Skip to content

Best Mountain Hikes near Albuquerque

We track 16 routes that match this search near Albuquerque. They average 13.3 km and 293 m (961 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 55.3 km.

That is 8 percent of the 199 routes we map near Albuquerque. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 13.3 km against 4.3 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 293 m (961 ft) on average versus 95 m (312 ft) across the wider area.

Mountain routes trade effort for scale. Expect sustained climbing, quick weather changes and views that make the numbers worth it. The mix is broad: 9 are rated easy and 3 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Easy

Cedro Peak Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Forest
Easy

Meadow Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
34 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Alpine meadow
Easy

Sunset Canyon Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Canyon and gorge
Easy

South Sandia Peak Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Summit Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Birdhouse Ridge

New Mexico · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Moderate

Monte Largo Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
6.9 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
152 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • Mountain
  • Forest
Easy

Oso Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
6.2 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
137 m
Typical duration
1 hr 30 min
  • Mountain
Easy

Rocky Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
44 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

South Sandia Peak via CCC

New Mexico · United States

Distance
7.4 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
1 hr 47 min
  • Mountain
Easy

West Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Mountain

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Bernalillo CountyNew Mexico55.3 km1,216 m14 hrExpertApril to October
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Sandoval CountyNew Mexico54.6 km1,201 m14 hrExpertApril to October
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Valencia CountyNew Mexico46.3 km1,019 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Cedro Peak TrailNew Mexico0.7 km16 m11 minEasyApril to October
Meadow Ridge TrailNew Mexico1.6 km34 m23 minEasyApril to October
Sunset Canyon Ridge TrailNew Mexico2.4 km52 m34 minEasyApril to October
South Sandia Peak TrailNew Mexico0.9 km20 m13 minEasyApril to October
Summit TrailNew Mexico2.3 km51 m34 minEasyApril to October
Birdhouse RidgeNew Mexico4.0 km89 m59 minEasyApril to October
Monte Largo TrailNew Mexico6.9 km152 m1 hr 40 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Sandoval County, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Bernalillo County, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Valencia County. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for