Building Gordy’s Hill: How New Mexico 4 Wheelers worked to protect and expand access

In the mid-2000s, Johnson “Gordy’s” Hill was a designated “open” area. While the land, which lies northeast of Socorro, was already crisscrossed by tracks — including motorcycle loops, ATV racecourses and historic roads — it lacked designated routes specifically for full-size 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Recognizing that 4WD enthusiasts deserved the same input and consideration regarding travel management as other user groups, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approached New Mexico 4 Wheelers (NM4W), a group dedicated to responsible 4-wheeling and adherence to the Tread Lightly! approach to off-roading. Working side-by-side with the BLM’s Socorro Field Office, club volunteers helped scout specific arroyos and canyons to identify viable 4WD trails. It was during these BLM-supported exploration runs that NM4W members laid the first tracks up obstacles that would become today’s iconic trails — such as Coyote Canyon — while avoiding sensitive areas identified by land managers.

Those early years set the tone for everything that followed: respectful coordination with land managers, a willingness to put in the work, and a deep sense of stewardship that turned a mixed-use area into a managed recreation resource.

If the scouting itself moved quickly, the administrative path did not. NM4W remained engaged through the years-long effort to see Gordy’s Hill recognized in the BLM Resource Management Plan as a Special Recreation Management Area — an essential step in protecting the area for OHV use.

But even after that recognition, another critical step remained: the BLM had to formally designate a trail system before new or additional trail signs could be installed. For nearly 20 years after the first sign was placed in 2005, no further developments could be made because the routes were not yet officially established.

NM4W stayed involved throughout the long process, offering field knowledge and public input while working with land managers through staffing turnover, slow-moving federal procedures and shifting priorities. When the designation finally came in 2023, it opened the long-awaited door for comprehensive signage, kiosks and a modern, fully functional trail system.

NM4W partnered with Tread Lightly! in 2024 to install a three-panel informational kiosk highlighting area rules, maps and responsible-use messaging. 

With the groundwork laid, NM4W teamed up once again with the BLM and the New Mexico Off Highway Vehicle Alliance (NMOHVA) to take on its most ambitious project yet. With NMOHVA acting as fiscal agent, the club secured a $20,000 grant from the NMDGF OHV Program to design and install 50 new trail signs.

On National Public Lands Day, 28 volunteers in 24 vehicles split into six crews. By noon, 24 signs had been installed, while simultaneously hauling out a truckload of trash and assisting stranded public visitors.

Over the next two work sessions, the remaining signs went in smoothly. In total, the club logged nearly 500 volunteer hours in just three days. 

This was more than a project — it was a demonstration of what can happen when agencies and recreationists pull in the same direction. The BLM provided oversight and guidance, the NMDGF OHV Program provided funding, and NM4W provided planning, manpower, and a level of commitment that has become a trademark of the club’s involvement at Gordy’s Hill.

From the first raw steel sign in 2005 to the 50 full-color, professionally fabricated trail markers installed in 2025, every milestone at Gordy’s Hill reflects the same enduring truth: public lands thrive when public users step up.

Today, the area stands not just as a system of trails, but as a model of what collaboration between OHV clubs and land managers can achieve. The relationships built over two decades — through work days, National Environmental Policy Act involvement, Tread Lightly! partnerships and grant-driven projects — have created a framework for long-term stewardship and continued improvements.

Most importantly, the legacy is visible. Our signs, our kiosk, and our work are out there on the land, guiding visitors, protecting resources and reminding future members that Gordy’s Hill didn’t just happen. It was built — carefully, responsibly and together.