Osha Trail

Those looking for a scenic and moderately challenging hike in the Cloudcroft area should make a point of visiting the Osha Trail.

The 2.5 mile lollipop loop trail consists of a fair amount of climbing and dropping, passing through the area's high elevation dense wooded area's, views overlooking the Mexican Canyon Railroad Trestle and stretching toward the White Sands area far below, and forks that lead deeper into the area's vast network of hiking trails.

Upon leaving the large gravel trailhead parking area, the path begins climbing immediately, warming you up with about 145 feet of elevation gain. After entering the dense trees and plateauing, the trail proceeds to descend and lose about 300' in elevation before passing a meadow and beginning the rocky uphill trek. Along the way, the route passes several forks that can take hikers onto the vast trail network in the area, including short access to the Pines Campground Loop Trail.

Despite being so close to the downtown area of Cloudcroft, the Osha Trail sees far fewer visitors than other nearby paths with more developed picnic and trailhead areas. The Osha Trail seems to have the best of all worlds for the hiker looking for a solid walk into the area's high elevation backcountry while avoiding the seasonal mob-sized crowds, all near enough to drive for less than a minute or walk into downtown after for a coffee or meal.

There are no restrooms or water at the trailhead or along the hike.