Hike the Churck Rock Trail

By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It's almost as good as having a diamond mine in your back yard. Almost.

You may not find diamonds, but there's plenty of fun, quality recreation, rock climbing, and trail hiking at Red Rock Park, just north of the Outlaw Trading Post.

New Yorkers would give their left arm to have a trail like this so close to home. If this trail were in California, it would be so packed with people, it would be untraversable.

Actually, it's two trails. The Church Rock and Pyramid Trails, which, as their names imply, wind around the gorgeous red rock area of Pyramid Rock and Church Rock.

The best thing about the trails? They are right here, about 8 miles east of town and you can hike for hours and only see one or two other people.

The Church Rock Trail starts at the Outlaw Trading Post and Post Office built in 1888. Stop in the trading post, if it's open and get a map. Notice the wood floor. Talk to Cleva Willie, the clerk.

"Lots of people come here from all over the U.S.," Willie said in a recent interview. Some people who are staying at the nearby RV park come into the trading post to look around and she tells them about the trail. Most of the hikers enjoy the trail and don't think it's too hard, she said.

Some elderly people want to go up the trail toward Church Rock, but can't manage the hike. They ask about trams, or other ways to get to the top. Willie, who has been working at the trading post for over four years, tells them how to get to the top foot power only. Others who ask about rock climbing are referred to the Mentmore Climbing Rock by Willie.

The trail used to be much harder before it was marked by volunteers who built rock trail markers and cut steps into the hard-to-climb red rocks.

"The Youth Conservation Corps did the work to the trail," Mayor Bob Rosebrough explained in a recent interview at the park. At the time they did the trail, they were being coordinated by the county and Gallup resident Karl Lohmann, and the money for the upgrades to the trail came from the New Mexico State Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources.

Part-time Gallup resident and premier trail-builder Strider Brown designed the trail, the mayor said. "He incorporated switchbacks to make the steeper sections more traversable and to improve the view."

"This trail is equivalent to a national park or monument trail," Rosebrough added.

The trail starts out easy enough. You can start on one of three trails, two of which sort of converge at the same place, called the "Dry Waterfall next to trail" on the map. Then you have two options. Climb up to your right and follow the rock trail markers or climb up the slick rock on your left.

The slick rock used to be difficult, but Strider Brown and the crew of Youth Conservation Corps workers have cut steps into the slick rock which make the climbing ridiculously easy.

The Church Rock Trail takes about three hours to hike up to the Church Rock base and back. To go around Church Rock and return on the Pyramid Rock Trail takes about four hours.

Take lots of water and sunscreen. There are people with their dogs on the trail, especially on weekends; so, plan accordingly when bringing pets.

Information on the trail or RV reservations: Outlaw Trading Post, 505-863-9330.