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Hard Hiking Trails near Albuquerque

There are 7 hikes near Albuquerque in our database that fit. They average 37.1 km and 816 m (2,677 ft) of ascent.

That is 4 percent of the 199 routes we map near Albuquerque. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 37.1 km against 4.3 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 816 m (2,677 ft) on average versus 95 m (312 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Hard

Paseo del Bosque Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
28.6 km
/ 17.8 mi
Elevation gain
630 m
Typical duration
7 hr 19 min
  • Forest
Hard

Challenge Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
17.8 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
392 m
Typical duration
4 hr 23 min
  • Forest
Hard

Manzano Crest Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
31.3 km
/ 19.4 mi
Elevation gain
688 m
Typical duration
8 hr 2 min
  • Forest
Hard

South Crest Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
25.6 km
/ 15.9 mi
Elevation gain
564 m
Typical duration
6 hr 31 min

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
Paseo del Bosque TrailNew Mexico28.6 km630 m7 hr 19 minHardApril to October
Challenge TrailNew Mexico17.8 km392 m4 hr 23 minHardApril to October
Manzano Crest TrailNew Mexico31.3 km688 m8 hr 2 minHardApril to October
South Crest TrailNew Mexico25.6 km564 m6 hr 31 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Valencia County, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Sandoval County, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail - Bernalillo 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

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