Los Alamos launches Pajarito Trails website with community trail fair

Los Alamos residents who want to hike, ride or run without piecing together trail rules from multiple agencies got a new tool at Co-op Park: the Pajarito Trails Series website, launched with a community trail fair and outdoor assembly at 1010 Central Avenue.

The Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce joined Places and Spaces Los Alamos for the 10 a.m. launch on Saturday, April 25, at the corner of Central and Knecht. Organizers said 15 or more local groups were expected to take part, with tables for hiking clubs, mountain biking groups, road runners, ski clubs, equestrian advocates and other recreation organizations. The fair ran alongside a National Celebrate Trails Day Trails Information Fair from 9 to 11 a.m., turning downtown into a temporary hub for trail users, volunteers and would-be members.

Places and Spaces described the site as a first-of-its-kind digital hub and a "front door" for six area trail systems. That framing matters in Los Alamos, where a single outing can cross county open space, Santa Fe National Forest land and areas linked to Los Alamos National Laboratory, each with its own access points and rules.

Los Alamos County open space is open to non-motorized use only, including hiking, running, horse travel and mountain biking. PEEC says the county open-space system covers more than 5,000 acres and almost 60 miles of trail, while county planning materials put the broader local network at more than 100 miles, with 58 miles owned by the county and much of the rest in the Santa Fe National Forest.

The new portal is meant to make that sprawl easier to navigate. PEEC says trail data for its map comes from Los Alamos County, the U.S. Forest Service and the LANL Trails group, and notes that some trails may close because of poor conditions or wildlife alerts. For families deciding where to go after school, dog walkers looking for a quick route and weekend visitors trying to avoid a dead end, that kind of one-stop information can cut down on guesswork before anyone leaves town.

The launch also connected the website to the county’s outdoor culture in a more hands-on way. Striker, described as a friendly Arabian and an Ambassador Horse, was on site to help visitors learn how to safely interact with horses on trails. The day ended with a group hike or walk to the Pajarito Environmental Education Center via the new Urban Trail, tying the digital launch back to the physical network of paths across Los Alamos and White Rock.

PEEC says it serves about 40,000 adults and children each year through programs, hikes, field trips and its nature center. With that kind of reach, and with trail access spread across multiple jurisdictions, the Pajarito Trails portal arrives as a practical tool for daily use and a clearer public face for one of the county’s defining assets.