Kayser / Cottonwood Trailhead

Kayser/Cottonwood Trailhead is located off Forest Road 422 in Torrance County within the Mountainair Ranger District of Cibola National Forest, situated in the Manzano Mountains approximately 50 miles south-southeast of Albuquerque. The trailhead is accessed by parking off FR422 and hiking about half a mile to Kayser/Cottonwood Junction. The area sits within the 2007 Ojo Peak Wildfire recovery zone. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, this location serves as a jumping-off point for hiking and horseback riding in the Manzano Mountains, which contain the largest stand of Rocky Mountain large tooth maples in New Mexico.