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It’s Time to Take a Hike in Albuquerque, New Mexico!
The best way to experience Albuquerque is by hiking it! Get outdoors with local authors and hiking experts David Ryan and Stephen Ausherman as they help you find and enjoy the top hikes within 60 miles of the Duke City. A perfect blend of popular trails and hidden gems, the selected trails transport you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, ancient ruins, and petroglyphs that renew your spirit and recharge your body.
Experience the black-lava badlands in El Malpais National Monument. Enjoy cool aspen woodlands in Santa Fe National Forest. Explore new trails in the Galisteo Basin and the Valles Caldera. Immerse yourself in history with nostalgic walks along the Rio Grande—not to mention ancient pueblos, old mining camps, slot canyons, and more. With Albuquerque residents David Ryan and Stephen Ausherman as your guides, you’ll learn about the area and experience nature through 60 of the city’s best hikes!
Each hike description features key at-a-glance information on distance, difficulty, scenery, traffic, hiking time, and more, so you can quickly and easily learn about each trail. Detailed directions, GPS-based trail maps, and elevation profiles help to ensure that you know where you are and where you’re going. Tips on nearby activities further enhance your enjoyment of every outing. Plus, the local authors’ recommended hikes by category help you find the perfect trails for every occasion. Whether you’re a local looking for new places to explore or a visitor to the area, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque provides plenty of options for a couple hours or a full day of adventure, all within about an hour from Albuquerque and the surrounding communities.
David Ryan left his conventional job in the business world at the age of 49 to rearrange his life into a mixture of income-producing and personal activities. Since making that change, he has found time to walk the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail from end to end, walk the Camino de Santiago from France to Santiago de Compostela in the west of Spain, become involved in archaeology, earn a black belt in aikido, and pursue several other outdoor and walking activities. For the past 18 years he has explored the New Mexico backcountry, looking for previously unknown archaeology sites as a volunteer for the Bureau of Land Management. He is the author of Long Distance Hiking on the Appalachian Trail for the Older Adventurer, The Gentle Art of Wandering, The Bisbee Stairs, and a blog on walking and wandering at gentleartofwandering.com. David lives in Albuquerque with his wife, Claudia, and his three dogs, Paddy, Petey, and Sparky. To contact David Ryan or receive hike updates, please visit 60hikesabq.com.
Stephen Ausherman has worked as a public-health assistant in Iraq, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania; a teacher in Korea and China; and a journalist in India and the United States. He was a writer-in-residence at Buffalo National River in Arkansas, Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, and Bernheim Forest in Kentucky, and an artist-in-residence for Cornucopia Art Center in Minnesota, Blue Sky Project in Illinois, and Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts. Born in China and raised in North Carolina, Stephen took an unscheduled detour to Albuquerque in 1996. He has lived there ever since.
Overview Map
Map Legend
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
60 Hikes by Category
Introduction
GREATER ALBUQUERQUE
- Ball Ranch
- Canyon Estates–Faulty Trails
- Carlito Springs
- Corrales Acequias and Bosque Preserve
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
- La Luz Trail to the Crest and Tram
- Petroglyph National Monument: Piedras Marcadas
- Petroglyph National Monument: The Volcanoes
- Piedra Lisa Trailhead Options
- Pino Trail
- Rio Grande Nature Center–Bosque/Ditch Walk
- Three Gun–Embudo Trails: Up-and-Over-the-Sandias Adventure
- Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS
- Armijo Trail–Cienega Spring
- Del Agua Overlook
- Fourth of July Canyon–Cerro Blanco
- Golden Open Space
- Mars Court Trailhead–David Canyon
- Red Canyon
- Sabino Canyon and Juan Tomas Open Spaces
- San Pedro Mountains Mining Area
- Tree Spring–Crest Trail
GREATER SANTA FE
NORTHWEST OF ALBUQUERQUE
- Cabezon Peak
- Continental Divide Trail (CDT): Deadman Peaks
- Guadalupe Outlier
- Holiday Mesa
- La Lena WSA: Empedrado Ridge–CDT
- McCauley Hot Springs
- Ojito Wilderness: Hoodoo Trail
- Ojito Wilderness: Seismosaurus Trail
- Paliza Canyon Goblin Colony
- San Ysidro Trials Area
- Stable Mesa
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
- White Ridge Bike Trails Area
SOUTH AND WEST OF ALBUQUERQUE
- Abo Pass Area
- Canada del Ojo
- El Cerro Tome
- El Malpais National Monument: Sandstone Bluffs
- Herrera Mesa
- Hidden Mountain
- Monte Largo Canyon
- Mount Taylor: Gooseberry Spring
- San Lorenzo Canyon
- Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
- Sierra Ladrones
- Trigo Canyon
- Water Canyon Wildlife Area
Appendix A: Public Lands
Appendix B: Everything Else You Need to Know About New Mexico
Index
About the Authors