Sandia Mountains

For anyone who has time to spend at least a full day in Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains are well worth visiting. A tram ride will give you a spectacular view at the summit in all directions. There are lots of great hiking trails at the summit.
For those who don’t have the time for the tram ride (and for those who do), be sure to check out the mountains as the sun sets. It’s a spectacular site to see as the colors of the mountain range change from gray to watermelon and back to gray. All this happens in a matter of minutes… so it pays to get situated well in advance with your camera ready to fire of a few shots.
Some believe that the Sandia mountain range get its name the Spanish translation («watermelon»).

The best thing about living in Albuquerque was getting to drive up Sandia. Sandia, which means watermelon in Spanish, does often turn pink during sunset. The drive up takes around an hour from the Albuquerque. It has many switchback, and sharp turns, you will be breaking the whole way down. There are many hiking trails that suit all levels of fitness, and time allotments. A trail that is harder to access goes to an old plane crash site. I have not yet climbed the full mountain, but it is a great way to spend part of the day. Conditions and temperatures can be very different and change quickly from what is going on a could thousand feet lower. Bring warm things to layer if the weather changes. It costs 3 – 4 $ to park your car, bring dollar dollar bills yo.

Very beautiful. Went with a friend we hiked up and down two mountains. Took us about 4.5 hours. Very beautiful area looked about the tramway the ski lifts, the sandia house. Everything was green and lovely.

Always a gorgeous view as you start to make your way up the Sandias. I’ve taken the tram up, as well as hiking La Luz and there’s no wrong way to do it. There’s not many places in the USA where there is such an enormous mountain right next to a large city. Take advantage of the many things that the Sandia Mountains offer you. You can even grab a bite to eat and a drink at the top.
Notes: Bring a jacket even if it’s hot outside, the temperature at the top of the mountain is much cooler than it is in ABQ. Bring some water and a snack. If you’re hiking up the mountain good footwear is absolutely necessary.

Gorgeous. Beautiful. What more needs to be said?
It was too cold to do any hiking, but I hope to be able go back and enjoy them more!

Background: I solo-​hiked for ~5 miles to the peak. Started out on and finished the Pino Trail, transitioned onto the Crest Trail which f-​ed me over, got lost for a while, followed the 10K, hiked below the ski-​lifts (not a path) to the peak/​tram house while people from the ski-​lifts looked at me like I was amazon woman or something.
Pino Trail:
–Despite what AllTrails says, this trail is harder than a «moderate» difficulty level. Aside from being lengthy with elevation, the trail was also super uneven.
–I had to literally climb over a few trees blocking the path, and also was almost stuck inbetween some random big rocks (thank god I didn’t eat an extra carne adovada burrito before coming).
Crest Trail:
–Somewhere in the middle this terribly marked labyrinth branches into multiple paths at multiple points, which completely f***‘s you over if you’re looking to get to the tram house
–The crest peak has a great view but is hella windy, hold on to your toddlers so they don’t mary-​poppins away.
10K:
–One of the most well-​marked and smooth trails, albeit very narrow path
Ski-​lift:
–Not really a trail, but follow the second set of ski-​lifts up the grassy hill and you’ll be at the peak
–Pretty steep and surprisingly exhausting to hike; and people from ski-​lifts may look at you from above strangely.

Absolutely beautiful! During sunset is the best time to visit! The light from the sun reflects off these amazing mountains showing the beautiful shades of pink which soon turn to a violet color as the sun disappears!

We’re so geeky about our mountains. The closest coastline is some 600 miles away, but you know, who needs water when you have mountains that turn 50 shades of violet every evening? For the uninitiated: sandia is watermelon in Spanish. The name likely came from Spaniards who visited the area and misinterpreted what the pueblos were growing in their gardens. From Wikipedia: «The Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash [gourds] growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo.» So says historian Robert Julyan.
Today, people in the 505 completely embrace this title and get mighty excited when the sun begins to set in the west, because this impressive rock wall indeed turns a purplish color, and near the top a band of white frames the entire view in a kind of natural rind. The landscape is gorgeous, and it softens the otherwise hard or even harsh, dry soil and city below. My favorite view comes as the moon rises on those rare nights, the orb shocking in pure blanco brilliance, so big it bathes our desert hub in peaceful, glorious light.
One of my favorite people, the guy who told me to move here, told me nearly 20 years ago that I should never spend a day in Albuquerque without appreciating our mountains. He was right, and I don’t. It’s kind of my daily prayer, actually. I recognize that I love them, I navigate life with them (they’re the east), I hike them (love La Luz), ride them (Tramway), and as mentioned, always wish them goodnight. Dry and cumbersome, these mountains invite the adventurous, and reward those who seek new climates. Mountain Lion and bear roam the upper crust, so watch your back.
Geek out, ABQ. The Sandias are a great reason to live in the 505.