Cochiti Lake, New Mexico

Leaving from the foothills above Albuquerque this trail leads you from the desert up to the peaks of the Sandia Mountains.  You'll climb from the city at 7000 ft above sea level all the way up to 10,378 ft in altitude along a trail the changes from high desert to deep pine forest.  The views alon...

10K trailhead springs from it a whole handful of beautiful trails.  With access to a rocky path that leads off into raw wilderness, a clean and smooth walking, hiking, and mountain biking trail covered by tall pine canopy, or a wide cut service road ideal for easy strolls, you have plenty of opti...

Accessible June through October, snow lingers on the trail late into the summer. This is a very popular, well-marked route so if it's solitude you're seeking, you'll probably be disappointed. At least on the weekend.The trailhead is at the parking lot for Ski Santa Fe. You'll climb from 10,250 to...

Starting at the ski basin above Santa Fe, where parking is ample and the drive to reach it is staggeringly beautiful, you head north from the bottom of the parking lot from a well marked trailhead.  The climb starts right out of the gate, and at a starting altitude of 10,000 ft above sea level yo...

Start at the Sandia Mountain base terminal where you can purchase your tickets to ride the tram (Tip: If you make reservations at the peaks restaurant, High Finance, you can get a discount on your ticket). Enjoy the 15 minute ride to the peak while taking in beautiful city views of Albuquerque as...

This trail is a little tricky to get to, so be sure to stop at the Pecos NHP Visitor Center first for directions. You will also need to retrieve a gate code from the ranger. I would recommend picking up a guide inside the Visitor Center so you know what you're looking at on the trail (important)....

This is one of the most photographed festivals in the world. Professionals and amateurs gather here each year to take millions of photos, and your goal (albeit a difficult one) is to capture a unique perspective at this event. Something that conveys the particular emotion of what the balloon fest...

The park is easy to get to from Santa Fe. It's about 30 miles SE on the I-25 highway that leads you through Pecos. Once at the park, the 1.25 mile loop trail begins and ends at the visitor center. Don't forget to stop in there. It's surprisingly nice with some terrific history of the area dating...

Pecos National Historical Park offers up the "grand slam" for hiking, which is a bit of a misnomer because they only have 3 trails and a grand slam indicates you would have completed 4 of something. In order to achieve the "grand slam" you need to hike all 3 trails in one day, completing approxi...

The South Pasture Loop trail, while part of the Pecos NHP, isn't in the main park. Currently, this trail is only open on the weekends and the road gate closes at 1pm. The trail itself closes at 3pm, and takes about 2-3 hours unless you plan on hiking for speed. No pets allowed. 0.7 miles down th...

You start at the hiking at base of the the San Pedro Wilderness at the San Gregorio Lake Trailhead! This particular hike is called the Vacas Trail loop.For directions: Take US 550 to Cuba (north west of Albuquerque), turn east on NM 126 and go for about 9 miles. Just past the community of Deer La...

The trail starts out at the Three Guns Trailhead and has great signage as you drive to it. You'll start the hike on the Three Guns Trail for about 0.5 mile before you'll officially cross into Cibola National Forest. Once you enter there will almost immediately be a spur to the Hawk Watch Trail to...

Petroglyph National Park - Amazing Rock Art - Petroglyph National Monument has one of the biggest, and easiest to find group of petroglyphs in the United States. There are over 20,000 carvings in this monument. It is on the western side of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is easy to reach. The vast m...

This hike is worth its weight in gold. By far one of the most beautiful places in all of New Mexico. Located in the Carson National Forest, the options for camping are limitless. Did I mention this is ranked one of New Mexico's best hikes yet it rarely gets done. The potential for solitude is ver...

Start your adventure by checking in at the Ghost Ranch Visitor Center, then find the trailhead just behind the building. You'll quickly drop down through an arroyo and then walk through a gate. The trail begins to climb briefly then flattens out with beautiful views across to Pedernal and the Pie...