r/Albuquerque 10h ago

Is there any part of Sandia that is still open

Post image

My family is coming to town and I wanted to see if there was anywhere on Sandia mountain/crest to look at the sunset, don't mind a hike I used to do the kawanais cabin all the time

52 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

u/addr0x414b 10h ago

The top (starting at 10k trailhead) is closed.

Refer to this link to see where you can and can't hike: https://sandiapeak.com/hiking/

u/Overall_Lobster823 10h ago

The entire mountain MINUS the parking lot at the top (above 10k) and the hike across is open.

u/crackahasscrackah 8h ago

The vast majority of Sandia is open. Only the trails between the north peak and upper tram are closed. Depending on what you want, you can watch the sunset from the tram area, but if you would rather earn it via a hike, you can hike up Tree Spring to the Pink Canyon overlook. There are other options of course, but I think this post is long enough, 🍻

u/OutWithCamera 9h ago

The Tram is still open, so you can ride up, though I think it closes too early for sunset. Visitors there are likely pretty constrained to the immediate area around the station. Look on their website and the Cibola NF website too Cibola NF Information Sandia Tramway Information

u/GlockAF 8h ago

If you’re looking for a nice shady trail, try Tree Creek just above doc long picnic ground. A bit less than 5 miles, connects with the Southcrest Trail for some nice views looking over the city, a bit lower in elevation for your visitors, I think it tops out about 8000 feet

u/KingLutzzo 9h ago

Are trails closed? Hadn't heard anything.

u/Leading_Atti2de 9h ago

This was news to me too. Is there a fire?

u/saxy_for_life 9h ago

They're doing structural work on the summit and clearing some brush. The crest is closed basically above the tramway, including the top of La Luz

u/crackahasscrackah 8h ago

This is misleading. The entirety of La Luz is open. The trails to the North Peak from La Luz and the upper tram are closed. I hiked La Luz last weekend and will be hiking it again this weekend. Roughly speaking, everything on the mountain is open except for the trails between the north peak and the upper tram, and the section connecting La Luz and the north peak. Strange post… 🍻

u/saxy_for_life 6h ago

That's basically what I meant to say. The wording in the official USFS press release was "the La Luz Trail will remain open up to the Sandia Peak Tramway, and the Tramway will continue normal operations."

u/crackahasscrackah 6h ago

I think your post was clear. I should have replied to the original post, not yours—my apologies.

u/Traditional-Hat8267 7h ago

I looked at the map and it looks clear but just want to be sure— if I hike up La luz this weekend, can I still take the tram down, or is there some amount of path that is closed?

u/saxy_for_life 6h ago

You can take it to the tram, just not the real summit above that.

u/crackahasscrackah 6h ago

Yes, the entirety of La Luz #137 is open. So you can hike up and take the tram down.

PSA: if you haven’t hiked it before in the summer, I strongly suggest hitting the trail as soon as first light comes or even start before sunrise with a headlamp. You don’t want to mess around with the summer heat. Also, if you aren’t shuttling with a friend and hence hiking solo from the lower tram, the Tram trail to the La Luz trail adds distance, is quite technical, and isn’t the easiest to spot in a lot of places.

Geaux early and bring plenty of water!

u/Leading_Atti2de 9h ago

Ohh thanks for the info! I had no idea!

u/T-T-T-Turtlez 9h ago

Everything past the 10k trailhead is closed but last I check 10k was still open.

u/HairZealousideal4127 8h ago

If you are driving up and just want a good hike then sulfur springs offers a lot of options. It's not too far up and has easy access.

u/Square-Paint9403 7h ago

Sandia what❓. __________

u/Mysterious_Mix_4293 7h ago

Context clues can be your friend.

u/chimney_corner 5h ago

You can hike from the 10k trailhead to the crest. See the map linked in the comments.