Looking through the Gilman Tunnels in Sandoval County. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Stunning views are found throughout Sandoval County, New Mexico. A visit to the Gilman Tunnels provides a quick-and-popular side trip for those who also plan to see Jémez Springs, the Jémez Historic Site, and other destinations along New Mexico Highway 4.
Workers harvested lumber from this area into the 1960s. Courtesy Palace of the Governors Coll., UNM Digital Archives.
More than a century ago, workers blasted these tunnels through the higher elevations of a canyon alongside the cascading falls of the Río Guadalupe in the Cañon de San Diego land grant. These tunnels accommodated a railroad that carried minerals and logs from the mountains more than 40 miles to the Town of Bernalillo, the seat of Sandoval County.
Driving through the narrow tunnels in January 2026. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The Santa Fe Northwestern Railway (SFNW) operated through these tunnels from 1924 through 1941. Trains brought trees harvested on mountain lands above 6,000 feet to a sawmill in Bernalillo that sat at an elevation of 5050 feet. A substantial flood along the Río Guadalupe and Jémez River in May 1941 damaged tracks at lower elevations.
A railroad trestle across the Rio Grande near Bernalillo. Image courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Archives.
The original 1923 trestle existed in an area near the current route of U.S. Highway 550. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Logging continued on lands above the tunnels for a few additional years. Crews removed the rails so trucks could bring logs to Bernalillo and another sawmill that opened in Gilman, just below the tunnels, in 1948.
A sawmill in Gilman, a little south of the tunnels, in the 1960s. Image courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Archives.
The Gilman area today, with the Guadalupita Mesa in the background. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The U.S. Forest Service took possession of many lands in the Cañon de San Diego Grant in July 1965. Today, the Gilman Tunnels sit within the Jémez National Recreation Area.
A New Mexico Timber Company sawmill in Bernalillo, 1939. Image courtesy of UNM Digital Collections.
Connecting Communities with Commodities
Railroads offered an essential lifeline that brought commodities to communities throughout the Southwest. The expansive forests around Cañon de San Diego and the plateaus above the Jémez River supplied lumber to drier areas close to Albuquerque, Bernalillo, and other settlements.
This SFNW locomotive traveled from Bernalillo through the tunnels. Image courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Archive.
Plans to create the SFNW Railway took shape during the summer of 1920. Guy and Mary Porter took the lead in securing the right-of-way, including through nearby Pueblos, and planning for the railroad between 1921 and 1922. Construction began in late 1922.
The White Pine Lumber Company tracks at Porter, approximately 7.5 miles beyond the Gilman Tunnels. Image courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Archive.
The railroad brought logs to the White Pine Lumber Company until it closed in the early 1930s. Later, logs went to the New Mexico Lumber and Timber Company in Bernalillo. Trees harvested from this area provided employment for more than 200 residents in the Bernalillo area in the years before World War II.
Visiting the Gilman Tunnels
If coming from Albuquerque, you will pass the Red Rocks at the Jémez Pueblo. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Most visitors from the Albuquerque area will take New Mexico State Road 4 at San Ysidro. A drive of 9.5 miles through San Ysidro and the Jémez Pueblo brings visitors to State Road 485, a road next to where Río Guadalupe merges into the Jémez River.
A one-lane bridge on State Road 485 near State Road 4. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Named in honor of William H. Gilman, an executive for SFNW Railway, the Gilman Tunnels are located along U.S. Forest Service Road 376, a continuation of New Mexico State Road 485.
State Road 485 winds for 3.9 miles before transitioning into U.S.F.S. Road 376. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The two-lane road narrows to barely more than one lane. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Despite a lack of facilities, this portion of the Jémez National Recreation Area is a popular attraction. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Approaching the Tunnels
Climbing a narrow road to reach the Gilman Tunnels. Photo by Jim Schnur.
A few pullouts allow vehicles in each direction to share the road. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The elevated road alongside Río Guadalupe ascends along the cliff. Barely one lane in length, this two-way paved path has a couple of pullouts that allow for vehicles to share the road.
Dramatic views while (carefully) looking out the passenger window. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Most passenger vehicles and SUVs can navigate this road. However, larger vehicles, oversized trucks, campers, and recreational vehicles will not have sufficient clearance. The small pullouts leave little to no room for U-turns.
The location of the tunnels on a 1970 topographic map; contour lines show the elevation change along the cliffs. Map courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey.
Entering the Tunnels
Approaching the first tunnel, and a view of the steep dropoff. Photos by Jim Schnur.
Driving through the Gilman Tunnels is an enjoyable experience. Standard cautions apply: Watch for traffic coming the other way, as well as pedestrians, bicyclists, or other items, such as fallen rocks.
Entering the first tunnel, with the second one in sight. Photo by Jim Schnur.
No place to turn around if vehicles enter each tunnel between you. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The road ahead after passing through the second Gilman Tunnel. Photo by Jim Schnur.
U.S.F.S. Road 376 continues for approximately 9 miles to the former site of Porter, the upper area where railroads once stopped to collect logs. Beyond that, the road continues for a few more miles until it reaches the La Cueva area, near Fenton Lake State Park. Aside from a few pullouts for campers and very remote retreats, there are no buildings in this area, and no facilities.
Getting ready to turn around and head back down the road to Jémez. Photo by Jim Schnur.
The pavement ends shortly after the second tunnel. A very rocky, unimproved road follows the old railroad path to Porter. The rest of the road to La Cueva is also rough and often closed during the winter. On the day I visited, areas around Fenton Lake had snowpacks and portions of the lake were frozen over. I turned around.
Near the tunnels, Río Guadalupe flows at nearly the same level as the road. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Before the tunnels, the river descends into rapids and small waterfalls. Photo by Jim Schnur.
Also, if you visit this area in a rental vehicle, be careful about driving on gravel roads. Although you will see other vehicles traveling up to the second tunnel, few drive beyond that area during winter. Cell phone coverage is non-existent along much of this road.
Cautiously heading down through the tunnels. Photos by Jim Schnur.
Another New Mexico Adventure
Driving down the canyon after passing through the tunnels. Photos by Jim Schnur.
Traveling through the Gilman Tunnels allows you to see an area where roadroads once traversed to sustain the region's logging industry. Today, a simple road has replaced the rails, offering incredible views of mesas, cliffs, forests, and the Guadalupe River.
Watching the river flow down below. Photo by Jim Schnur.
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