Cibola Trail Alliance – Building Trails and strengthening community in Cibola County

Cibola Trail Alliance (CTA) – Grants, NM

Just 75 miles west of Albuquerque along historic Route 66, the town of Grants sits at the crossroads of some of New Mexico’s most expansive and rugged landscapes. Framed by the Zuni Mountains to the southwest, the San Mateo range to the northeast, and El Malpais National Monument to the south, Cibola County offers access to more than 500,000 acres of public land. Once shaped by uranium mining and logging, the region is forging a new identity—one grounded in outdoor recreation, community connection, and long-term economic opportunity.

At the center of that momentum is the Cibola Trail Alliance (CTA), a volunteer-driven nonprofit working to build, maintain, and promote multi-use trails across the region. Since forming in 2018, CTA has transformed a shared vision into measurable progress, powered by partnerships, local leadership, and a deeply rooted sense of community.

“We started as a close-knit group of friends, and that sense of connection continues to grow,” said CTA President Chad Gaines. “We work together, share meals, listen to one another, and invest in relationships. That community bond creates buy-in, shared responsibility, and long-term stewardship of the forest we all love.”

That foundation has translated into real impact. Since its inception, CTA volunteers have contributed an estimated 3,800 hours and constructed approximately six miles of new trail. Through weekly trail days and a growing base of dedicated volunteers, the organization has built not just infrastructure, but a culture of stewardship.

With support from the Outdoor Recreation Division’s Trails+ Grant, CTA has accelerated its efforts. Following the $99,000 award in 2022, six trail crews and 66 volunteers contributed more than 1,700 hours to the Lobo Canyon Trail System, completing 4.6 miles of trail and clearing an additional three miles of corridor within the planned 23.8-mile network. Building on that momentum, CTA secured a $500,000 Trails+ Grant in 2025, with crews and community members contributing more than 2,220 hours between 2024 and 2025 to expand and maintain the system.

Each mile built represents more than progress on the ground, it reflects a shared investment from partners, volunteers, and the broader community in the future of Cibola County.

CTA’s impact extends beyond trail construction. Through partnerships with organizations like Cibola Outdoors and collaboration with regional and federal stakeholders, the alliance is helping shape a more connected and sustainable outdoor recreation ecosystem. Community events, from group rides and hikes to snowshoe outings and races like the annual My. Taylor Quadrathlon, bring people together and reinforce a growing culture around outdoor recreation.

Now designated a gateway community to the Continental Divide Trail, Grants is increasingly recognized as a basecamp for exploration. For Gaines, that evolution speaks to something deeper than recreation alone.

“Trails provide a healthy lifestyle for people. They allow people to get together and recreate,” he said. “It provides a peace for me to be outdoors enjoying what God has created.”

As CTA continues its work into 2026, the organization is pushing toward completion of the Lobo Canyon Trail System and expanding a network that will serve residents and visitors for generations. In doing so, they are demonstrating how community-led partnerships, sustained investment, and a shared vision can transform not just landscapes, but the future of a place.