Fall marks the beginning of putting your garden to rest which should result in a little more free time. So take advantage of the weather and go for a hike. Bring the kids, cause they can make the shortest hike an adventure.

Here are a few convenient places around the Albuquerque Area for hiking.

Hike the Volcanos:
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Degree of Difficulty: Easy to moderately strenuous.Vault restroom facilities are available at the parking area. Street name change: Paseo del Volcan has been renamed to Atrisco Vista Boulevard.
JA Volcano and the Albuquerque Overlook
Distance: 1 mile round trip from parking lot to scenic overlook and back
Degree of difficulty: Easy to moderate
This main trail departs from the parking lot and heads east to a scenic view of the Rio Grande Valley, Albuquerque, and the Sandia Mountains. This trail has three shaded rest areas with benches and trash receptacles.

Hike the Petroglyphs:
Boca Negra Canyon is a 70 acre section of the 7,236 acres within the monument boundaries. Approximately 200 petroglyphs can be viewed here. The three trails offer a diverse view of the cultural and natural landscape within the monument

Open 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.
A parking fee of $1 weekdays and $2 weekends is charged by the City of Albuquerque. Valid Federal Lands passes (Annual, Senior, & Access) are honored. Commercial bus fees do apply. Call (505) 873-6620 for commercial rates.
Located off of Unser Boulevard, ¼ mile north of Montaño Road, this canyon provides quick and easy access to three self-guided trails,(Mesa Point, Macaw, and Cliff Base) where you can view 200 petroglyphs. Combined walking time is approximately 1 hour.

Hike the Foothills at Elena Gallegos, take the Pino trail and see some beautiful sites:
Pino Trail is a beautiful hike right at the edge of the city, and is one of the most popular trails in the Sandias. There are several signs from the parking area (wp EGPK) directing the way to the Pino Trailhead. About a mile from the parking lot, the trail enters the Wilderness Area (wp PNOWP1). Pino Trail goes east, up the southern side of Pino Canyon. It travels up to the ridgeline running between Sandia Crest and South Peak. It is a beautiful hike and a very nice workout.

The lower portion of the trail is dry and rocky. However, after couple of miles the trail gets into very nice tree-covered scenery. Eventually there are beautiful views of the rocky western face of the Sandias to the north, in the area near the Tram. The last mile or so of Pino Trail before reaching the junction with the Crest Trail (wp PNOSCR) is the steepest portion of the hike.

Hike the Back of the Sandias to a spring:  Travertine Falls  

Travertine Falls:  The hike is 1/4 – 1/2 mile to the falls/cave.  Mild elevation gain.  Head East on I-40 out of Albuquerque.  Take exit 175 toward Tijeras.  It’s a double exit, and you want the right branch of the off-ramp, the one for Tijeras.  Then you’ll turn left and go under the freeway.  Be careful not to get right back on I-40.  Instead, you’ll want to turn right onto a small residential road named Arrowhead Trail.  The road splits and you’ll need to take the left branch of this road up the hill.  Continue on until the road dead-ends at the trailhead.  From the trailhead, you just start hiking up the trail.  There aren’t any signs saying “Travertine Falls” until you’re almost there.  Don’t worry.  You don’t have to hike all the way up to Sandia Crest, the ultimate end of this trail.  Just turn around once you’ve played around at the falls.  From the falls, we then hiked 200ft up an old trail to the top of the falls, where it meets the main (Sandia Crest) trail – there’s a great spot right there to play in the stream.