Fourth of July Canyon is Fourth of Julying all over the place

One goes to Fourth of July Canyon in October seeking sensory overload.

What kind you get depends on how far you go.

This canyon in the Manzano Mountains boasts a large population of bigtooth maples. In fall they turn orange, yellow, red and pink like it’s New England and not a cleft in the desert.

Along with leaves, the canyon’s main feature this time of year is humans. This can be magic: a bunch of strangers sharing an experience of wonder. Like Balloon Fiesta.

Or, if your backpack’s heavier than usual and groups of eight, 10 and 12 take up the whole canyon, stage lengthy photo shoots, then stand in the middle of the trail and show each other how great their photos are, it can get old fast.

But if you make it to the top of the Fourth of July Trail, the humans thin out and leaf-peeping becomes a different experience.

Today the lower canyon still had a lot of green, but the trail exploded in color the higher I went. The sky receded as the trees closed orange and gold around me.

Thinking I’d missed an overlook, I headed into new territory on the Manzano Crest Trail. I realized I was walking away from the ridgeline, turned to head back, and gasped. Ripples of red covered the Manzanos’ eastern slopes in front of me. I’d never been high enough on the trail to see the maples from that perspective.

A gold dragonfly buzzed past gold leaves. An orange and black butterfly danced with orange leaves.

I found the overlook, and then a stone ledge below it that I’d never noticed. As I explored the rocks, I spotted a huge stand of red maples in the center of the canyon below.

I wandered the overlook in the sun and wind for a good half-hour, completely alone.

I descended on Cerro Blanco Trail. At times it’s dark, grottolike, colorful leaves forming a snow globe. A few spots open onto sun-drenched ledges with views of the colorful ridges above.

A bend in the trail overlooked a grotto. I sat on a rock. It was 3 p.m. but felt much later in the cool shade. The deep colors and gentle curves reminded me of when I hiked the Appalachian Trail to McAfee Knob in the fall.

Then I looked down, saw a juicy prickly pear cactus on the ledge below me, and laughed.

As I’d approached the peak, I’d passed an older couple on their way down. The man had a wooden walking stick and an open can of beer. I heard the woman say to him, “You can only see so much pretty.”

I understood where she was coming from, but my capacity to see pretty today had only one limitation: how far I could physically hike.

Hike length: 6.5 miles

Difficulty: moderate

Trail traffic: heavy on first mile, moderate thereafter

Wildlife spotted/heard: deer and vultures on forest road, mountain chickadees, crow, bluejays, butterflies, dragonflies

TIPS!

-B.Y.O.T.P. Demand exceeds supply at the trailhead women’s restroom this time of year.

-They say not to hike alone unless you fully understand the risks. I do, and I almost never hike alone. But I took the opportunity to do so today. I knew there would be people all over the place at Fourth of July Canyon, so if I fell and broke something, I wouldn’t lie there for days. (Many places I hike, including Fourth of July Canyon in the summer, that’s a very real risk, as they’re remote and little-traveled.) It was a great chance to experiment with solo hiking.