28.8
PDI
27.8 mi
DISTANCE
5,756 ft
GAINED
3.6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): John Kaplin, North Kingstown, RI; Georges Mally, Moab, UT
INTRO
NF Road 144 (Forest Road 144, known locally as "31 Mile Road") climbs 27.8 miles and gains 5,756 feet at a gentle average of 3.55%, starting at 5,743 feet on the edge of Espanola, New Mexico and finishing at 10,945 feet on the shoulder of Chicoma Mountain, the highest point in the Jemez Mountains.
At nearly 28 miles one-way, it's one of the longest sustained gravel climbs in New Mexico and one of the highest roads in the state.
The road leaves Espanola on pavement for a short distance before turning to dirt and gravel for the rest of the climb, winding up through pinon-juniper foothills into ponderosa pine and eventually mixed conifer forest as elevation builds.
Chicoma Mountain itself is sacred to several of New Mexico's Puebloan peoples, who have traditionally regarded it as the "center of all," and much of the mountain lies within Santa Clara Pueblo land - access to the true summit is correspondingly limited, and this climb tops out on the forest road on the mountain's public north side, below the summit itself.
Traffic is minimal and the views are the payoff: long looks back over the Rio Grande valley and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, and, near the top, cooler air and denser forest after miles of exposed, hot climbing lower down.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. At 3.55% average over nearly 28 miles, NF Road 144 is a long grind rather than a steep one - there's no single brutal pitch, just a sustained, gradually building climb with a few short steeper rollers mixed in, particularly in the first several miles out of Espanola. The grade eases somewhat in the final few miles as the road nears its 10,945-foot high point on the shoulder of Chicoma Mountain.
Roadway: Paved only for a short stretch out of Espanola, then dirt and gravel for essentially the entire remaining 27+ miles. It's a genuine mix of surfaces - some smooth hardpack, some washboard, some chunkier rock higher up. Riders describe it as passable on a gravel bike with wide tires (45mm or more), but narrower tires will have a rough time, particularly on the long, sustained descent back down.
Traffic: Very light. This is a Forest Service road serving a remote part of the Santa Fe National Forest, and vehicle traffic is minimal outside of hunting season and the occasional forest-service or ranch vehicle. Note that the Santa Fe National Forest closes many of its forest roads, FR 144 included, to motorized use every winter (per the Forest Service's standing seasonal-closure order, roughly December through May, most recently reissued in December 2025) - a fine time to ride if you don't mind cold, but confirm the gate status with the Espanola Ranger District first since a locked gate can still block bike access at the very start.
Parking: Park in Espanola near where US 84/285 meets Forest Road 144, on the north edge of town. There's no dedicated trailhead lot - roadside parking near the turnoff is standard.
Tire choice matters more than bike type here. As one rider put it, if you show up on 35mm tires "you'll have a terrible day" - a drop-bar bike with wide mountain-bike-width tires handles the mix of smooth, chunky, and washboard sections far better. Expect a very long, sustained descent on the way back down that will rattle anything narrower than about 45mm.
There's little to no water along the route and almost no shade in the lower, exposed sections, so carry more than you think you'll need. It's hot low down and cools off considerably by the time you're in the pines near the top - dress in layers you can shed as you climb.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Espanola sits about 25 miles north of Santa Fe at the junction of US 84/285 and US 84/68, with gas, groceries, and lodging near the start of the climb. The small community of Hernandez, right at the base of the climb, is where Ansel Adams shot his famous 1941 photograph "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico" from the shoulder of the highway - worth a quick stop if you're a fan of his work.
Forest Road 144 falls under the Santa Fe National Forest's standing seasonal closure order (roughly December through May, reissued most recently in December 2025) that gates many forest roads to protect them from winter-weather damage, so this is strictly a warm-weather climb - confirm current gate status with the Espanola Ranger District before planning a visit outside summer and early fall.
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