In the open country, it's easy to pick out a few prominent landmarks and use them to navigate. Donahue explains that each of the volcanoes has a distinct shape, making it easy to use them as navigational guides. For longer rides, however, he recommends carrying topographic maps as insurance against getting lost. When I don't feel like a tough ride with a lot of climbing, I head to the Caja. By staying on the numbered forest roads, beginners can chose a trip from 5 to 25 miles.
Forest roads circle the entire volcanic field, offering a grand tour.
The road ends at a spectacular lava rim overlooking White Rock Canyon where the serene Rio Grande threads a winding course below sheer cliffs. Intermediate Routes Intermediate riders can go just about anywhere. Because the routes on the Caja del Rio are exclusively roads and double tracks, few spots are difficult to ride. Some ranch roads are quickly deteriorating into jumbles of rock, but this usually adds some fun to the challenge. The name comes from the number of volcanoes that can be seen along the 27-mile ride, just about one new volcano every mile.