Sandia Peak Tramway

Towering over Albuquerque to the east, the Sandia Mountains rise over 10,000 feet above sea level. The mountains sit anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 feet above Albuquerque. The Sandia Mountains offer various recreational opportunities. Hiking, hang gliding, rock climbing, and in the winter skiing make the mountain range one of the most popular recreation spots in Albuquerque.

Sandía translated from Spanish to English is watermelon and the red, pink and brown reflections of sunlight at sunset led to its naming. The mountains sit within the grounds of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands.

The Sandia Mountains as you ride the tramway.

There are two ways to get to the top of the Sandia Range. New Mexico Highway 536 climbs the east side of the mountain and leads to Sandia Crest which at 10,678 feet is the highest point in the range.

On the west side, the Sandia Peak Tramway is an extremely popular way to get to the top of the mountain. The 2.7 mile tram gains nearly 4,000 feet in elevation from the base of the mountain to a station that sits 10,378 above sea level. The Sandia Peak Tramway opened in May 1966 and makes an average of 10,500 trips a year.

The city of Albuquerque from the Sandia Mountains.

The tram ride offers amazing views of Albuquerque and the rugged surroundings. At the top, there is a gift shop, restaurant, and access to the many trails. A little over one mile trail leads to the Kiwanis Cabin and to Sandia Crest. Built in the 1930s by the Civil Conservation Corps, the cabin was planned by a local Kiwanis group. It is a popular spot for long or short distance hikers to rest and take in the views.

The Kiwanis Cabin as viewed from the tramway mountain station.

Also, the 7.5 mile La Luz trail is one of the most popular and most challenging hikes on the mountain.

A look east from the Sandia mountains and the ski lift in the fall.

If you have the time, the Sandia Peak Tramway is definitely worth the stop while you are in Albuquerque. The tramway typically operates 9 am to 9 pm in the summer and from 9 am to 8 pm in the Winter. Trams leave approximately ever 15 minutes Round trip tickets are $25 per adult, $20 for students & seniors, $15 for kids 5-12. Tickets can be purchased in advance on-line or at the tram ticket office. One way tickets are also available.

All photos taken by post author - October 2007 & April 2010.

Further Reading & Additional Links:

Sandia Peak Tramway & Ski Area
Sandia Mountains ---Visit Albuquerque

How To Get There:

Comments

Paper Highways: The Unbuilt New Orleans Bypass (Proposed I-410)

There are many examples around the United States of proposed freeway corridors in urban areas that never saw the light of day for one reason or another. They all fall somewhere in between the little-known and the infamous and from the mundane to the spectacular. One of the more obscure and interesting examples of such a project is the short-lived idea to construct a southern beltway for the New Orleans metropolitan area in the 1960s and 70s. Greater New Orleans and its surrounding area grew rapidly in the years after World War II, as suburban sprawl encroached on the historically rural downriver parishes around the city. In response to the development of the region’s Westbank and the emergence of communities in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes as viable suburban communities during this period, regional planners began to consider concepts for new infrastructure projects to serve this growing population. The idea for a circular freeway around the southern perimeter of t

Hernando de Soto Bridge (Memphis, TN)

The newest of the bridges that span the lower Mississippi River at Memphis, the Hernando de Soto Bridge was completed in 1973 and carries Interstate 40 between downtown Memphis and West Memphis, AR. The bridge’s signature M-shaped superstructure makes it an instantly recognizable landmark in the city and one of the most visually unique bridges on the Mississippi River. As early as 1953, Memphis city planners recommended the construction of a second highway bridge across the Mississippi River to connect the city with West Memphis, AR. The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge had been completed only four years earlier a couple miles downriver from downtown, however it was expected that long-term growth in the metro area would warrant the construction of an additional bridge, the fourth crossing of the Mississippi River to be built at Memphis, in the not-too-distant future. Unlike the previous three Mississippi River bridges to be built the city, the location chosen for this bridge was about two

Huey P. Long Bridge (New Orleans, LA)

Located on the lower Mississippi River a few miles west of New Orleans, the Huey P. Long Bridge is an enormous steel truss bridge that carries both road and rail traffic on an old-time structure that is a fascinating example of a bridge that has evolved in recent years to meet the traffic and safety demands of modern times. While officially located in suburban Jefferson Parish near the unincorporated community of Bridge City, this bridge’s location is most often associated with New Orleans, given that it’s the largest and most recognizable incorporated population center in the nearby vicinity. For this reason, this blog article considers the bridge’s location to be in New Orleans, even though this isn’t 100% geographically correct. Completed in 1935 as the first bridge across the Mississippi River in Louisiana and the first to be built in the New Orleans area, this bridge is one of two bridges on the Mississippi named for Huey P. Long, a Louisiana politician who served as the 40th Gove

Gribblenation

Search This Blog