100 Hikes in New Mexico
The Mountaineers Books
Petroglyph National Monument lies on the very edge of the sprawling western edge of Albuquerque. Along a snaking escarpment of black volcanic boulders, the monument protects an extraordinary collection of more than 15,000 petroglyphs. The artists range from nomadic hunters who visited the site more than two centuries ago to ranchers who chased cows in the area from less than 100 years in the past. Most of the drawings are, however, from the Ancestral Pueblo people around 500 years old.
..The rocks here are decorated with an amazing assortment of masks, snakes, birds, and handprints.
Distance: 7 miles for five trails day hike.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Range: 5,000 to 5,300 feet
My stats:
Distance: 2.61 miles
Time: 1:02:27 hours
Elevation: 5,211 ft
Elevation Gain: 236 ft
This was the most fun of the hikes I took in the Albuquerque area. Lot’s of petroglyphs and room to explore. I added to the hike by climbing to the top of a couple of mesas.
Here’s the pics:
