The Placitas North trails receive a fraction of the traffic of the southern trails, and the majority of the traffic they do receive appears to be foot traffic. Sure, there are some riders out here, and even some horses—but in places, the trails are quite faint, and the signage is poor or nonexistent. But if you want to escape the crowds, this is the place.

The route shown here follows some of the swoopiest, flowiest trails in the network to create a smooth, non-technical ride that's perfect for true beginners to the sport.

After rolling back downhill on the other side of the fence, the climbing begins via a short but fairly steep hoof—but surprisingly, this might be the most difficult climb of the ride. Mellow singletrack flows along the backside of the ridge before crossing over a saddle of sorts onto the Alta Vista trail.

Alta Vista is a fast, flowy gem with swooping corners, a smooth trail tread, and an engaging kinesthetic experience. It also provides the most scenic ridgetop corners in the entire trail system! Be sure to stop and admire the views from this elevated vantage point.

All too soon, you'll find yourself back down at the trailhead. If you're looking for a bit more mileage on your next ride, be sure to check out the "Placitas North Loop" route, mapped separately.