Since 6 a.m. on October 27, most of the Cedar Creek Recreation Area has been closed. That includes the Jerryatrics loops, the Fitness Trail, Cedar Creek Ridge and the Down Hill Bike Trail. The Lincoln National Forest order runs until midnight on August 30, 2027, unless it is rescinded sooner. That makes it a closure lasting roughly ten months, covering the winter, the spring thaw and nearly all of next summer.
For White Mountain Estates, the nearest replacement is inside the neighborhood. The White Mountain Recreation Complex at 685 Hull Road is a parking trailhead for the Links Fitness Trail. It also has the Village's off-leash dog park and will host the last race of the 2026 Run Ruidoso series on November 28. While Cedar Creek is fenced off for heavy equipment, Hull Road works as the neighborhood's trailhead.
What Closed on October 27, and Why It Runs So Long
The order covers all National Forest System lands, roads and trails inside a boundary that starts where NM-48 meets Cedar Creek Drive. It runs north and west to the Cedar Creek West trailhead at the end of Cedar Creek End Loop Road, then back south and east along the forest boundary. The closure order names these restricted trails:
- Fitness Trail 90
- Cedar Creek Ridge Trail 120, plus Lower Cedar Creek, Connector, Beginner Loop, Upper Cut, Upper Cedar Creek, Down Hill Bike Trail and Access Trail (120A through 120G)
- Lower Jerryatrics 121 and Upper Jerryatrics 121A
- Perk Ridge Trail 92
- Raven Ridge Trail 121B
- Cedar Creek End Loop Road
The order gives its purpose as protecting the public during active restoration and fuels work, and it lists hazards that explain why no trail is carved out of the closure:
"Felling and removal of hazardous, dead, or unstable trees. Heavy machinery operations, including mechanical felling, skidding, decking and fuels reduction mechanical mastication equipment. High-velocity flying debris generated by mechanical masticators."
This is post-fire recovery. A Forest Service release dated October 21 says hazard tree removal and fuels reduction are underway in the South Fork and Blue 2 fire scars on the Smokey Bear Ranger District, with Cedar Creek Road and Monjeau Road among the listed work locations. The agency describes the work as centered on a 1,000-acre block along Cedar Creek Drive. It says the cleanup prepares the area for Cedar Creek trail restoration planned for 2027, with the same block set for reforestation in 2028. The closure is the first step in a multi-year rebuild of the trail system.
One part stays open. The Cedar Creek Day Use picnic area is outside the closure. The Village of Ruidoso notes that it may close for short periods while crews move equipment or materials.
The Trailhead on Hull Road
Hull Road is part of White Mountain Estates on paper. A Village Planning Commission agenda this fall identified 1208 Hull Road as Lot 1, Block 2, Unit 6 of the White Mountain Estates Subdivision. The same road leads to the White Mountain Recreation Complex at 685 Hull Road, off White Mountain Drive. Ruidoso Parks & Recreation lists it as open dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
Its facilities are a good match for what Cedar Creek offered. The complex has two tennis courts lined for eight pickleball courts, a basketball court, a playground with separate areas for ages 3 to 5 and 5 to 12, tire swings, and multipurpose fields that work for soccer, football, baseball or open space. It is also one of the official parking areas for the trail that circles the golf course next door.
Three Paved Miles Around the Links at Sierra Blanca
Discover Ruidoso describes the Links Fitness Trail as a three-mile paved loop around the Links at Sierra Blanca golf course. It has gentle climbs, mountain views, public restrooms and a water fountain, and it is open to walkers, runners and cyclists. Leashed pets are welcome.
Next to Cedar Creek, the loop is a different kind of outing. Jerryatrics and Cedar Creek Ridge are forest singletrack. The Links loop is pavement that goes around a fairway and comes back to where it started, so for the next ten months it is the closest long route that needs no driving. It has four parking areas, which makes it easy to start from anywhere on the north side of the village:
- White Mountain Sports Complex, 685 Hull Road
- Ruidoso Library, Cree Meadow Drive
- Village Hall, Cree Meadow Drive
- Across from North Park on White Mountain Drive
For Hull Road households, the complex lot is the natural start. The loop's two Cree Meadow lots are useful for a lap after a stop at the library or Village Hall. The trail is multi-use and shared by pedestrians, runners, dogs and strollers, so the usual etiquette applies on busier mornings.
Where the Leash Comes Off
The Links loop is leash-only. Under the Cedar Creek order, the forest trails are off limits with or without a leash. That makes the Ruidoso Dog Park at the same Hull Road complex the nearby place where dogs can run free. It has separate small-dog and large-dog areas and is open sunrise to sunset. Village rules are short: dogs stay leashed until they are inside the gate and again when they leave, owners pick up after their dogs, and owners stay present the whole time.
Because the dog park and the trailhead parking are in the same complex, one stop can cover both: a leashed lap around the Links, then off-leash time in the fenced yard, or the other way around. Daylight sets the limit for both as the days shorten, since the complex closes at dusk and the dog park at sunset.
When It Has to Be Dirt
Pavement doesn't suit every outing. For mountain bikers who lost the Down Hill Bike Trail and hikers who want softer ground, the nearest large open system is at Grindstone Lake. Ruidoso Parks & Recreation lists its five-trail, 18-mile network as open to mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding, with access at 111 Wiggins Way off Resort Drive. The Forest Service's trail inventory, updated September 16, lists Grindstone Connector T98, Grindstone Mesa Loop T95 and Grindstone Ridge T97 as open. Pets at Grindstone Lake must be leashed.
For a short walk by the river, Wingfield Park at 300 Center Street has a half-mile gravel path and is open dawn to dusk.
Here are all four options side by side, measured against what Cedar Creek used to provide:
| Option | Address | Surface and scale | Dogs | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Links Fitness Trail | Parking at 685 Hull Road and three other lots | 3-mile paved loop | Leashed | Complex open dawn to dusk |
| Ruidoso Dog Park | 685 Hull Road | Fenced, small- and large-dog areas | Off leash inside | Sunrise to sunset |
| Grindstone Lake trails | 111 Wiggins Way, off Resort Drive | Five trails, 18 miles, multi-use | Leashed | Check posted rules |
| Wingfield Park path | 300 Center Street | Half-mile gravel | Check posted rules | Dawn to dusk |
Two of the four start on Hull Road. For a White Mountain Estates household, Grindstone is the trip that replaces Cedar Creek's dirt, and the Recreation Complex covers everyday outings.
November 28, the Loop's Busiest Morning
The Saturday after Thanksgiving brings the most people to the Hull Road complex all month. Ruidoso Parks & Recreation hosts the Turkey Trot 5K on the Links Trail. It is a run or walk open to all ages and abilities, and it closes out the 2026 Run Ruidoso series. Here is how the morning runs:
- 8:30 a.m. In-person registration opens in the complex parking lot next to the tennis courts and dog park. Advance registration is online through the Village's Rec1 catalog, under the Activities & Programs tab.
- Sign-in. The first 50 participants to sign in may receive a free T-shirt, with sizes not guaranteed.
- 10 a.m. The 5K starts on the Links Trail. The event window is listed as 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Finish line. The first 70 finishers receive a participation medal.
Registration takes place in the lot next to the dog park, and the race uses the same loop people walk the rest of the week. On that Saturday, plan on the Hull Road lot filling early and the trail being shared with a race field until early afternoon. For a quieter lap that day, the North Park, Village Hall and library lots reach the same loop.
The Village's late-November and December calendar shifts to Midtown after that. Ice skating opens at Wingfield Park, and the Festival of Lights Parade is on December 5. On the Village's calendar, November 28 is the last big event on the Links before the holiday season moves downtown.
The Cedar Creek work area can change as crews move through the 1,000-acre block, and the order may be rescinded before August 30, 2027. The Lincoln National Forest alerts page has the current order and map.
If you own in White Mountain Estates, being able to walk or drive a short way on Hull Road to a paved loop, an off-leash dog park and the courts belongs in any conversation about your home's value. Gavin R Bigger puts those everyday details in every listing plan. Get a custom market valuation and tailored listing plan that shows buyers how close your home is to the trailhead on Hull Road.
