs, beautiful views, and fast, flowy descents on the back side of the loop. However, the trail network has changed very little in recent years.
With Farmington claiming the bulk of San Juan County’s population, it makes sense that most of the recent trail development has taken place close to that population center. But now it’s finally Aztec’s turn.
The existing dirt road connection between Mountain View and Alien Run, looking north toward Alien Run.
10 miles of new singletrack is coming to the historic Alien Run trail system
While Alien Run offers loops of varying lengths, even the shortest loop is moderately technical, since all of the routes begin by traversing the elevated slickrock rim. On this iconic section, riders will encounter rippled sandstone punctuated by short, steep drops and climbs.
To help provide a more accessible trail experience, the first addition to Alien Run will be a three-mile beginner loop accessible directly from the trailhead parking lot. The new beginner trail will head north of the trailhead into flat sagebrush terrain — perfect for building mellow singletrack.
Located just south of Alien Run, closer to the town of Aztec itself, is a small trail system known as “Mountain View.” This small network of singletrack trails is also open to motorized use, and it’s located right next to a legit motocross track. The two trail networks aren’t far apart as the crow flies, and San Juan County is planning to build a logical singletrack connector between the two.
“It’ll be a green or blue-rated trail,” said Nick Porell, Public Works Director for San Juan County, of the planned singletrack connection. “That one’s probably pretty pedally, I would guess, just kind of up and down. You do have to get over — there’s a little rise there by Knickerbocker Peaks.”
While riders shouldn’t expect the next great flow trail, there is hope for an entertaining XC trail to be built. Dirt Tek Trails has built many of the newest trails in Farmington and nearby Durango and has a pedigree of building swoopy, flowy singletrack, even for XC traverses. However, a builder has not yet been selected for this project; Porell expects the project to go out to bid during the summer of 2026.
Porell added that the new connector trail will be a great benefit to the Téenek MTB & Gravel Race, which begins at Mountain View and runs up to Alien Run and back. Racers previously rode a dirt road, but soon, they’ll be able to pedal singletrack instead.
The first bike-optimized trails in Bloomfield
Finally, this $700,000 grant will also fund the construction of three miles of new singletrack at the Angel Peak Scenic Area south of Bloomfield, about 40 minutes from Farmington. Currently, Bloomfield has no bike-optimized trails.
The construction of this new trail is intended “just to see if there’s an interest” in mountain bike trails near Bloomfield. “Really, there’s some neat topography to work with down there, if it were to come to fruition,” said Porell.
The new three-mile test loop is being built near a 15-site campground on BLM land. “There’s some walking trails, but short of that, not a lot of amenities that might keep people engaged,” said Porell, indicating that the addition of mountain bike trails could be a great benefit for the area.
The $700,000 grant is the largest that San Juan County has received for MTB trail development to date, and with 13 miles of new singletrack planned, it’s clear that they’re going to make the most of it!
Know about a new trail project we should cover? Whether you’re breaking ground on the next must-ride destination or putting the finishing touches on a neighborhood flow trail, we want to hear about it. Drop us a line at [email protected] with high-quality photos of your build, plus details like trail mileage, location, difficulty, and what makes it special. We’re always on the hunt for the next great trail story, and there’s a good chance your project could be featured in an upcoming article.