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Loop Trails near Albuquerque

11 routes near Albuquerque qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 1.1 km, with the longest running to 2.6 km.

That is 6 percent of the 199 routes we map near Albuquerque. They are shorter than the local average, 1.1 km against 4.3 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 25 m (82 ft) against 95 m (312 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Rocky Ridge Trail

New Mexico · United States

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

Sabino Canyon East Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Easy

Sabino Canyon West Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Easy

Overlook Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Easy

Leopold Loop

New Mexico · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
13 min
Easy

Spring Loop Trail

New Mexico · United States

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
6 min
Easy

Yucca Loop

New Mexico · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
10 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
Rocky Ridge TrailNew Mexico2.0 km44 m29 minEasyApril to October
Sabino Canyon East TrailNew Mexico1.3 km29 m19 minEasyApril to October
Sabino Canyon West TrailNew Mexico1.9 km42 m28 minEasyApril to October
Overlook TrailNew Mexico1.2 km26 m17 minEasyApril to October
Forestry Service Exercise TrailNew Mexico0.6 km14 m9 minEasyApril to October
Four Seasons Nature TrailNew Mexico0.5 km10 m7 minEasyApril to October
Carlito Springs Loop TrailNew Mexico2.6 km57 m37 minEasyApril to October
Crest to Carlito Springs ConnectorNew Mexico0.5 km12 m8 minEasyApril to October
Leopold LoopNew Mexico0.9 km20 m13 minEasyApril to October
Spring Loop TrailNew Mexico0.4 km10 m6 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Overlook Trail, Rocky Ridge Trail, Sabino Canyon East Trail. 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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