San Pedro Parks via the Vacas Trail

San Pedro Parks Wilderness, Santa Fe National Forest (Vacas/San Gregorio Lake Trailhead, near Cuba)

The San Pedro Parks Wilderness covers a high, rolling plateau in the Nacimiento Mountains near Cuba. Wikipedia describes a central plateau averaging over 10,000 feet, with about 35 inches of precipitation a year, which it says is among the wettest in New Mexico, and many boggy meadows, the “parks” of the name.

The Vacas Trail is the most popular route in, and it climbs gradually past San Gregorio Reservoir to San Pedro Park, the largest meadow. The Continental Divide Trail crosses the wilderness too.

The hike

The Vacas/San Gregorio Lake Trailhead #51 is off NM 126 on Forest Road 70, at about 9,300 feet, with a vault toilet and parking for 10 to 15 cars but no potable water, according to the Forest Service. Ondafringe’s 2016 trip report says Forest Road 70 is about 2.5 miles of gravel.

The Forest Service lists the trail in segments: about 1 mile to San Gregorio Reservoir, 4 miles to the Palomas Trail #50, a quarter mile past the end of the Anastacio Trail, 2.5 miles to the Penas Negras Trail #32, and half a mile to San Pedro Park, for roughly 8.25 miles. It describes the climb as gradual, mostly through spruce with openings, with abundant water.

Backpacker’s 2013 route description, credited to New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, follows the east bank of the reservoir, crosses a small creek at Vallecito Damian, skirts a large meadow, and follows Clear Creek’s grassy, sometimes marshy banks. Past a four-way junction with the Anastacio Trail and a small saddle, it crosses the Rio de las Vacas, where the Palomas Trail joins, and continues northeast along the river to a marked four-way with the Continental Divide Trail. San Pedro Park, which Backpacker describes as a meadow enclosed by thick spruce, is about a mile northwest on the CDT, and Backpacker says to bring water because the park is dry.

Ondafringe made a 13.7-mile, two-day trip using the Damian and Palomas trails as a variation. It found the Vacas Trail well traveled and easy to follow, but trails often vanished in the open parks under grass and skunk cabbage, and boggy, muddy ground after rain. It reports deadfall blocking all three trails in places and two Rio de las Vacas crossings that were about 15 feet wide and less than a foot deep, with slippery rocks. The CDT Coalition suggests a shorter 8-mile triangle loop on the Las Vacas, Los Pinos, and Anastacio trails, and notes that July and August bring frequent rainstorms and wildflowers.

For another Jemez-area overnight, see Bandelier’s backcountry to Painted Cave.

Tips

Get the Forest Service wilderness map. Ondafringe found older USGS maps out of date.
Carry water to San Pedro Park, which Backpacker says is dry.
Expect cattle and flies in summer, and filter water accordingly.
Plan for afternoon storms in July and August.
Watch for posts marking the route across open meadows.

Camping

SummitPost says you can camp anywhere in the wilderness, near streams, meadows, and trees; Backpacker notes “plenty of places to stop and camp near water.” The Forest Service trailhead page lists no permit requirement and prohibits motorized and mechanized use. Wikipedia says permits are required for camping and fishing; that conflicts with the other sources (see needs review). No group-size or setback rules were found on a Forest Service page for this wilderness. Santa Fe National Forest fire restrictions were lifted July 28, 2026; check for new ones. Nacimiento Campground is the nearest developed campground, according to SummitPost.

Inside Intel: Backpacker’s route points to campsites on the left under aspen and pine about 0.6 mile up the Rio de las Vacas past the lunch-spot boulders, before the CDT junction. Ondafringe camped in the woods a stone’s throw from the Rio de las Vacas at about 10,200 feet and called the site “fairly nice,” though cattle brought flies.

Trail facts

Distance: About 16.5 miles round trip to San Pedro Park (Forest Service segments; sources vary)
Route type: Out and back; loop options on the Palomas, Damian, Anastacio, and Los Pinos trails
Difficulty: Moderate; trailhead about 9,300 feet
Campsites: Dispersed; along Clear Creek and the Rio de las Vacas
Water: San Gregorio Reservoir, Clear Creek, Rio de las Vacas, small creeks; San Pedro Park meadow is dry; treat all water
Permits: None listed by the Forest Service (see needs review)
Dogs: Leashed or under control (SummitPost)
Trailhead: Vacas/San Gregorio Lake Trailhead #51, Forest Road 70 off NM 126
Last verified: October 11, 2026

The Lowdown

Soggy ground in San Pedro Parks:

The parks here are among the wettest country in New Mexico, so a pad that keeps you up off damp ground is worth packing. See which sleeping pads testers recommend.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.