Glorieta Battlefield-North Loop
in New Mexico · centroid 60 mi from Albuquerque
The North Loop of the Glorieta Battlefield Hiking Trail takes you along the area where Federal forces set their defensive lines. The trail takes you up Windmill Hill, an important location in the initial phase of the battle on March 28th, 1862. Early on the morning of March 28th, soldiers under the command of Major John Chivington detached from the main Federal force on a planned flanking maneuver.
This reduced the overall strength of the Union forces ahead of the engagement on Windmill Hill. The rest of the Union forces under Colonel Slough set up a skirmishing line along Windmill Hill, supported by a defensive line and artillery on Artillery Hill to the south. From Windmill Hill, Confederate forces quickly pushed the Federals back to Artillery Hill.
Union Mountain Howitzers positioned on Artillery Hill gave the location its name, and provided an obstacle for Confederate forces hoping to break the Federal defense a second time. Texas Volunteers under the command of Major Henry Raguet launched a flanking attack which forced the Union to withdraw to a final position near Pigeon's Ranch, at the cost of Raguet's life. The initial phase on the third day of the Battle of Glorieta Pass was over.
- States
- New Mexico
- Trail type
- National Historical Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Albuquerque, NM · 60 mi · ~1.7 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 35.5704°, -105.7566°
About Pecos National Historical Park
This trail is inside Pecos National Historical Park, a national historical park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/glorieta-battlefield-north-loop.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Glorieta Battlefield-North Loop and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Glorieta Battlefield-Middle Path
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Glorieta Battlefield-South Loop
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Skyline Trail
16 miles from this trail's centroid
El Camino Real Historic Route Trail
23 miles from this trail's centroid
Falls Trail Tour - Stop 16
31 miles from this trail's centroid
Falls Trail Tour - Stop 14
31 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.