Limekiln

Meandering from old Route 66 near Grants, New Mexico, into the scenic Zuni Mountains, Limekiln is a 9-mile forest service road that gets its name from an adjacent canyon and nearby prehistoric pueblo site that is home to an ancient masonry kiln structure. The trail traverses part of Limekiln Canyon from Waypoint 8 to Waypoint 10. The short, sparse junipers at the beginning of the trail are soon joined by larger pinon pine and eventually, tall ponderosas tower above as you go deep into the Cibola National Forest. A great feature of this trail is that it provides access to camping sites on the northwest corner of the forest with a drive that is more interesting, challenging and private than traversing maintained dirt roads would be. The trails in this area were originally used for railroad logging operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are many antiquities in the area, including old homesteads, mining camps, logging camps, and volcanic features. The location of Limekiln's namesake pueblo site is now kept a ​secret to protect it from further looting and vandalism. Many recreational opportunities exist in this part of the Cibola National Forest.