Dog Canyon

To get to the lower trailhead, from Alamogordo take US 54 south from the point where it crosses US 70. After about 12.6 miles, a sign indicates the left turn to the park. This road dead-ends after about 3.9 miles at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. The trailhead is behind the visitor center (VC); walk as if you were going to enter the VC, but instead of going in the door, continue past it, and the trailhead is around the corner.

To get to the upper trailhead, from the north side of Alamogordo, take US 82 toward Cloudcroft (you do not go all the way to Cloudcroft). When you get to the town of High Rolls, look for the post office sign. Just past this sign is Westside road. Turn right and set your trip odometer to 0.

At 1.1 miles, the pavement ends. At 13.7 miles, A sign in the bushes indicates that Burleson and Long Ridges are to the right. Go left, since your destination is not on those ridges.

At 17.7 miles, you come to a sign indicating Joplin and Holder ridges (90B and 90E). Go right, and then take the left of the two choices (90B). At this point, the road is one lane wide; it is not heavily traveled, so you are not likely to see other vehicles.

At around 20.1 miles, you see an unmarked trail to the right and signs indicating you are still on 90B. This trail is not the one you want. Continue on 90B. At 20.5 miles, a sign indicates trail 106 is on the left. This is the trailhead. Just past the trailhead is an area where you could park two vehicles.

You are likely to need a high clearance vehicle to make it to the upper trailhead. The road was very rough and rutted when we drove it. Allow plenty of time; expect to spent two hours to get from Oliver Lee Memorial State Park to the upper trailhead.

On Wed Apr 11 14:54:20 2007 tom from Washington, MO said:
Climbed to the cabin 2 years ago with my brother. It was approximately 3:30 PM, so we decided to head back down.

This year my brother, 2 of my sisters, and my oldest daughter are going to attempt to make it to the top.

I'll never forget the 1st 1/4 mile going up. I thought "gee will I make it all the way?" But the trail does mellow out as you get your hiking legs and lungs warmed up. Definitely a good strenuous hike with breathtaking views.

On Sun Jul 15 17:20:48 2007 Kent Vaughn from El Paso, Texas said:
Took the Trail today (7/15/07) and had a good time. It does have some steep vertical climbs in sections, so depending upon your shape, take your time. I started very early to beat the heat. I didn't quite make it to the ranch due to the time, but went about 2.25miles. Just a beautiful hike. There are warnings about rattlesnakes and I know some folks have seen them on these trails, so keep a close lookout. Due to the steep nature of the trails it would be best if you hiked with someone else. I went by myself and was wondering exactly what I would do if I got injured or bit by a rattlesnake! Anyway, great hike.

On Mon Mar 3 07:41:23 2008, Keiko from Albuquerque said:
We found the trail well marked and easy to follow, though it was a tough climb, especially at the start and finish. Round-trip to the vista (9 miles) took us 7 hours, with a short lunch stop. Treacherous at points, but well worth it. Just bring plenty of water, even in winter, and wear sunscreen.

	The trail starts out climbing nearly immediately, and you are usually hiking on bedrock. You will be taking several switchbacks as you climb.
As you hike this portion, keep your eye open for cactus, such as this claret cup that was blooming in late March of 2005. At other times, other cacti are likely to be blooming.
	It does not take long before you start getting views. First of the park as a whole, and soon White Sands and other areas in the Tularosa basin become visible.
When you have hiked around 0.5mi/0.9km, you arrive on the first bench (GPS: DOGCYNBCH1), and the trail levels out for a while. Many of the plants are different up here; notice the new plants that have appeared in this area and the others that you no longer see.
	The aptly-named strawpile cactus looks like a pile of straw. You can see them all over the hillside when the light is right.
This greenish-colored rock with dark intrusions is porphyritic andesite, an igneous rock amongst all of the (sedimentary) limestone. You can see lots of it around the 1-mile mark.
	A bit more hiking, and the trail begins to climb again, with the steepest part after the 1.75 mile marker. Early in the climb, you come across a junction (GPS: DOGCYNX1). This is an old version of the trail. The newer route is less steep, so go straight instead of left. A sign also points the way and lets you know that you are about a mile from the cabin. The old and new trails rejoin later at DOGCYNX2.
After a climb roughly the same as the climb to the first bench, you reach the second bench. The trail levels out as before. Again, some of the vegetation is different on the bench from what you were seeing as you climbed.
	You still have excellent views into the Tularosa basin, but your perspective chances as you get higher.
When the trail begins to descend, you get your first view of the cabin. Also, in the larger version of this photo you can see the trail heading away from the cabin, and then diagonaling up for the next climb.
	The cabin and the stream make a nice resting place before either continuing up to the top or returning to the lower trailhead.
From the cabin, the trail climbs, steeply at times. Parts of the trail bear a resemblance to a staircase, with the rocks in the trail being the stairs. The first mile or so from the cabin is the worst, as you climb to the next bench level.
	At times, the trail is narrow, and you are walking at the cliff base. Other times it is slightly wider, as pictured here. Be careful, as loose rocks can act like ball bearings.
In the larger version of this photo (click to see it), you can see the trail across the far bench, descending to the cabin (in the valley), and then the trail you have taken so far, climbing up and along the base of the cliff in the left portion of the photo.
	You do reach the next bench, and the trail levels out again. At this point, while you still have plenty of climbing to do, the worst is done.
From up here, you can easily see to El Paso TX (around the south end of the more distant mountains).
	The climb to the next bench is much more gentle than any so far. We saw this donkey on the last bench.
You have one more climb to do. If you have been hot, good news. You are in a forest now, and the upper trailhead is not far away. If you have set up to have a car at the top, you are done. Otherwise, it is now time to do the trail in reverse. In either case, congratulate yourself, as this was quite a climb.