Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / New Mexico / Sangre de Cristo Mountains

West Fork Rio Santa Barbara to the Santa Barbara Divide

Pecos Wilderness, Carson National Forest (Santa Barbara Campground, near Peñasco)

The Rio Santa Barbara drains the north side of the Pecos Wilderness, and the West Fork Trail climbs from its canyon to the Santa Barbara Divide, the ridge between the Santa Barbara and Pecos watersheds. TrailGroove describes the area as mostly above treeline on its high loop, and says there’s “an excellent chance” of seeing bighorn sheep.

This page covers the climb from Santa Barbara Campground up the West Fork to the divide and No Fish Lake, with the Truchas Lakes as an extension on the far side.

The hike

Santa Barbara Campground is reached from Peñasco by NM 75 and NM 73, then Forest Road 116, which the Forest Service describes as a 6-mile road; New Mexico Trails puts the campground 6 miles past Rodarte. The Forest Service says the campground has parking, outhouses, and drinking water, and the Santa Fe to Taos Trail guide notes free parking lots on its north side. The trail heads south along the river past two wooden bridges and the Centennial Trail #100 junction to the Middle Fork/West Fork junction; the guide lists this stretch at 3.1 miles.

The collapsed bridge in the Forest Service alert is on the West Fork Trail about a quarter mile past that junction, where the trail crosses the Middle Fork. Plan for a ford there and be cautious in spring runoff.

The guide then describes a long, flat meadow along the West Fork, with the river about 150 feet from the trail and “ample sites” on the left and along the river, for about 3.6 miles. From the West Fork the trail climbs 5.4 miles to the Santa Barbara Divide, passing water sources it places about 2.7, 2.4, 0.7, and 0.4 miles below No Fish Lake, and some high log crossings from blowdown. No Fish Lake sits about a mile below the divide on the north side. The final switchbacks are on loose talus gravel, and the guide describes the top as having nearly 360-degree views.

Beyond the divide, the route passes near Chimayosos Mountain, where the guide notes elevations around 11,800 feet, and reaches the Lower and Upper Truchas Lakes in 2.4 miles, with more water from several shallow creeks. TrailGroove’s longer Santa Barbara Divide Loop runs about 35 miles with 7,000 feet of gain, but the Forest Service now lists the upper Middle Fork Trail as unmaintained, so this page treats the trip as an out-and-back.

The guide also warns of thunderstorms on the exposed ridges, snow possible even in August, and steep cliffs along parts of the route. It asks hikers not to feed the bighorn sheep and to keep tents zipped, because ewes may try to get inside.

For the same lakes from the south, see Pecos Baldy Lake via Jacks Creek. Nearby Trampas Lakes is a shorter overnight.

Tips

Camping

No permit is required to enter the Pecos Wilderness, according to the Santa Fe National Forest, which lists groups of no more than 15 people and 15 stock, a 14-day stay limit, and no camping within 50 feet of trails and streams. Carson National Forest pages for Pecos Wilderness lakes ask campers to stay at least 300 feet from lakes, and Santa Fe National Forest pages say 200 feet. Domestic sheep and goats are prohibited in Carson wilderness areas. Carson National Forest lifted its 2026 fire restrictions on July 21, 2026; check for new ones.

Inside Intel: The Santa Fe to Taos Trail guide, whose campsite suggestions it says are unofficial, points to ample dispersed sites in the West Fork meadow, a nice site on the west side of the Middle Fork bridge, and a small site just below No Fish Lake that it calls a good spot for hikers running late. At the Truchas Lakes, it says the better sites are on the north shore of the lower lake.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Bridge out at the Middle Fork crossing:

With the bridge collapsed where the West Fork Trail crosses the Middle Fork of the Rio Santa Barbara, plan on a ford, and this page urges caution in spring runoff. Five tips for crossing it safely.

Get the five tips →

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.