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

The case to move Interstate 73 in Southern Ohio onto US 33

By
Every decade or so, Ohio pushes to revisit the proposed Interstate 73 that would connect Michigan to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  It's been happening since Congress legislated the route in 1991.  Within Ohio, Interstate 73 generally follows the US 23 corridor from Portsmouth through Columbus to Toledo, and into Michigan. Since High Priority Corridor Five was created , Ohio has really done nothing to move forward with Interstate 73.  Sure, there have been feasibility studies here and there.  But actual dollars and construction just haven't occurred. The US 33 Nelsonville Bypass appears to have been built to Interstate standards. However, Ohio has been slowly upgrading US 33 to a full freeway through Southeastern Ohio.  Bypasses of Lancaster and Nelsonville opened in 2004 and 2013, respectively.  Other sections of two-lane road are being twinned, some to freeway or, at a minimum, to expressway standards.  Currently, a $274 million widening project in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Local Sign Find - The last remnant of Business Interstate 95 between Kenly and Rocky Mount , NC

By
As you head north on Interstate 95 at Exit 107 for Kenly and US 301, you'll notice something odd about the overhead sign for the exit.  Peeling off the sign for all that can see is the word 'NORTH' off-center from the US 301.  This old sign (probably close to original from when this section of I-95 opened - more on that in a little bit) gives a hint to a short-lived Business Interstate Route that ran from here to Rocky Mount. The last hint of the Kenly-Wilson-Rocky Mount Business I-95 (Shaun White - August 2020) Interstate 95 in North Carolina has a unique history.  But one of the overlooked and forgotten pieces of Interstate 95 in North Carolina is the 38 mile section between Kenly and Rocky Mount.  When opened to traffic in late 1978, it was the next to last piece of Interstate 95 in North Carolina to open replacing a four lane US 301 from Battleboro through Rocky Mount and Wilson to eventually tying back into the Interstate in Kenly. Though it was not delayed in l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nostalgia fast food with style - Returning to Rax

By
Nostalgia. It sells. It evokes, and more accurately, warps memories of days gone by.  Things were better, simpler, and we eat it up. Nostalgia can make you drive three hours and over a hundred miles out of your way just to reconnect with a dying fast-food restaurant you last enjoyed in the early to mid-90s.  That person was me - that restaurant was Rax. I could go on about Rax's history, but in short, Rax was briefly a very popular roast beef fast-food chain.  Growing up in the 80s and early 90s in Western PA, Rax was the good fast-food spot.  The milkshakes.  (Personally, the chocolate chip milkshake was heaven.)  Uncle Alligator Kids Meal with the chocolate chip cookie. Take that McDonald's Happy Meal!  The fancy salad and hot foods bar.  Going to Rax was special.  Like so many similar restaurants, various investments, management decisions, etc., led Rax to almost disappear overnight.  By the time I graduated college in late 1999, abou...
Post a Comment
Read more