MONTICELLO NM

Trail miles from west terminus: 513
Distance from GET: 14.8 miles S (via Monticello Spur alternate route)

Like Winston, Monticello is a tiny, remote village located a fair distance off-route. It, too, offers only the barest of services - namely, a post office and maybe a place to camp. But unlike Winston, Monticello can be reached by way of a scenic dirt road walk, potentially with water along the way. Although traffic tends to be very sparse, area residents, ranchers, and/or recreationists may be willing to offer a ride part-way to or from town. Still, hikers should at least plan on having to walk the full distance in and out of Monticello, adding about 30 miles round-trip to the itinerary. This is NOT the kind of off-route detour where one can expect to stand around waiting for a ride, and in that sense is more committing than the Winston resupply option.

Farming and ranching along perennial Alamosa Creek have long been the way of life in and around Monticello, and although the area has seen a decline in population in recent decades, a new lifeblood is flowing in the form of a few organic farms, and a revitalization of the village center including the old town square is also on display. Still, the community is very small, eclectic, and close-knit, and feels a world apart from the rush of modern life.

Back to GET Town Guide Home