Organ Mountain

If you and your fur buddy enjoy tackling a tough trek through wild and rugged backcountry, you'll love hiking in the Organ Mountains. The mountains have a complex trail system which is popular with trail runners and horseback riders, and even though all of the trails are pet-friendly, that doesn't mean they are suitable for your beloved pup. Some of them are far too exposed, and there are often high temperatures that are not healthy for pup-hiking.

One of the best areas to go hiking in the Organ Mountains with your pup is in the Las Cruces region of New Mexico. You'll find the trails better maintained and not so testing, though you'll still need to pre-prepare for them. These trails run through desert-like terrains so packing plenty of water and provisions is a must. The best time of the year to go is during the spring when there's less heat, and the wildflowers will be in bloom. 

For just a short day hike, the six miles out and back Baylor Pass trail is a good choice. To access the trailhead head out of Las Cruces along Dripping Springs Road which then changes to Baylor Canyon Road. You'll come across the trailhead on the right thirty minutes after leaving the town. Park up where you can and hit the trail. You'll trek through ground covered with flowering cacti plants and past some weird and wonderful rock formations created by the abrasive powers of the wind. Yes, it knows how to blow here.

There are other great hikes you might want to do with your pup while you're in the Las Cruces area. Check out the Bar Canyon Loop which runs along the base of the Bar Canyon and has great mountain scenery. The three-mile Soledad Canyon Loop follows a rocky route but rewards hikers with a waterfall at the end. Whichever trail you choose to hike, you can pat you and your pup on the back for doing. You're paw-some hikers!