Indian Grove

Indian Grove is a backcountry stand of about 200 ponderosa pines east of the dunefield; 72 of the trees bear large bark-removal scars left by Indigenous people. It is a meaningful stop for hikers interested in the human history of this landscape, with pines and cottonwoods beside Medano Creek and the dunes.

This is a backcountry destination, not a roadside pullout. The designated site is 4.1 miles from Horse Parking Lot by the park’s route estimate, rated moderate. The lot is reached by Medano Pass Primitive Road; beyond its Point of No Return, the road requires high-clearance 4WD with low range. Overnight stays require a permit.

The backcountry camp has a solar-composting toilet. Water is usually reliable at the site, but streams can be seasonal, and all stream water needs treatment before drinking.

Explore the grove to find several scarred trunks rather than expecting a single marked viewpoint. The average scar is about 4 feet long and 17 inches wide. These are living cultural resources, so look without touching or peeling them.

Inner bark could be eaten fresh, ground into flour, or made into tea; outer bark was useful for trays, baskets, and building materials. Pitch and sap also had medicinal and practical uses, including as an adhesive. The pines were harvested over generations, mostly during the 19th century.

The grove sits in a landscape with a much longer Indigenous history. The nearby North Branch of the Old Spanish Trail followed routes used by Ute people and their ancestors, then carried commercial traffic between northern New Mexico and southern California from 1829 to 1848. The Ute name recorded for the dunes, Saa waap maa nache, means “sand that moves.”