Cibola Trail Alliance

Cibola Trail Alliance (CTA) Overview

The Cibola Trail Alliance (CTA) is a passionate group of outdoor enthusiasts in Cibola County, New Mexico, dedicated to promoting and maintaining multi-use trails for a variety of outdoor activities, including cycling, hiking, running, ATV riding, horseback riding, and more. The organization brings together individuals who share a love for outdoor recreation and focuses on building a stronger recreational community.

Lobo Canyon Trail System: Since the approval of the Lobo Canyon Trail system in 2022, CTA has focused on trail construction and development. CTA has managed six trail crews, thanks to funding from the 2022 Trails Plus Grant. To date, 66 volunteers have contributed over 1,700 hours, completing 4.6 miles of the 23.8-mile trail system and clearing an additional 3 miles of trail corridor.

Community Advocacy and Partnerships: Beyond trail building, CTA is committed to advocating for responsible use of public lands and encouraging partnerships to ensure sustainable, shared outcomes. The organization works closely with Cibola Outdoors, a local initiative aimed at growing the recreation economy in Cibola County.

Community Engagement: CTA also hosts a variety of community events, including group bike rides, hikes, snowshoeing outings, and even a sprint triathlon. These events help encourage local participation in outdoor activities and offer opportunities for members to enjoy the trails they’ve worked hard to maintain.

The CTA is a vital force in creating opportunities for outdoor recreation while promoting the responsible use of public lands and building lasting partnerships within the community.

Head Waters Economics

Trail Use in Cibola and McKinley Counties, New Mexico

Recent research into trail use in the mountainous and plateau regions of Cibola and McKinley counties in New Mexico has shown significant growth in recreational activity. With limited data on trail usage, trail managers had difficulty understanding the extent of activities such as hiking, biking, and horseback riding. To address this, a combination of infrared trail counters and statistical analyses was employed by Headwaters Economics. This study revealed that nearly 83,000 visits were made to 140 miles of trails between March and August of 2023, equating to approximately 80% of residents using these trails during this period.

This valuable data offers insights for land managers and policymakers to plan for the growing recreational use, prioritize investments in trail infrastructure, and leverage outdoor recreation as a driver for regional economic development.

The accompanying dashboard allows users to explore this data further, identifying peak usage times and trail regions. By selecting specific areas or hovering over individual trails, users can view detailed information on the average monthly usage of these trails during the 2023 study period.

Cibola Trail Alliance (CTA) and it's donors found out that a mini excavator that they purchased for trail building this summer was a stolen piece equipment. The CTA's board worked tirelessly to raise money to purchase a small trail building machine to help them complete 19 miles of multiuse single-track trails, they have been working on this past two years. CTA has hosted several fundraisers to help them obtain funds to buy a machine. This summer they found a machine they could afford and went to purchase it for $12,300. On October 10, 2023, CTA was contacted by NM State Police and found out that the purchased machine was stolen prior to being sold to CTA. The excavator is a key tool to the success of finishing the Lobo Canyon Trails Project. Any help would be greatly appreciated to help us get an excavator to continue our quest to building our trails in our community.