Blue Dot Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Features River/Creek · Views

The trailhead is located within Overlook Park in White Rock, NM. Once in the park, follow the main road past soccer and baseball fields and then signs that point the way to the trailhead, which has paved parking.

From the trailhead, there is only a short jaunt to the southeast to the edge of the canyon where you get the first look at the Rio Grande. The first of two sets of switchbacks begin at this point. The first set of switchbacks is the easier of the two, consisting of mostly packed dirt amongst medium sized rocks.

After the first set of switchbacks, the land flattens out for a bit before the second set of switchbacks. In this flatter area, better views up and down the Rio Grande can be enjoyed. The second set of switchbacks drops more than the first and consists of loose rock in many places. Use caution and slow down in this section.

Once past the switchbacks, the trail gradually descends into greener country and the Rio Grande flood plain. There is a trail marker at the bottom of the trail where it intersects with the River Trail. Go left at the trail marker to find easy access to the shores of the Rio Grande.

It might be useful to note that the bottom of the Blue Dot Trail in the field differs quite a bit from how it is marked on the map. First, the bottom of Blue Dot Trail doesn't match up between the two at the time of this writing. Additionally, River Trail isn't mentioned on the map, but the map does have a "Silver Dot Trail" that seems to coincide with River Trail.

Fauna is predominantly Juniper and cacti. Lizards frequent the surrounding rocks. Rattlesnake sightings are rare, but this area does have them.