Hiking Albuquerque's Southern Sandia Mountains: Eye of the Sandias

The Eye of the Sandias is a famous Albuquerque hike that takes you to a mysterious spot in the Sandia Mountains Wilderness where half a century ago an unknown artist painted an adaptation of the Eye of Horus - an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health - on a large rock formation overlooking Tijeras Canyon. Decidedly New Mexican, the Eye of the Sandias features the ancient Zia Sun symbol in lieu of a pupul, while teardrops fall from the inside corner, presumably symbolic of the mountain's grief over the encroachment of suburbia.

Heading up to a blue grama meadow en route to The Eye of the Sandias

The trail to the Eye of the Sandias is not easy, but it's not a long hike, so it's do-able as long as you have a moderate fitness level and good balance. Not considered an official or maintained trail, The Eye of the Sandias route is well traveled and therefore well marked by use, so it is fairly simple to follow.


The trail starts in Albuquerque Open Space, at the Copper Trailhead, and ends in the foothills of the Sandia Wilderness at the site of the mysterious painted Eye. It is a moderate to difficult hike - a four-mile, out-and-back, inverted lollipop loop - which takes about 3 hours of steady hiking to complete round trip.

Overlook at the junction with views south of Four Hills area

From the Copper Trailhead you will go directly east - straight toward the mountain - on the 400 Trail (the center choice of three trails visible from the trailhead). This will take you up a couple of switchbacks to a saddle where you will see a set of tall electrical towers poised on the prominent ridge before you. Make your way up to the towers; here you will find a web of trails all leading up the ridge. The trail becomes more clear here as you walk, and you will continue on this path up the ridgeline and around two prominent mounds (foothills) until you come to a gentle meadow covered in blue grama, juniper trees and cholla.

You will reach a T in the trail - turn left and it will take you up to the Eye. (Pay close attention to this intersection, as you will be taking the trail to the right on your way back down to continue the loop.) Farther on you reach what feels like a small summit. Continue hiking as the trail dips down again. As you walk, the Eye comes into view before you on the wall of a great rock formation. Don't worry if you don't see it yet. Just keep walking until you find it; this is pretty much the trail's end. 

Where's the Eye of the Sandias? Can you find it in this picture?

After snapping a few obligatory pics with the Eye and having a trail snack, go back the way you came; However, when you reach the junction again, continue going straight instead of turning to complete the full four-mile loop. Descend the ridge on a winding trail that passes through some amazing rock outcroppings. At one point you will come to a point on the trail where you must choose to go right or left - go left. Then continue hiking down the mountain until you see the network of Open Space Trails again. From here you will see the parking area in the distance to the right and can easily make your way back to your car along the 401 Trail.

The Eye of the Sandias

This hike is a great workout - a real butt-burner as I call it. Plus, the trail is accessible by public transportation, which is perfect for visitors without cars who are staying in the downtown or university areas. are all the stats you need to get started on The Eye of the Sandias hike:

Trailhead: You can get to the trailhead by car via I-40 take the Tramway Boulevard and go north to Copper Avenue, where you'll turn right and drive east until you reach the Copper Trailhead parking area. Likewise you may take the ABQRide 11 Bus from Downtown Alvarado Station, UNM Hospital or anywhere along Lomas Boulevard.
Distance: 4-mile (6.4 km) out-and-back inverted lollipop loop
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1,650 feet (503 m)
Map: This hike is listed in the Sandia Mountains Hiking Guide and highlighted on the accompanying map. You may also find a map of this hike online at the Trimble.Outdoors website.
Hiking Time: About 3 hours, depending on your personal speed.
Best Times to Hike: This hike is great in the winter and also in the spring and fall, but there is no shade, so you might choose a more suitable hike for summer. Also, make sure you take plenty of water and snacks. It's a short hike, but strenuous.
Difficulty: Moderate

For more information on this hike or other hikes discussed in the blog HikeyHikey, feel free to leave a comment below. Check out my other blogs Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day. Or contact me via my splash page at about.me/brian.schwarz.

Hiking Albuquerque Sandia Wilderness - Embudito Canyon to South Summit

When most people think of hiking Albuquerque the famed La Luz Trail to the Tram comes to mind. But the vast Sandia Wilderness is a veritable hiking mecca with many incredible trails to be explored. Personally, my favorite is not the La Luz Trail but the trail that winds up Embudito Canyon to Sandia's South Summit.

View of Sandia's South Summit from the Embudito Trail

This 12-mile out-and-back hike is a very do-able day hike that is strenuous enough to give you an enormous sense of accomplishment. Whether you live in Albuquerque or are just visiting, you will want to check out the amazing hike that is the Embudito Trail. The Embudito Trail is more scenic than La Luz, in my opinion, with more expansive and widely varied views. I also love that the Embudito Trail isn't full of lazy tourists at the top - there is no road, no tram, and no ski lift. You really have to do some work to get there, and the people you meet along the way share the same passion for the true adventure of hiking.

The sun-drenched lower portion of Embudito Trail, Mt. Taylor in distance

The key to doing this trail - or any hike for that matter - is to be prepared. Depending on your pace, this hike can take between 6 and 10 hours to complete. Take plenty of water (4 to 6 liters is recommended), and plan ahead with lunch and snacks to keep up your energy throughout the day. Plan to set out from the trailhead as early as possible - check for sunset times and plan for 10 hours on the trail, even if you may be able to do it quicker. Also, this hike can be brutal in the summer since about two-thirds of the trail is under direct sunlight. Make sure you wear a hat, bring along sunscreen and re-apply frequently.

Sandia's South Summit in view - to the right of the massive rock formation

This is a moderate to strenuous hike. You will go through three major phases in the six-mile hike to the summit. The first two miles follow the scenic north wall of Embudito Canyon. The initial ascent is sun-drenched and the trail is lined with juniper, cholla and prickly pear cactus. At the two-mile mark the trail descends into an upper branch of the canyon, crossing over to the canyon's south wall. The second two miles are tree-covered. Here you will enjoy the shade of aspens and pines, including the stately Ponderosa.

Sweeping views from Sandia's South Mountain, Manzanos in the distance

Just before you reach the four-mile point the Embudito Trail arrives at Oso Pass. Here, the Three Gun Spring Trail joins the Embudito from the south and the Whitewash Trail comes in from the southwest. Turn left at Oso Pass and just beyond the junction you will find a great place to sit and have lunch. You'll need the energy to fuel your final ascent to Sandia's South Summit!

Don't celebrate too quickly - this is a false summit!

The last couple of miles on the Embudito Trail are quite strenuous. You will feel the burn as the trail rises steadily above the lower peaks of the southern Sandia mountains. Look up to your left and you will see a sheer rock wall - beyond that is the South Summit. Continue heading south and east on the trail for some time until you are nearing the crest. As you make your way diagonally across a steep slope covered in scrub oak, just before you reach the crest, keep your eyes peeled for a small cairn on the left side of the trail that makes a sort of switchback up the mountain's west face toward the summit. Turn left here and continue on. En route from here you will experience two false summits. Keep following the trail until it ends where you reach your goal - Sandia's South Summit.

The approach to Sandia's South Summit along a narrow, rocky path

Should you be up for the challenge of trekking up the Embudito Trail to Sandia's South Summit, here are some of the important details to help get you on your way:

Trailhead: Located at the end of Trailhead Road in Albuquerque, take Tramway Boulevard to Montgomery Boulevard and go east toward the mountains. Turn left on Greenwood Hills Road and then right onto Trailhead Road. The Emubdito Trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot at the end of Trailhead Road.
Distance: Some guide books say this trail is 11 miles out-and-back, but I say it's 12 miles
Elevation Gain/Loss: 3,400/3,400 feet (1,036/1,036 meters)
Map: A must-have map for hiking Albuquerque's Sandia Mountains is this GPS Powered Trail Map from Dharma Maps. A free map is also available from the Sandia Ranger District (11776 New Mexico 337, Tijeras, NM 87059).
Hiking Time: Depending on your pace, this hike can take between 6 and 10 hours to complete. Take plenty of water (4 to 6 liters recommended), lunch and snacks to keep up your energy.
Best Times to Hike: Plan to leave the trailhead as early as possible - check for sunset times and plan on 10 hours on the trail even if you may be able to do it quicker. This hike can be brutal in the summer since about 2/3 of the trail is under direct sunlight.
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous. The six miles to the summit isn't the hard part; Coming down is tough on the legs, so make sure you're in good shape for this one.

Celebrating the victory of reaching Sandia's South Summit

Once you reach Sandia's South Summit, celebrate your victory, have another snack, and prepare yourself for the descent. The six miles to the summit isn't the hard part; Coming down is tough on the legs, so make sure you're in good shape for this one. Pace yourself. Though you will want to hurry down, be careful not to slip and fall - the trail has some loose, pebbly soils and it is easy to make a misstep when you are already tired and longing to plop into the seat of your car. And don't forget to save water for that final two miles back down the canyon - that's when you will need it the most!

This is a unique hike in that it is nearly 100 percent within designated wilderness and a National Forest, yet you almost constantly experience views that remind you of the fragility of our world's protected spaces. I highly recommend this scenic hike the next time you're in Albuquerque. In fact, I would even say this hike is worth planning a special trip to the Duke City. Please leave me a comment below, and if you have any additional questions as you plan this hike, feel free to ask!

Happy hiking!

Learn more about the author at about.me/brian.schwarz. Follow HikeyHikey blogger Brian Schwarz on Twitter @MyFitLife2Day. Check out his other blogs, Man of Merit and MyFitLife2Day. And make sure to stop by Brian's Hubs on the popular writing site HubPages.