24 HOURS IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST

July 19-20, 2025

Are you looking for rippin' singletrack, a beautiful venue, and a fantastic weekend of fun in the pines and aspens of the Zuni Mountains? Then look no further. 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest has everything you are looking for in a fantastic, family-friendly weekend in the woods. Sign up as a solo, duo, team, or corporate team and complete laps on a fun course through the trees. Kids options and 12 hour options also available. Join us! You won't be dissapointed.

About the race
Race Details
Schedule
Media

About the Race

Screen-Shot-2017-05-02-at-3.39.05-PM-e1520956677898

July 20th-21st 2024

Come join us outside of Gallup, NM for 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest. This is a 12 or 24-hour endurance competition held on some fun singletrack. Ride as a solo, duo, or team while hanging out in a family friendly venue in the beautiful Zuni Mountains.

This is our most popular event and provides everything that you would possibly want in an endurance race. We have an awesome venue equipped with food trucks and music, a party atmosphere complete with movies and kid’s activities, and an epic singletrack course. The course is a 13.5 mi. loop with a 700 ft. elevation gain and incorporates some technical rocky sections that are bound to make you smile. Wind and grind through meadows, pines, and aspens, or hang up your hammock and kick back with friends and family. Whether you are going for the podium or going for the party, everyone is welcome and we guarantee that you will have a great time.

Race Details

FEES & DEADLINES

Early Bird (register by February 28)

Regular (register by April 30)

Regular Plus (register by June 17)

Last Minute (register by July 18)

Teams (open registration)

*A Team Captain must register and pay for the entire team.

Discounts

Juniors (under 18): Half price

Full-Time College Students: Half price at checkout (email Seth at elcapitan@ziarides.com for the promo code)

TRANSFERS, CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS

No Refunds

We begin planning, permitting, and purchasing items for an event well in advance based on your pre-registration. Therefore we have a strict no refund policy. Be aware of this when you decide to register. We feel like our flexible transfer and change policies should accommodate most people and situations. But please respect the fact that once we reach a certain date prior the event, transfers and changes are not possible.

If you need to adjust your plans, we have several alternatives listed below.

Transfers

30 days – Transfer your registration to another race or defer to next year if requested at least 30 days prior to the event.
- Email Seth at elcapitan@ziarides.com at least 30 days prior to the event.
- We will send you a comp code to be used for another Zia Rides event minus a $10 transfer fee.
14 days – Transfer your registration to another rider in BikeReg if requested at least 14 days prior to the event.
- Edit your entry to provide the new rider’s email address and also change any other information on the event to placeholders (i.e. “edit this”) if you don’t want your information to be visible to the new rider.
- If you don’t have your edit link, you can request one here: EDIT. Once you’ve updated your entry and saved changes, go to the above link and put in the new rider’s email address and click “Send me a link to edit my entry”
- They’ll receive a link they can use to edit the information on the entry to be theirs instead of yours.
- If you have issues, contact elcapitan@ziarides.com
Less than 14 days – not eligible for a transfer or credit.
- Cancellations less than 14 days prior to an event and no-shows do not qualify for a credit.
Buy the optional insurance through BikeReg.
- If you want to be able to receive a refund in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, then we highly encourage you to buy the optional race insurance when registering for the event on BikeReg.
- It is not expensive, and it ensures that if you get hurt, sick, or something comes up, you are able to request a refund.
- It is provided through BikeReg from Allianz

Changes

BikeReg will allow you to make some changes to your information. Login to your registration on BikeReg or request the ability to edit at: https://www.bikereg.com/edit/24-hours-in-the-enchanted-forest

Cancellations

The safety of you, your crew, and our wonderful staff is the most important thing to us at Zia Rides! If a race must be cancelled or shortened due to Mother Nature or other uncontrollable circumstances, refunds will not be issued. Unfortunately, the money has already been spent and we still have to pay for the event whether it happens or not.

For most events, Zia Rides purchases and pays for optional event insurance coverage. If the event is cancelled due to “acts of God” Zia Rides will submit an insurance claim, and riders who paid through BikeReg for the current year’s event may receive a refund of your registration fees. It takes awhile and there are no guarantees, but we do everything we can to cover the event.

PRIZES

For the MTB events, prizes will be awarded to the top three racers in each category and to the fastest female and male lap.

We realize that fast runners and riders are not the only people that make our events awesome. We want to see the fun folks that give our events spirit on the podium as well. These awards are a work in progress and will be awarded to individuals through your nominations. Nominate your fellow competitors at the SWAG booth and let us know which awards we should keep around! Some things we might recognize include:

Congeniality Award: Awarded to the most courteous rider on the course

Most Fun Rider Award: Awarded to the rider with the most spirit (Anders is not eligible to compete!)

Endo Award: Awarded to the rider with the worst luck

Best Costume Award: Awarded to the rider who completes at least one lap in their goofy getup

Best Classic Bike Award: Awarded to the rider who completes at least one lap on a vintage bike

Best Mustache Award: Awarded to the rider with the best facial hair

Best Hype Man/Women Award: Awarded to the most enthusiastic supporter

Best Volunteer Award: Awarded to your favorite Zia Rides volunteer

Best Camp Award: Awarded to the camp with the best decorated tent

Best Family Award: Awarded to one of the awesome families at our race

Oldest Rider Award: Awarded to the oldest rider

Youngest Rider Award: Awarded to the youngest rider

Furthest Traveled Award: Awarded to the rider who travels the longest way to be here

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Volunteer

We always need volunteers! In return for your time we promise our undying gratitude. But, you also can count on the following benefits:

Early access to the venue for primo camping
Awesome swag from our sponsors
A damn good time

Please visit the link below from SignUp to see what volunteer opportunities are available.

Sign Up to Volunteer

STAGING AREA, CAMPING, & HOTEL

Enchanted Forest Venue Map

Parking

There is limited space in the staging area, so make room and be prepared to share some of the back in and pull through camping spots. You don’t own the space. Zia Rides paid for it all, so be willing and able to share and play nice. To help control numbers in the staging area, we will be limiting the amount of space allowed to each team.

We will also be charging for parking passes to cover the entire weekend:

Cars, Truck campers and Vans (think 1 vehicle size): $10

Smaller RVs (class C), Sprinters, and vehicles towing smaller trailers: $20

Large RVs (Class A, C+) and vehicles towing larger trailers and 5th wheels: $30

Directions

Google Maps Link to McGaffey Campground

From Gallup, head east on I-40 for 12 miles. Bear right to take the Exit 33. Continue south on NM-400 for about ten miles and then take a right at the fork. McGaffey Campground will be on your left and you will see signs directing you to the staging area. The road to the campground is completely paved, so backtrack if you find yourself on a dirt road and ask for help. See you there!

Camping at Staging Area

Zia Rides has been given permission to camp at McGaffey Campground. Camping opens Thursday at 9 AM and closes Monday at noon. You can’t show up early, and you can’t stay late! Make sure to bring your hammock so you can relax under the ponderosa pines.

Camping is on a first-come first-served basis, so volunteer to come in early to secure your spot and hang out with us! There is room for tents and RVs throughout the venue. You can park along any road as long as you keep 2 wheels on the gravel. To maximize space, we ask that you carpool and try to keep your RV in a single parking space. We will not allow RVs to park horizontally across multiple parking spaces. If you can’t park your RV vertically into a single parking space, we ask that you leave it at home. You cannot drive into the woods to camp. You are welcome to pitch a tent anywhere in the woods, but you must walk to your area. We will provide dumpsters so that you can dispose of all your waste properly!

Hotels

There are numerous hotels to choose from in Gallup. Keep in mind that depending on where you stay it will be a 30- to 40-minute drive to the racing grounds.

Pets

We love pets and welcome them at our events! If you bring your pups, please keep them on a leash or under control in your area.

Fires

No wood fires allowed. Propane fires with an on-off switch allowed.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

All MTB Races Course Map

Venue Map

Full Course Description

Strava File

24 Hour Course GPX Download

The 12- and 24-hour races use the same course. The course is 13.1 mi., includes 1,000 ft. of climbing, and the elevation ranges from 7,620 ft. to 8,300 ft. It has gradual climbing that is followed by four miles of fast and flowy decent and incorporates several rocky sections to keep you on your toes. The course runs counterclockwise and starts at McGaffey Campground. From there, it uses the Y2K Trail to connect to Quaking Aspen Trail, Sheet Rock Tank Trail, Plush Trail, and Torreon Trail. Finally, the course circles around the campground using Strawberry Canyon Trail and finishes back at the staging area.

The Enchantedland course is 8.4 mi., includes 600 ft. of climbing, and the elevation ranges from 7,000 ft. to 8,000 ft. It is an easier course, but still has enough technical sections to make you smile. Similar to the 12- and 24-hour course it runs counterclockwise and starts at McGaffey Campground. From here, it uses Turkey’s Nest Trail, Broken Nose Trail, and Quaking Aspen Trail. It rejoins the main course at the bottom of Plush Trail and uses Torreon Trail and Strawberry Canyon Trail to wind back to the staging area.

RACE RULES

Rules

Don't Be an Asshole: hopefully self explanatory
Be nice: to your camp neighbors and fellow riders.
No Littering: Please treat the area and trails with respect. Any racer found intentionally littering will be disqualified.
Helmets: Required when on the bicycle at anytime, whether racing or not.
Race Plates: Athlete “Race Plates” MUST be affixed to the front of the handlebars, and preferably in
front of any brake or shifting cables. Athlete “Race Plates” MUST NOT be bent, folded, wrapped around the head tube, or in any other position than flat against the handle bars. Improper attachment of the race plate will cause timing chips not to register and may be cause for disqualification. Also, your race plate number is how we visually
confirm who you are out on the course or in the start/finish area. If we can’t read yournumber, it makes it harder to handle racer concerns that may come up during theevent.
Road and Traffic: Athletes are responsible for themselves throughout the duration of the event. This includes:
- Navigation of the course. While we will mark significant turns on the course, markings can be altered by weather or non-event related people.
- We have navigation resources for you on our website which includes GPS files and maps.
- Riders must be prepared to stop if necessary at all stop signs and road crossings before continuing along the route.
- Roads and trails are open to the public, and athletes are expected to follow the applicable laws and regulations in addition to using common sense and general courtesy.
Race Calling: Generally speaking, in the case of catastrophic failure due to weather or another extenuating circumstance that prevents the ongoing scoring of the event or creates a
racing environment that is deemed too dangerous for the participants, the race may be called as of a certain time. Final results will be calculated in one of two ways:
- The race will be considered over at the point it was called and the results will be
  taken from the last completed lap. This will be the anticipated method in the event
  racers needed to be evacuated off course instead of completing their laps.
- Or, The riders will be allowed to finish their current lap after the point the race is called and those results will be taken as final.
Race Suspension: In the case that the race is stopped and restarted once the hazard has abated, the combined results of both parts of the race will be used. The race clock (which is based on the actual time of day) will continue without pause during the race suspension. Once the race is restarted, racers who are ready to start a new lap will be free to reenter the course. The time for laps completed prior to the restart will be taken at the time of actual lap completion. This may result in racers who had been running ahead losing some time advantage due to the closure period. While potentially unfortunate in some cases, this is the most straightforward and workable way to account for the race pause. The primary concern is working to maintain the athletes’ safety in the face of hazardous conditions.
Ear Buds: Headphones, earbuds, speakers, and other audio devices are highly discouraged. Part of the point of this is to be out in nature taking in the sights AND sounds. If you must wear headphones you may do so in ONE EAR ONLY. For your safety and the safety of others we ask that you be mindful of your volume and surroundings and ask that you keep the volume low enough that you can hear others. The ability to communicate with each other and other people on the trails is a safety imperative.
Course Food/Water Support: any person may supply a racer on the course with food and water.
Course Mechanical Support: racers may receive mechanical assistance on the course. A rider providing assistance to another rider must have entered the course under their own power, either on foot or on a bicycle, not by motorized vehicle. Any rider who has entered the course in support of another may bring equipment and tools and may even swap bikes with the rider in need of support. The cannibalizing of bikes is permitted.
Canceling a Lap: once on course, a racer is expected to complete the lap. However, should the racer be unable to complete the lap for any reason, including injury, a teammate may restart the lap. If a teammate restarts the lap, the original racer is not permitted to go through the timing gate for that lap. Soloists are S.O.L.
Co-ed Team Laps: all co-ed teams are required to have a minimum of one person of the opposite sex. In order to be on the podium, there cannot be a difference of more than 2 laps completed between teammates. Translastion: if she does 6 laps, he has to do at least 4. Sorry, no one and done like some races.
Team Laps: each team member is required to complete at least one lap, except in the case of a report of occurrence (confirmation of an injury).
Passing Etiquette: Follow rules #1 and #13. For those that need it spelled out: (A) Racers riding bicycles have the right of way over racers pushing bicycles. When practical, racers pushing should stay on the least rideable portion of the path when being passed. A racer pushing or carrying his bicycle can overtake a racer riding his bicycle provided he does not interfere with the rider’s progress. (B) Slower riders should yield to overtaking riders. Riders should clearly voice the command “On your left, I’d like to pass,” etc, when overtaking another rider. (C) Riders being passed must move over as quickly, efficiently and as safely as possible. (D) It is the responsibility of the passing rider to overtake safely. But that doesn't give the slow rider permission to violation rules #1 and #13. (E) In the event two riders are vying for position, the leading rider does not have to yield his position to the challenging rider. However, a rider may not bodily interfere with the intent to impede another rider’s progress.
Course Cutting: any attempt to cut the course will result in immediate disqualification of that racer’s entire team.
Bad Attitudes: if there are two or more complaints about unsportsmanlike behavior, the racer and his or her team will be disqualified from the race, asked to leave the venue, and will not be welcome at future events. We will also talk smack about you. Refer to rules #1 and #13.
Penalties: all penalties are determined on a case-by case basis by the Race Director.
Assholes will be disqualified.
Protests and Changes: must be made during the 15 minute protest period immediately after the race. After that, the results are final.

1b. Have fun!

SPONSORS, VENDORS & BOOTHS

Food and Drink

B.UN.S Food Truck: offering big unique sandwiches that are also tasty.
Peddler on the Path: A coffee truck open 24-hours that serves liquid energy and tasty pastries
Rainbow Snow: delicious snow cones to keep you cool.
Wacky Waffles - from chicken and waffles to waffle fries, if it's delicious and comes in a waffle form, they have it.

Bike Industry

BiciFixx – mobile bike repair shop
Gallup Trails – the local trail stewards
Fat Tire Cycles – a top ABQ shop doing repairs, swag, and the always fun Huffy Toss
Outbound Lighting - awesome lights for sale and some available to rent. Also providing neutral charging.
Hammer - Gels and Fizz will be in the race packets and at both aid stations with HEED electrolyte mix in the coolers. You are going to need it!
Jakroo - visit the Zia Rides merch tent to see samples of Jakroo custom clothing.
SRAM - the local SRAM rep will be camped out at Sheetrock tank looking after riders at the aid station.

Other Fun Stuff

Rocky Mountain Canabis - season sponsor will have info about their shops and products.
Yahova Rapha Massage - schedule a massage to relax or keep those legs spinning.
Cottonwood Gulch Camps – their amazing camp staff will partying it up at Sheet Rock tank to help racers in the late night hours.
Gallup-McKinley SAR – keeping everyone safe out on the course
OutdoorEMS – providing first aid and course support
Zia Rides - Swag will be for sale in the vendor area. Come buy something and support my children's non-existent college fund! Also the spot to check live results
For the Luv of Bikes - recycled bike parts turned into art.