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    La Luz Trail

    4.7 (31 reviews)

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    Kathy V.

    Hot damn. The Sandias sure are flipping gaw-geous!! Since my parents moved to Albuquerque and I heard about the La Luz Trail, I have been wanting to hike to Sandia Peak via this trail. But since my visits tend to happen around Christmas, I haven't gotten the chance until now! Too much snow and ice! My most recent visit happened in the middle of April, which is still a potentially dicey time for the trail, weather-wise. And we encountered some snow and ice between mile 5 and 7. I would have felt better with crampons and hiking sticks....but it was passable, with only minor anxiety and panic attacking on my part. We had my parents drop us off at the trailhead. There are facilities available at the start. They were the cleanest permanent port-a-potties I have *EVER* seen. I think they had just been cleaned/sprayed down. The trail is quite a climb. But I expected it to be more difficult. That isn't to say it was easy by any means...but I think most people, with ample water and time, can certainly handle the trail up until about mile 5. That is where things get intense. The trail becomes more rugged, sometimes a stretch of giant rocks, more switchbacks and a quicker ascent. And then, depending on the time of year....there is a much higher chance of snow and ice....despite it being 80 degrees at ground level. You can be better prepared than I was with good hiking shoes and poles/sticks. If you are like me and don't have those things...you might be able to power through it. The trail is easy to follow. And the higher up on the mountain you go, the nicer the other hikers you run in to are. And the views are to die for! Give yourself plenty of time, bring plenty of water, and enjoy nature!

    Wendy A.

    Wonderful sunset hike with the kids. Beautiful terrain and spectacular views. Not well suited for out of shape hikers... it's kinda steep right off the bat, lots of switchbacks, but it doesn't stop being uphill! It's seven miles to the top... we didn't make it. We hiked up for 45 minutes and hiked back down for 30. It was fun jogging down, but there are some craggy rocks that'll trip you up if you're not particularly agile. Still, terrific vistas at every turn, and fantastic views of the city as the twinkling lights started lighting up at dusk. As with most foothill trails, not particularly shady, but the ridge line keeps you somewhat protected from the sun when it's not high noon.

    Facing East
    Kevin C.

    We did not get too far on our hike. We did not start until 6 p.m. either.important thing is we were out there enjoying nature and had a great time. The weather was perfect. No wind, a little cooler just right for hiking. The views from up here are amazing. There is two parts of the la Luz trail. If you enjoy hiking download the app all trails. Is free to use I've had it for years. If you look on the app there's two parts of the la Luz trail. when is rated moderate the other one is rated hard.

    La Luz trail
    Yuko H.

    I just came back from La Luz hike and it was enjoyable. I took a tram to be up here on the Sandia but never had a chance to hike up. We parked our car at the tramway and made our way to the La Luz trailhead (less than 3 miles). Once on the La Luz trail, first 4 miles is easy. In fact, trail is well maintained and perfect for trail runs. I saw several trail runners. With around 7,000 feet in elevation at the trailhead, perfect place to get training. Once you pass around 4 miles mark, trail changes to more narrow with beautiful trees and rock formations. This was my favorite area, I enjoyed taking pictures and scenery. After 6.4 miles mark, it gets a bit tricky with landslide remains and more switch back. I was glad I had a very good pair of hiking boots and poles. Last one mile was not so enjoyable. I knew it's going to end soon, and kept thinking about ice cold beer at the High Finance restaurant at the top. I just wanted to be done with walking. What's so unique about this hike is that you have an option to take a tram back. Instead of walking 7-8 miles down. I hang out at the bar for a while with cold drink in my hand, just enjoyed this high altitude for a while before taking the tram back down ($15). Trail is rated difficult but with the right gears, I thought hiking itself wasn't difficult.

    Victoria R.

    After having spent most of 2018 in Europe for work, when I arrived in Albuquerque I decided to treat myself to some R&R before getting down to business. First up, I set out for hike on the La Luz Trail. Tip: If you climb to the top you'll experience an altitude gain of just over thirty-six hundred feet, starting with a trailhead elevation of seven thousand feet and ending with an elevation of ten thousand five hundred feet at the summit. While there are things to enjoy about this venue year-round, I think the best time of year for this hike is in the Spring and Fall, when there's no snow on the ground and the heat isn't too grueling. There are quite a lot of switchbacks along the trail, which makes the ascent relatively easy. I took my time and enjoyed some truly spectacular views along the way; to the West, you'll see Mt. Taylor, which is approximately 70 miles away. As you ascend, there are several places where crossing rockfalls makes things just a tad tedious, but the overall hiking experience and the incredible views make this an excursion that's incredibly worth doing! As a bonus for making it to the top, you'll be able to ride down on one of the world's longest passenger trams back to the bottom of the mountain. Riding the tram is an experience in and of itself - it's simply not to be missed. The beauty of this venue really energizes both novice and serious hikers alike, and the distance seems shorter than it is as a result. I look forward to returning now that I've relocated to Albuquerque.

    The sunrise
    Marie S.

    Has become one of my favorite trails (and of course this iconic trail is something a New Mexican has to do at least once in their lifetime). It's best to start early (in case of thunderstorms and/or heat), watch out for snakes, bring plenty of sunscreen, snacks, and water, and make sure to occasionally enjoy the view. There are some shaded areas along the way and some boulder fields (possibly snow depending on how early/late you do it in the season). I couldn't imagine running this like some crazy people do (no offense). Took us about 8 hours to the top and took the tram down. Overall, a great day. Would I do it more often? Heck no

    Rudy C.

    I heard about this trail from my girlfriend. I love a good nature hike, especially with my family. We packed snacks for the kids along with a sandwich and water bottle for each one placed them in their own lil back pack. Definitely put on sun screen, take a pair of sunglasses along with a hat. Also have plenty of water and a first aid kit. Because the it does get very hot. If you have breathing issues and use a nebulizer pack that as well. We drove to the top and went on a mine hike. The kids were ages 3-6 years old. They absolutely love the view just as much as us adults. They liked looking at the plants and picking up the various things around them, you can only walk around for so long before the youngest got tired and hot wanting to go back to car. This is a nice way to get out with the family and not have to pay to visit.

    Violette C.

    This trail is amazing. But it is also the most physically difficult thing I have ever done. It takes 7 hours from tram station to top. (This is 10 miles & about 10,000 feet up.) I feel like I took 3 ballet classes by the time I finish. Bring A LOT of water, food & snacks. It's cold on top,so bring a hat. Bring a bandaid in case you get a blister too. Start by 11am if you want to do it. I did it in May and November, it was fine both months. (I am glad I had a sweatshirt for the top!) It's amazing & beautiful! They said it's $10k to emergency rescue you if you can't make it, so don't get dehydrated or injured. Be smart & careful & know your limits. If you leave earlier you can rest a little more which is nice. The views really are unforgettable.

    Angie K.

    This hike was definitely the highlight of my trip to ABQ. I'm from the Northeast, and I was eager to see some nice landscape and also get some exercise in- La Luz seemed to be a perfect option, and it was not as hard as some of the websites made it out to be. This trail was marked as "Hard" and "Strenuous," but we both agreed it was Medium at most, but maybe more taxing due to the altitude change(up to ~10,000 ft up top) and the distance (about 9 miles). We went last weekend, and the recommended month frame for hiking is Spring to Fall. The last few miles of the trail were really icy, and sometimes the trail was really narrow and dangerous. There is about a mile of knee-deep snow at a decent incline around Mile 6. The beginning of the trail was dry and desert-terrain-y. Few tips: - bring ample water - bring food/snacks/power bars (there is a Valero gas station and store before the trail, but obviously pricey) - bring an extra jacket for the end of the trail - if taking the tram back down, park at the parking lot of the tram, not at the La Luz trailhead (we lacked this common sense tidbit) - if you are taking the tram, don't bring your dog - if you are taking the tram, try not to make it to the top around 3-4 PM because skiers will be taking the tram and you will have to wait in line for awhile (tram every 20-30 mins) - bring $3 cash for day parking permit (no cashier, exact change needed) - hiking boots are probably useful, but we were fine with our running shoes There was no incline where I had to be on all fours. I think the hardest part came around Mile 7 because I was ready to be done with it and not because I was physically tired. That being said, we are almost-daily gym goers so we weren't totally out of shape. It took us a little over 4 hours to the top.

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    Ask the Community - La Luz Trail

    Review Highlights - La Luz Trail

    The La Luz Trail is 7 miles to the peak & an additional mile to get to the top of the tram, so total it is a 10.

    Mentioned in 13 reviews

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    TWA Plane Crash Hiking Trail - One of the two places where you will probably lose the trail.  This is looking down the trail, but coming up stay left.

    TWA Plane Crash Hiking Trail

    (6 reviews)

    Eastside

    Water, water, water! Bring at least 3 litters of water. You will not have any left over. It is a…read moretrue kickass hike! The last time I did it I was scrambling up a steep rock face, and there was a gentleman waiting for me at the top of the rock face who encouraged me by saying, "you are almost at the crash site!" When I told him that I knew because I had been there before, he responded in amazement and asked, "why the heck did you come back?!" Yep, for many, it is that kind of hike! I believe it is rated at 4.8 out of 5 in difficulty, and by the time you finish the last half mile or so you will probably agree. Download a topographic trail (i.e. AllTrails) map on your phone, and you might need to bring an extra power source, because your phone may drain down searching for a cell signal while you lay down electronic breadcrumbs on the digital map. However, there are two places where it is almost guaranteed that you will miss a turn, and add some "bonus" miles. You definitely don't need "bonus " miles on this hike. You pass through at least 2-3 biomes as you ascend and descend. It's an interesting hike, but be prepared to give yourself a pep talk or two along the way Up. Also, expect your legs to be shaky by the bottom. Decending is a lot of eccentric contractions, which only fire about half the muscle fibers as concentric contractions. You can fact check that yourself. This is a hike to build up to. Remember - the best rescue is a self rescue! Have fun, be smart, and be safe.

    I didn't care to smell funky homeless asses when trying to enjoy a venue. This city is a shit hole…read moreand it ruined the whole experience. The nature needs his asses beat for allowing this city to look like this i would not recommend people I care about to come visit this shit hole. It's not twa trails fault but I hate this city so fun things regrettable get a poor review. I am glad I wasn't born and raised here cause I would have blown my own brains out to not have to be in this poverty stricken city. I apologize for any typos on this review

    La Luz Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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