Skip to main content

Sandia Peak Tramway

Image
By
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:

How To Get There:
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve - Thurmond

By
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is best known for whitewater rafting and other forms of adventure tourism.  Yet, found in the hollows and isolated valleys are quiet farms and former coal mining towns.  Well off the beaten path and isolated from much of its surroundings, Thurmond provides a unique view into Central West Virginia's industrial past. Thurmond began as a railroad town in the late 1800s.  Sparked by the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the local coal industry, Thurmond quickly grew into a sizeable transportation and coal center.  When it incorporated as a town in 1903, Thurmond was a full-fledged community - home to two banks, two hotels, and many other services and stores. A CSX freight train passes the old coaling tower in Thurmond.  It was here that many steam locomotives would refill and refuel. Thurmond was home to a C&O railyard which serviced the numerous steam engines passing through the narrow valley.  Thu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Tale of Tollhouse Road, western California State Route 168 and failed Piute Pass Highway

By
Western California State Route 168 is entirely located in Fresno County and is linked historically to the Tollhouse Road corridor.   Tollhouse Road is one of the oldest highways in the Sierra Nevada range of Fresno County. The corridor presently begins in at Clovis Avenue in downtown Clovis and extends northeast to Huntington Lake. In 1866 the Woods Brothers established mining claims on Pine Ridge. In 1867 Fresno County would grant the brothers a toll franchise to construct a roadway to the desirable logging areas atop Pine Ridge and near Dinkey Creek. The Woods would establish a tollhouse at the start of their franchise road and lumber mill. The lumber mill attracted settlers which led to the establishment of the mountain town of Tollhouse. Fresno County would purchase the Tollhouse Road in 1878 and make it a public highway. The county would remove the tolls and incorporate the corridor into the existing county road network. Prior to the establishment of Clovis in 1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old Dunlap Road (former California State Route 180 in Yokuts Valley)

By
When California State Route 180 was commissioned in August 1934 the alignment in took in Sierra Nevada range was very different than from today.  The original highway alignment from Squaw Valley (now Yokuts Valley) to east Grant Grove (then part of General Grant National Park) originally followed what is now Ruth Hill Road, Dunlap Road, Pinehurst Road (modern California State Route 245), Dark Canyon Road (partially now Forest Road 14S45).  After funding fell through for the planned Kings Canyon Road the was corridor eventually picked up as a 30-mile-long cooperative project between the Division of Highways and Federal Government.  Much of current alignment of California State Route 180 bypassing Squaw Valley (now Yokuts Valley) and Dunlap was complete by 1941.  The post-1941 alignment of California State Route 180 in Squaw Valley was shifted onto what was once Dunlap Road in Squaw Valley.  This alignment itself was later bypassed by modern California State Route...
Post a Comment
Read more