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Fourth of July Canyon - Ride & Photography Workshop

Sat Oct 3, 2026 12:00PM to Sun Oct 4, 2026 9:00AM    

 Participant Responsibility Notice

New Mexico 4-Wheelers guests and members will be meeting for a group activity as indicated below. Drivers are responsible for the safe operation of their own vehicles and should evaluate obstacles based on their own comfort and experience level and vehicle capability.

This is a volunteer recreational activity. Participants are responsible for their own safety, vehicle operation, and compliance with land-use rules. 

Fall is almost upon us, and that means cooler weather, beautiful New Mexico skies, and changing colors in the mountains.

This run is going to be a combination Ride & Photography Workshop. I’ll be leading us on a day run into Fourth of July Canyon in the southern Cibola National Forest, with an optional overnight for those interested in camping.

Steve Allen, who is an amazing photographer, will be giving those interested in learning some hands-on instruction on getting the most out of the changing fall colors in one of New Mexico’s most beautiful and colorful canyons. Steve and I will both be bringing our drones as well, so we can spend some time on getting great shots from the air.

    

Fourth of July Canyon should be at or very near its peak for fall colors this weekend. 

Our focus will be split between the ride and the photography — fall colors, wildlife, landscapes, and some special instruction into the evening. The moon will be at 53% full, but moonset is at 2:41 AM. This means we might get the opportunity to shoot the Milky Way for an hour or two after dusk. We will strive to find a camp location with views to the North, for best Milky Way viewing. 

**Update -

We'll meet where 337 meets 55 right at noon.  It's an hour drive from ABQ to that corner.

There are two loops we'll cover on this run.  We'll spend the afternoon on the Fourth of July Campground loop enjoying the colors and enjoying the woods.  There's some texture on the trail after we pass the campground, but nothing a talented stock Jeep can't handle.  

We'll finish the Southern loop in Tajique where those that aren't interested in the overnight camp, this is a great spot to split up and head back to Albuquerque.  For those that do, we'll move to the Northern loop on 321 where we've got a couple of camping spots to setup.  Later in the evening, we'll move to the top of the loop to get some great views of the Milky Way and some night photography instruction from Steve.

Fourth of July Campground typically gets pretty full this weekend, but we’ll travel farther south and find a spot where we can camp away from the crowds. The overnight is completely optional. We’re not far from Albuquerque, and we’ll plan to finish the main run Saturday around 4:30–5:00. 

If you plan to stay overnight, let me know in the comments or shoot me an email so we can make sure we find a spot big enough for all of our rigs.

We’re deliberately keeping the rig count small for this one so everyone who wants to can get the most out of Steve’s instruction.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about photography or drone photography, if you’re already a trained pro, or if you just need to get out in the woods and breathe some clean air, join us.

This will be an easy run with some potential mud depending on recent conditions. We’ll try to get off the beaten path a little, but this trip isn’t about finding the hardest trail we can find — the focus is the trees, the colors, the photography, and spending a great fall day in the mountains.

Trip Notes

 - This is a stock friendly run. We'll spend most of the day in 2H/4H.  

 - The trails themselves are not long, we'll be focusing our time on slow moving, many stops, soaking up the woods.  

 - If you're new to camping out and need guidance, lets talk.  

 - Check out the 4x4 Prep Doc HERE.

If you have questions, reach out!