Harding County High Point Trip Report
Sugarloaf Mountain (6,455 ft)
Date: September 21, 2002
Author: Ken Jones
Start at the intersection of US 56 and New Mexico state route 193. This is at logical milepost 31.7 (7/10 of
the way from MP 31 to MP 32) on US 56, about 32 miles east of Springer and 51 miles west of Clayton.
Set your odometer and head south on Colfax county road 40 (which is directly across from the northbound NM 193).
0.0 Leave US 56, headed south on CR 40 [also signed "Hackamore Road (C40)"]
2.8 C40 begins a sweeping right-hand turn, but it is still C40 when westbound
4.0 Turn left (south) onto signed "Rawhide Road (C42)"
6.0 Continue straight (south). At this point, the road becomes "Sugar Loaf Road (C37)"
Note: The left turn at 6.0 is also Sugar Loaf Road, but you don't want to turn.
7.1 The main road bends right at a fence. You want to continue south, through an unlocked gate.
Here, you leave the county road and enter the Kiowa National Grassland.
The road on the grassland is not nearly as good as the county road, but should be navigable
in a passenger sedan when dry - even when it is just a track.
7.3 Pass a windmill on your right; the road soon curves east (left)
7.7 Pass through another unlocked gate. Just beyond, bear right (southerly)
8.0 Turn left at a junction (but see note below)
8.7 Park at the road's end in the vicinity of another windmill
From here, the summit is about 0.7 mile away, just south of due east. You can take a direct line, gaining
about 250 feet on the way.
This route has the advantage of sticking to county rights-of-way until you reach the federal land of the
Kiowa National Grassland. I believe (though I have not confirmed) that public access is open on the grassland -
but please keep vehicles on existing tracks.
Note: If you continue south at mile 8.0, I believe you will climb and then drop, with a bit of
westward trending, and then bear east and pass through the saddle a couple of hundred yards south of the summit.
However, I did not scout this out.