Albuquerque stretches along the Rio Grande under the Sandia Mountains: a 16-mile bosque trail, a state nature centre on the flyway, a national monument of carved volcanic rock, and a tram onto the crest.
Albuquerque sits on the Rio Grande, with the Sandia Mountains on the east side of the city. Official city Open Space pages describe the Paseo del Bosque Trail as 16 miles of paved multi-use trail, uninterrupted by roadways, through the river's cottonwood bosque and through 4,300-acre Rio Grande Valley State Park, which extends from Sandia Pueblo in the north to Isleta Pueblo in the south.
West of the river, Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, with designs carved onto volcanic rock 400 to 700 years ago. Official pages say an entrance pass is not required, but the petroglyph trails are not at the visitor information centre, you drive to Boca Negra, Rinconada or Piedras Marcadas Canyon. On the east side, the Sandia Mountains rise in the Cibola National Forest; a tram climbs the west face, and official forest pages have warned that project work can affect access at Sandia Crest, so confirm current conditions before you go.
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Free No charge to enter · Cheap A small entry, permit or parking fee · Paid Tickets, tours or rentals
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Petroglyph National Monument
A national monument on Albuquerque's west side that official NPS pages describe as one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, with designs and symbols carved onto volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. An entrance pass is not required. The petroglyph trails are a 1- to 6.5-mile drive from the Visitor Information Center at 6510 Western Trail; they are not at the centre itself. Confirm current trail hours before you go.
Season No entrance pass is required. Trail hours vary by canyon; the visitor centre has no trails. The centre and Boca Negra Canyon are closed on Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January (check before you go).
One of the three petroglyph trail systems at Petroglyph National Monument. Official pages list it as open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last entry at 4 p.m. strictly enforced, closed on Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January. Pets are not allowed on the trails.
Season Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., last entry at 4 p.m. strictly enforced. Closed Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January. Pets are not allowed on the trails (check before you go).
A petroglyph trail system at Petroglyph National Monument. Official pages list the parking lot as open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with access from sunrise to sunset by parking outside the gated lot. There is no water. Leashed pets are allowed.
Season Parking lot open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; access from sunrise to sunset by parking outside the gate. No water. Leashed pets allowed (check before you go).
A day-use area at Petroglyph National Monument. Official pages say it does not offer petroglyph viewing. The parking lot is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with access from sunrise to sunset by parking outside the gated lot. There is no water. Leashed pets are allowed.
Season Parking lot open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; access from sunrise to sunset by parking outside the gate. No water, and no petroglyphs here (check before you go).
Albuquerque's principal multi-use trail, official Open Space pages say: 16 miles of paved trail, uninterrupted by roadways, from the north to the south edges of the metro area through the Rio Grande's cottonwood bosque and through Rio Grande Valley State Park. Official pages note that the only formal restrooms currently on the trail are at the Alameda access, on the southeast side of the Alameda bridge.
A 4,300-acre park on both sides of the Rio Grande, official city Open Space pages say, extending from Sandia Pueblo in the north through Albuquerque and south to Isleta Pueblo. Trails reach the river under a cottonwood canopy. The Paseo del Bosque Trail runs through the park.
A day-use state park on the Rio Grande flyway at 2901 Candelaria Road NW, official pages say, with indoor and outdoor wildlife viewing over ponds, a native plant garden, a pollinator garden, 1.2 miles of trails, and access to city-managed trails to the river and the bosque. Park hours were listed as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and visitor-centre hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; official pages also say hours can vary with volunteer availability, so call (505) 344-7240. There is no camping. Leashed pets are allowed only in the parking area and on the adjacent city trails. Bikes are not allowed at the nature centre, official city pages say. Confirm current day-use or pass requirements before you go.
Season Day-use only. Official pages listed park hours as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and visitor-centre hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and also say hours can vary with volunteer availability, call ahead (check before you go).
The mountain range on Albuquerque's east side, in the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands. Official forest pages noted project work, beginning in April 2026, that can affect visitor use and public access to the Sandia Crest area; confirm current road, trail and fire conditions, and any fees, before you go.
Season Official forest pages noted project work, beginning in April 2026, that can affect access to the Sandia Crest area. Confirm current road, trail and fire conditions before you go.
A tram on the west face of the Sandias, with official pages describing access to the South Crest Trail from the upper terminal. The official site listed the tram as open Wednesday through Monday, and noted that Sandia Peak Ski Area is not affiliated with the tram. Confirm current hours, tickets and trail access at the crest before you go.
Season Official pages listed the tram as open Wednesday through Monday. Confirm current hours, tickets and crest-trail access before you go.
A 64-acre zoo next to the Rio Grande, official city pages say, offering close encounters with exotic and native animals since 1927. Hours were listed as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with winter hours closed on Mondays between Veterans Day and Presidents Day, and closed on Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January. Confirm current hours and admission before you go.
Season Official hours were listed as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Mondays between Veterans Day and Presidents Day, and closed Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January (check before you go).
Petroglyph National Monument: Official pages say no entrance pass is required. The Visitor Information Center is at 6510 Western Trail, off Unser Boulevard NW; some map apps misdirect visitors to the Volcanoes Day Use Area or to a neighbourhood named "The Petroglyphs." The centre and Boca Negra Canyon are closed on Thanksgiving Day, 25 December and 1 January. Boca Negra Canyon is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last entry at 4 p.m. strictly enforced, and pets are not allowed on those trails. Rinconada Canyon's parking lot is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with sunrise-to-sunset access by parking outside the gate; there is no water, and leashed pets are allowed. Piedras Marcadas Canyon is open sunrise to sunset, with no restrooms and no water.
Rio Grande Nature Center: Official pages list the park as day-use only, at 2901 Candelaria Road NW, with park hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and visitor-centre hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and they also say hours can vary with volunteer availability, call (505) 344-7240 to confirm. Leashed pets are allowed in the parking area and on the adjacent city trails only. Official city pages say bikes are not allowed at the nature centre.
Sandia Crest and the tram: Official Cibola National Forest pages noted project work, beginning in April 2026, that can affect visitor use and public access to the Sandia Crest area; confirm current road and trail access before you go. The official tram site listed the tram as open Wednesday through Monday; confirm current hours and tickets before you go.
We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
