Day Trippin' › New Mexico › From Albuquerque › Best hikes
Our picks for the best hikes within 3 hours of Albuquerque: 37 places, 4 under an hour away, 17 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 87102.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Petroglyph National Monument, 43 min northwest of Albuquerque.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0
#1 · National monument · 43 min northwest
Thousands of images pecked into dark volcanic boulders on Albuquerque's West Mesa, reached by several short canyon trails plus a volcano day-use area.
Heads-up: Boca Negra Canyon open 8:30-4:30 (last entry 4:00); Rinconada and Piedras Marcadas open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs allowed on Rinconada, Piedras Marcadas and Volcanoes trails but not at Boca…
Photo: VitaleBaby at English Wikipedia, Public domain
#2 · National monument · 1 hr 3 min north
Cone-shaped tent rocks of volcanic ash on Cochiti Pueblo land, with a slot canyon trail that climbs to a mesa-top view.
Heads-up: Reservation only on Recreation.gov, no day-of tickets; every person needs a ticket and passes do not cover the tribal fee. Entry 8 am to 1 pm, out by 4 pm, check in at the Cochiti Visitor Center. No…
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
#3 · National monument · 1 hr 47 min north
A canyon of cliff dwellings and village ruins carved into soft volcanic tuff, with ladders up to alcove rooms along the Pueblo Loop Trail in Frijoles Canyon.
Heads-up: Dogs only in the main parking lot, picnic area and campground, not on trails or the shuttle. The Pueblo Loop is not ADA accessible (steep grades, ladders). A free shuttle from White Rock runs on some…
Photo: User Brian0918 on en.wikipedia, Public domain
#4 · National park · 1 hr 48 min north
A huge volcanic caldera of open grass valleys ringed by forested domes, where elk herds graze and trails head out from the Cabin District.
Heads-up: Vehicle gate usually 9 am to 5 pm (8 to 6 in summer), closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. No cash. Leashed dogs only on Cabin District, Cerro La Jara, Rabbit Mountain and South Valle Grande trails.…
Photo: Joel Mills, CC BY-SA 3.0
#5 · National monument · 1 hr 52 min west
A sandstone bluff where travelers carved names and messages for centuries, with a longer trail over the top.
Heads-up: Open 9 to 5, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Start the Inscription Loop by 4 pm and the Headland Trail by 2:30 pm. Ice can close the Headland in winter. Dogs on 6 ft leash, not in the visitor center.
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0
#6 · National park · 2 hr 59 min northwest
Massive stone great houses of the Ancestral Puebloans in a remote desert canyon, seen from a loop drive and short trails.
Heads-up: Long rough dirt road; the north road (CR 7950) is closed, so use the south route via Hwy 57 and call 505-786-7014 first. No gas or food. Dogs only on backcountry trails and in the campground, never…
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0
#7 · State park · 50 min northeast
Rolling hills of old turquoise and silver mines beside the village of Cerrillos, with about five miles of trails for hiking, biking and riding.
Heads-up: Visitor center open weekends 10 to 4. Stay out of old mine sites. Dogs on a leash no longer than 10 ft.
Photo: Thomas Shahan, CC BY 2.0
#8 · State park · 1 hr 13 min northeast
A forested canyon park on Little Tesuque Creek above Santa Fe, with picnic spots, about four miles of trails and sledding in winter.
Heads-up: Hours 7:30 am to 4 pm. Elevation 8,300 to 9,400 ft. No cell service. Dogs on a leash no longer than 10 ft.
Photo: Mosamiazaz at English Wikipedia, Public domain
#9 · National park · 1 hr 19 min northeast
Ruins of a great pueblo and a Spanish mission church in the Pecos River valley, along a loop trail with mountain views.
Heads-up: Leashed pets on two of three trails. The 1.25-mile Ancestral Sites Trail is only partly wheelchair friendly; a flat section starts at the church lot.
Photo: Fletchersparadox, CC BY-SA 4.0
#10 · State park · 1 hr 27 min east
A canyon park along the Pecos River between sandstone bluffs, with river tubing, fishing and cliffside trails.
Heads-up: Day use 7 am to 7 pm. Life jackets required for tubing. About 35 miles from Las Vegas. Dogs on a leash no longer than 10 ft.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
#11 · Town · 1 hr 44 min northeast
A railroad and Santa Fe Trail town with more than 900 historic buildings around its Old Town Plaza.
Heads-up: Walkable downtown and one of the last drive-in theaters. Fort Union is a short drive north.
Photo: Matthew.kowal, CC BY 4.0
#12 · Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 59 min east
A grassland and wetland refuge on the Central Flyway with an 8-mile auto loop, cranes and waterfowl in spring and fall, and elk.
Heads-up: Trails and auto tour open sunrise to sunset. Meadowlark Trail is a half-mile ADA loop. Best at dawn and dusk.
Photo: en:User:Nationalparks (Talk), CC BY-SA 2.5
#13 · National monument · 2 hr 11 min northeast
Adobe ruins of a frontier Army fort on the Santa Fe Trail, walked on a trail through the old post.
Heads-up: Open 8 am to 4 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Accessible trails. Windy and exposed, so bring a hat.
Photo: Artotem from Here, There, and..., CC BY 2.0
#14 · Trail · 2 hr 12 min north
A red-rock ranch near Abiquiu that inspired O'Keeffe, with hiking trails such as Kitchen Mesa, two museums and a labyrinth.
Heads-up: Buy a day pass at the Welcome Center and pick up a trail map. Leashed dogs allowed outdoors and on trails, not in buildings. Kids under 4 free, ages 5-11 half price.
Photo: Kfasimpaur, Public domain
#15 · Lake · 2 hr 20 min south
A reservoir framed by the Caballo Mountains with boating, swimming, fishing and hiking.
Heads-up: Day-use hours 6 am-9 pm. Leashed pets allowed.
Madrid (53 min), La Luz Trail (55 min), Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway (1 hr 10 min), Galisteo Basin Preserve (1 hr 14 min), Spence Hot Springs (1 hr 22 min), Nambe Falls (1 hr 34 min), Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano (1 hr 37 min), Jemez Falls (1 hr 38 min), Fenton Lake State Park (1 hr 39 min), Pyramid Rock Trail (1 hr 56 min), Abiquiu Lake (2 hr 2 min), Orilla Verde Recreation Area (2 hr 7 min), Valley of Fires Recreation Area (2 hr 9 min), South Boundary Trail (2 hr 27 min), Angel Peak Scenic Area (2 hr 37 min), Fort Stanton Historic Site (2 hr 45 min), Taos Ski Valley summer (2 hr 52 min), Leasburg Dam State Park (2 hr 53 min), Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (2 hr 54 min), Grindstone Lake (2 hr 54 min), Williams Lake Trail (2 hr 55 min), Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway (2 hr 58 min)
Our top picks are Petroglyph National Monument (43 min), Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (1 hr 3 min), Bandelier National Monument (1 hr 47 min), Valles Caldera National Preserve (1 hr 48 min) and El Morro National Monument (1 hr 52 min). The page lists 37 places in all.
37: 4 under an hour away, 17 between 1 and 2 hours and 16 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 87102.
Petroglyph National Monument, about 43 min northwest of Albuquerque.
12 need no pass or fee, including Petroglyph National Monument, Las Vegas and Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge. Fees change, so check each place.
29 of the 37 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.