Trans-America Trail — Grants to Pie Town via the Continental Divide Dirt Corridor

Sam Correro’s Trans-America Trail through central New Mexico is one of the lonelier stretches of the whole coast-to-coast dirt route, and the Grants to Pie Town segment earns that reputation. You leave the edge of the Cibola National Forest, cross the Continental Divide near Mangas Mountain at around 8,400 feet, and spend hours on Forest Service two-track that sees almost no traffic outside of hunting season. The Zuni Mountains section has chunky basalt cobble mixed with deep volcanic ash pockets — the kind of surface that bogs an unprepared bike or eats tire sidewalls. Pie Town at the far end is two cafes and a post office, but the Pie-O-Neer has been feeding thru-travelers for decades and the slice of green chile apple pie is one of the better things in the American West.

This segment is primarily a dual-sport and adventure-moto corridor but works fine for a narrow, high-clearance 4WD on 33s or larger. The sand washes between the lava flows can be deceptive in wet weather. Best season is late April through October — early spring means mud on the Divide, late fall means snow. No permit required. Fuel in Grants before leaving; Pie Town has no fuel. Cell service drops completely once you’re past the Cibola forest boundary. This is true American high desert dirt with virtually no services and very little traffic — which is exactly why it’s worth doing.