Los Lirios Ridge Trail (La Viga)

The Los Lirios Ridge Trail, known locally as La Viga, begins at the plaza of Los Lirios, a small ejido village in the Sierra de Arteaga south of Saltillo, Coahuila. There is no public transit to the trailhead; visitors typically arrive by private vehicle or taxi from Arteaga or Saltillo along the paved and then graded Los Lirios access road, with informal parking available near the plaza and village church. No permit is required to hike La Viga. From the plaza, the route climbs roughly 550 meters cumulatively over 9 kilometers round trip, gaining most of its elevation through a series of forested switchbacks that give the trail its local name (la viga, "the beam," after the straight line of the ridge ascent). The path is moderately difficult: sustained uphill walking on packed dirt and pine-needle duff, with loose soil and exposed roots in places, but no technical scrambling. Shade is near-continuous under the pine canopy of the Sierra Madre Oriental, though the final approach to the ridge cross opens into clearer ground with more sun exposure. Key landmarks include the village church near the trailhead, a mid-route saddle overlooking the Los Lirios valley, and the hilltop cross that marks the turnaround point for most day hikers; those with less time can turn around at the saddle instead. There are no potable water sources, refuge huts, or emergency shelters along the route, so hikers should carry all the water and food they need. Cell signal is unreliable once away from the village. Because Los Lirios sits above 2,300 meters, mornings and evenings can be cold even outside winter, and the return descent via the direct route past the village church offers a faster, less exposed way back down.