Hiking

Hiking opportunities on the Sandias are endless. Some 200 miles of trails cover all parts of the mountain, both inside and outside the Wilderness ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 feet elevation. Entry to the trails network can take place on any side of the mountain from the Albuquerque Foothills, to Placitas, to Tijeras Canyon, to the east side via the Sandia Crest Scenic Byway.

Included below are three different trail summaries for a quick overview of some options you may want to consider. For much more complete information, please look into the following sources:

Popular Short Hikes

(One-way distances are given.)

S. Crest Trail 130 from Sandia Crest to Upper Tram Terminal, 1.75 miles, 300-ft elevation change, views of Albuquerque and northern N. M.

S. Crest Trail 130 and Trail 94 from Sandia Crest to Kiwanis Cabin, 1 mile, 100-ft descent, beautiful stone house built by CCC in 1930s.

S. Crest Trail 130 and Trail 94 from Upper Tram Terminal to Kiwanis Cabin, 1.5 miles, 200-ft ascent, with views of Kiwanis Meadow and Rio Grande Valley.

N. Crest Trail 130 from Sandia Crest to Del Agua Overlook, 2 miles, 640-ft descent, views of the north Rio Grande valley and Jemez Mountains.

Tree Spring Trail 147 to Overlook, 2 miles, 1020-ft ascent, views of Albuquerque.

Bill Spring Trail 196 from Doc Long Picnic Area to Faulty Trail 195, 1 mile, 440-ft ascent, see Abert’s squirrels.**

Sulphur Canyon Trail 281 to Faulty Trail 195, 0.5 mile, 280-ft ascent, hike through mixed conifer forest.**

Cienega Canyon Trail 148 to Faulty Trail 195, 0.5 mile, 240-ft ascent, hike along creek.**

(**3-mile to 5-mile loops may be hiked by combining these picnic area trails with return trails parallel to the roads.)

Embudo Trail 193 to water fall at canyon mouth, 1 mile, 320-ft ascent, western Sandia foothills.

S. Crest Trail 130 from Canyon Estates to Travertine Falls, 0.5 mile, 260-ft ascent, see calcium carbonate deposits on rocks.

La Luz Trail 137 to Tram Trail 82 junction, 1 mile, 360-ft ascent, views of Juan Tabo Basin.

La Luz Trail 137 to Overlook, 3 miles, 1160-ft ascent, views of La Cueva Canyon.

Tramway Trail 82 from Lower Tram Terminal to La Luz Trail 137 junction, 2.5 miles, 840-ft ascent, hike along escarpment of Sandias.

S. Piedra Lisa Trail 135 to Rincon Ridge, 2 miles, 1230-ft ascent, views of Shield to east.

Trails That Tell a Story

Learn more about Sandia Mountain nature and history by visiting these self-guided informational trails.

Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site – The site interpretive trail begins behind the Sandia Ranger Station and winds past numerous interpretive signs describing the the14th century Tijeras Pueblo.

Cedro Creek – Pick up the brochure for this trail at Sandia Ranger Station and follow the numbered signposts. This one mile trail is located at the Otero Canyon Trailhead about three miles south of the Ranger Station in the Manzanita Mountains and focuses on Cedro Creek riparian habitat.

Cienega Nature Trail – Located in the Cienega Picnic Area, this short trail has illustrated signs in addition to Braille for the visually impaired and a paved walkway for visually or mobility impaired visitors. Learn about the ponderosa pine and meadow ecosystems. A small stream runs through the meadow.

Balsam Glade – This trail begins at Balsam Glade Picnic Area and leads to an overlook at La Madera Canyon. Learn about plants and animals that make their home in the mixed conifer life zone.

Sandia Peak Upper Tram Terminal – This ¾ mile loop trail is north of the High Finance Restaurant. Illustrated signs introduce the sub-alpine forest ecosystem. In summer, guided tours are available.

Sandia Crest – This ¾ mile loop trail begins south of the Crest House. It offers spectacular views of the Rio Grande valley and takes visitors into the sub-alpine forest. Most of the illustrated signs are identical to the Sandia Peak trail mentioned above.

Summary of North Sandia Ranger District Trails

Difficulty RatingTrail NumberTrail NameLength (miles)Elevation Change (ft)
Easy196Bill Spring0.7231
 365Foothills13800
 265   Oso    Corredor2.7701
 72Sandia Cave0.584
 281Sulphur Canyon0.4109
Moderate148Cienega2.21,659
 202Ellis2.7630
 195Faulty9808
 20010K4.9572
 201Osha Loop2.7246
 259Penasco Blanca1.6520
 51Strip Mine2.6933
 264Tecolote1.2180
 194Three Gun42,133
 82Tramway2.6929
 147Tree Spring21,039
 195AUpper Faulty1.348
Difficult225Bart’s2.11,879
 150Canoncito3.11,935
 84Crest Spur0.6507
 192Embudito5.63,039
 193Embudo3.21,749
 215Hawk Watch1.2930
 137La Luz7.73,775
 130NNorth Crest10.64,118
 247Osha Spring4.52,708
 135Piedra Lisa5.82,099
 140Pino4.72,798
 130SSouth Crest164,081
Route214CCC1.81,702
 230Domingo Baca2.4739

NOTES: For more details on trails see “Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide” by Mike Coltrin and the Sandia Ranger District Map, both available at the Sandia Ranger District Station in Tijeras.