Bobcat Pass is a high mountain road in NM

Bobcat Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.995m (9,826ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary of Taos and Colfax counties in the U.S. state of New Mexico.

Bobcat Pass

How long is Bobcat Pass?

Set high in Carson National Forest, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called New Mexico State Road 38 (NM-38). The road is 46.99km (29.2 miles) long, running from Questa (in Taos County) to Eagle Nest (in Colfax County). The pass is named for the frequency of the bobcat in the area.

Is Bobcat Pass steep?

The road to the summit is very steep, hitting a 10% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at Questa, the ascent is 29.48 km long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 1.097 meters. The average percentage is 3.7 %. There is a steep 4 mile climb up to the pass but only the first two miles from Red River are hard. Then there is a lovely 13-mile descent from Bobcat to Eagle Nest through the beautiful Moreno Valley and it's mostly downhill the entire way.