Farmington New Mexico has some of the best extreme 4x4 terrain in the USA that is comprised of slickrock, sandy arroyos and rolling terrain.  The most well known area used for four wheeling is done in the Glade Run Recreation Area.  The Glade Run Recreation Area is on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land that consists of 19,000 acres and is split into two off-highway vehicle zones.   The Northern three-quarters of the Glade are managed for limited trail use.  The southern end is managed as an open OHV area and consists of 3,800 acres.  In the open OHV area is where most of the 4x4 trails are, also this is where Brown Springs is located the well known area to the 4x4 industry and enthusiast.  Many Rock Crawling competitions have been held at Brown Springs over the past few years.   The Cliffhangers is currently working with the BLM to mark the available 4x4 trails in the Glade Run.  In the near future trails will be marked with a distinct trailhead marker and then the trails will be marked with carsonites from start to finish.  Many of the trails in the Glade are more on the difficult ranking than on the easier ranking.  There are many trails that have obstacles with steep vertical walls and sharp drop offs that will challenge any skill level of driver or vehicle.  There are sections of some of the trails that are very dangerous and if the vehicle were to roll serious injury or death can occur.  The Cliffhangers is attempting to mark the trails with difficulty ratings so that there maybe some warning to inexperienced drivers to stay away from trails that maybe too difficult for their driving ability or the vehicles capability.  A lot of the trails have bypasses around obstacles but don’t count on there always being a bypass around an obstacle.

Active gas wells exist in the recreation area.  Be safe and stay away from well pads, well heads, pipelines, and oilfield equipment.  Watch for traffic and heavy trucks.

Off Highway Vehicle use on Public Land / Safety

     Enjoy your play – do it the right way by following the rules and regulations for off-highway vehicle use on public land.  Anyone operating an off-highway vehicle on BLM land shall do so in accordance with state laws and regulations concerning use, standards, registration, operation, and inspection of off-road vehicles.  Unless you are exempted by the New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles, you must register your off-highway motor vehicle and affix the registration plate to your vehicle (NM State Statute 66-3-103).

     Anyone operating an off-highway vehicle on public land must have a valid state license or “learners” permit unless: a) the individual is under the direct supervision of a person 18 years of age or older who has a valid operators license and who is responsible for the acts of the person being supervised: or b) the person is certified by state government as competent  to drive off-road vehicles after successfully completing a state approved operators training program.

Enjoy your play – do it the safe way, by following these simple safety suggestions.

• Know you limitations
• Travel with another vehicle
• Make sure each vehicle knows the trail name or area you are headed.
• Be familiar with you vehicle and keep it in good working condition.
• Expect the unexpected, Pack plenty of water and high energy food, make sure you have a first aid kit.  Avoid running out of gas and carry enough tools needed to make minor repairs.
• Operating an off-highway vehicle requires a high degree of skill and judgment.  Ride unimpaired – don’t use drugs or alcohol.
• If operating at night make sure your vehicle is equipped with a headlight sufficient to light an object 300 feet in front of you.  Make sure your red tail lights can be seen at a distance of 500 feet from the rear.

Have a positive influence on the area and those around you, practice TREAD Lightly.

                  Travel only where permitted

                  Respect the rights of others

                  Educate yourself

                  Avoid streams, meadows, and wildlife areas.

                  Drive and travel responsibly.