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If you love hiking and care about the future of New Mexico’s wilderness, New Mexico Wild has a unique opportunity for you to make a real difference, and all you have to do is hit the trail. Now through October 31, 2025, you can volunteer as a solitude monitor in the stunning Carson National Forest. It’s a chance to enjoy some of the most scenic hikes in the state while contributing valuable data that supports wilderness conservation.
Solitude monitoring is a simple but important task: spend four hours on a designated trail logging how many people you see along the way. This helps the Forest Service and NM Wild better understand visitor impact in remote areas, and the data informs decisions about trail maintenance, restoration, and long-term wilderness management. The more monitoring sessions completed, the clearer the picture of how human use is affecting these landscapes.
You don’t need to hike all four hours at once, and you get to choose the time (between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) and trail that works best for your schedule. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even complete two sessions in one trip. After registering, NM Wild will send you the simple forms and instructions you’ll need.
Current solitude monitoring is taking place in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness on the following trails:
- Manzanita Canyon Trail #58
- Gavilan Canyon Trail #60
- Yerba Canyon Trail #61
- Long Canyon Trail #63
- Gold Hill Trail #64
- Columbine Canyon Trail #71
Whether you’re a regular in the local mountains or just looking for a way to give back, this is an easy and meaningful way to support wild places. Sign up here.
