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Follow Google maps to the trailhead (a free parking lot behind the Valvoline Station) and then it's an easy short hike to see the petroglyphs. I bet it took me maybe 20 minutes max to do the loop trail and that includes stopping for photos. There is a lot of sand on the trail and I wore my Teva sandals and was fine. It's a flat easy trail and then I just washed my feet/shoes after. You can continue on and do a longer loop but if you just want to see petroglyphs and not spend a lot of time then just stay to the right close to the rocks as you're hiking and do the little semi circle trail and come back. If you look at the photo of the trail map I posted, I saw petroglyphs #s: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. I skipped #6 since that one is all by itself and would have been a longer hike and I didn't have a hat, no sneakers, no sunscreen, etc so I just wanted something short to see petroglyphs and this was perfect. Super easy!
This is an amazing and enchanting place in Albuquerque. There is so much history. When we went on the trail to the right we ended up on the top of the mountain. From there you won't be able to see the paintings, but you have a beautiful view. We didn't know how to get down the mountain since the trail is not well marked but we made it down. Once there we saw all of the amazing paintings. Some you will see much better when wearing polarized sunglasses. Make sure you take water since it can get pretty toasty. And don't forget sunblock and a hat. Watch out for the large aunts and don't disturb them. Enjoy the Land of Enchantment.
Pretty easy walk through sand and volcanic rocks to view petroglyphs right off of the trail. There are tons of petroglyphs to view here and a wide variety of subjects- hands, birds, people, abstract images. The trail is very flat with two short inclines (if you take the loop up to the top of the canyon and back to the parking lot). While it is a relatively easy walk, I think that this would be a challenge in a wheelchair as it's almost all loose sand. Parking is also easy, but limited. I recommend using AllTrails to make sure you're on the trail as there are lots of branching paths. Also, there is no shade at all on this trail and no water so prepare accordingly when you come.
What a great place to visit and right here in our own town! Make and take the time to view this amazing place. It is free to get in, so take your time and bring the family!
Great easy hike with lots of petroglyphs to see. Trail is sand and is marked well. Nice signs with some historical information along the way.
I am ashamed it has taken me so long to write a review of Piedras Marcadas. Please forgive me :-P Anyway, my parents live sort of in the middle of all of the Petroglyph Monument canyons and parks. (Oh...did you not know that the Petroglyphs are officially spread out in to 4 DIFFERENT locations, all of which are not where the the visitor center is? NOW YOU KNOW.) So when I am visiting them, they are all convenient places to get my desert hike on. Piedras Marcadas is my favorite though. At least for the hiking part. Two of the other Petroglyph Monument locations have more numerous, clearer, and more easy to see ancient glyphs to see (Boca Negra and Rinconada). There are plenty here as well, and some have informational plaques to tell you what's what. And here, you can get up close and personal with them (unlike at Rinconada). This canyon and it's glyphs are NOT accessible or easy to get to by those with mobility difficulties (unlike Boca Negra), it is all loose sand trails and rocks. But for me, and my love a good hike and extended nature time...this is my favorite! It is big and beautiful and has plenty of trails (both official and naturally/organically created). There are always people, but with a few minutes, you can easily get to an area further away from people and the noise of the surrounding streets and neighborhood. I could, and have, spent hours here just walking around, back and forth, climbing to the top of the canyon. You get superb views of the Sandias and can see some cool wildlife (like jackrabbits! And snakes!). All stuck in to a development. If you are just passing through ABQ and have to check the Petroglyphs off your list...this is not the place to visit. If you want to explore some more while also seeing and getting some info on ancient images on rocks...this is absolutely the place for you!
There isn't much hiking to do west of the Rio Grande, but this canyon is a worthy walk -- all of the Petroglyphs are, especially if you're trying to tire out an anxious puppy. We've been coming here regularly for the past several months, our dog loves it, we've only spotted a couple coyotes and the jackrabbits, they're clearly gentrifying the place. What sets this canyon apart from the surrounding national monument are the intense coves of outdoor art, trust me on this. Enter from the north on Jill Patricia street, not the park. The north entrance gets you moving directly towards the end point, a roped circular path that's basically a dead end, and a jawdropper, if you like this kind of creativity. While there are, undoubtably, plenty of rogue symbols and scratches from scoundrels over the years, there's a ton of Aboriginal and Spanish work to behold, and the less I personally know about it, the better. This volcanic trove is apparently considered Mecca by some, literally the beginning of creation, and I'm good with that. Bring sand-resistant shoes and a water bottle, particularly in the summer, and watch for bounding ears.
Finally took the White, Fluffy Dog out to this trail the other day. Its a five star experience except for the lack of shade. For those of you with giant, fluffy dogs who are heat sensitive like mine, you may want to give this place a pass in the summer months. It was 37 degrees F out when we went, with snow on the ground, so the Snowbeast and I had a great hike. There's just a little bit of a climb if you want the best view of the city, but there are plenty of flat trails to choose from if you don't want to climb. The real draw are the petroglyphs. There are so many of them and they're just beautiful! This is one of those unique things about Albuquerque that is worth taking out of town visitors to. Hike as much as you like or as little as about a mile and you can see petroglyphs. Keep the pups leashed up though, there are roads and neighborhoods that border this park as well as other people on the trails who may not appreciate unleashed dogs.
Marked Rocks: 1.5 mile Easy, flat trail that winds through the desert and passes rocks with petroglyphs. It is dog friendly and doggie bags were provided at the entrance. It's very well maintained with a wire fence marking off the trail. The trail and boulders are right in town and parking is limited but you could always park at some grocery store or shop and walk to the trail head.
Wowsers... what an excellent trail and step back in to history! We were in town for the day and our hosts brought us to this trail. I was in awe the entire time. Note this is a sand trail. I'd this is your first time, be sure to go to the visitor center first. Ask them to play the intro video for you to learn about the history of the area and the petroglyphs. This trail is about a 10 minute ride from the welcome center and not difficult to find with a map. The parking lot is small and in a neighborhood. When taking the trail, it starts off fairly easy to identify, however, there have been many side-trails created as others to get to the petroglyphs. Just stick near the black rocks and you'll be fine. We even hiked up a bit on the rocks to get closer to hard-to-see drawings higher up... being very careful, of course, not to disturb anything. I can't speak any more highly of this and suggest you go.
Piedras Marcadas was a great little adventure hike. We had a lot of fun playing "iSpy" trying to pick out each glyph and trying to imagine what each meant! It is great for those that love history, art, and have an active imagination. We tried to picture what life was like 3,000 years ago! It's a magical place. It is dog friendly-doggy bags and a trash can are provided at the start of the trail. We brought our dog and saw many furry friends on the trails. The trails are marked off well. They are sandy and slightly rocky, so those with mobility issues will probably have difficulty navigating the trails. Please note that the trail marker is located behind an auto shop and is not accessible from the main visitor center.
Holy petroglyph goodness! Is this one of the coolest trails ever, or what? No, don't answer that, it was rhetorical, of course, because I assure you that it is! I gotta tell ya, if I lived on the West Side I'd be hiking this baby ALL of the time, but alas, I don't, so I'll need to make special trips out here for more adventures. There's an easy 1.5 mile up and back route where you can get up close and personal with said petroglyphs, and there's a more robust 4.5 mile loop, of sorts. We bellied up to the bar with the 4.5 mile route, which has a couple challenging hills, however, after those hills it's relatively flat and easy. Mind you, we hiked it during the winter and I understand come summer time the sand is much more loose and adds that additional resistance, if you will. Nevertheless, it is simply breathtaking and seriously cool! If you want to get your hike on, give this trail some serious attention, you'll be glad you did.
An easy stroll for a hike and tons of petroglyphs. The path is well kept and roped off to keep folk off the petroglyphs. Flat trail no climbing over rocks. Much better than the other two sights. Took about 40 minutes to walk the trail with some lollygagging and musings on interpretations. No other people on a weekday early morning. Parking at beginning of trail which is a car park by the houses. read more
2 years ago
Loose Canyon Piedras Mercadas Canyon is one of five (including the Visitors Center) disparate locations around Albuquerque encompassing Petroglyph National Monument. The Good: *Probably the most bang for the buck when it comes to seeing actual petroglyphs, as there are over 400 along the 1.8-mile round-trip Petroglyph Trail. *An additional 1.4-mile (one-way) North Rim Trail is good for some nice views of the area but no real Petroglyphs to speak of. *Dogs on a leash are OK *Trail difficulty is moderate, at best, as the North Rim Trail has some uphill, but the Petroglyph Trail is very flat and easy. The Meh: *Free parking but in a very limited lot behind a Valvoline oil change center. The Ugly: *No amenities (i.e., water, restrooms) TLDR: Must-see if you're in the area and a great place to take a walk and trip back in time. read more
11 months ago
Petroglyphs are very far away. Trail is really nice and sandy, very smooth, but doesn't allow you to get very close. It's still a nice trail and it's interesting, but there are better trails to see the petroglyphs from closer read more
Follow Google maps to the trailhead (a free parking lot behind the Valvoline Station) and then it's an easy short hike to see the petroglyphs. I bet it took me maybe 20 minutes max to do the loop trail and that includes stopping for photos. There is a lot of sand on the trail and I wore my Teva sandals and was fine. It's a flat easy trail and then I just washed my feet/shoes after. You can continue on and do a longer loop but if you just want to see petroglyphs and not spend a lot of time then just stay to the right close to the rocks as you're hiking and do the little semi circle trail and come back. If you look at the photo of the trail map I posted, I saw petroglyphs #s: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. I skipped #6 since that one is all by itself and would have been a longer hike and I didn't have a hat, no sneakers, no sunscreen, etc so I just wanted something short to see petroglyphs and this was perfect. Super easy! read more
This is an amazing and enchanting place in Albuquerque. There is so much history. When we went on the trail to the right we ended up on the top of the mountain. From there you won't be able to see the paintings, but you have a beautiful view. We didn't know how to get down the mountain since the trail is not well marked but we made it down. Once there we saw all of the amazing paintings. Some you will see much better when wearing polarized sunglasses. Make sure you take water since it can get pretty toasty. And don't forget sunblock and a hat. Watch out for the large aunts and don't disturb them. Enjoy the Land of Enchantment. read more
3 years ago
Pretty easy walk through sand and volcanic rocks to view petroglyphs right off of the trail. There are tons of petroglyphs to view here and a wide variety of subjects- hands, birds, people, abstract images. The trail is very flat with two short inclines (if you take the loop up to the top of the canyon and back to the parking lot). While it is a relatively easy walk, I think that this would be a challenge in a wheelchair as it's almost all loose sand. Parking is also easy, but limited. I recommend using AllTrails to make sure you're on the trail as there are lots of branching paths. Also, there is no shade at all on this trail and no water so prepare accordingly when you come. read more
5 years ago
I am ashamed it has taken me so long to write a review of Piedras Marcadas. Please forgive me :-P Anyway, my parents live sort of in the middle of all of the Petroglyph Monument canyons and parks. (Oh...did you not know that the Petroglyphs are officially spread out in to 4 DIFFERENT locations, all of which are not where the the visitor center is? NOW YOU KNOW.) So when I am visiting them, they are all convenient places to get my desert hike on. Piedras Marcadas is my favorite though. At least for the hiking part. Two of the other Petroglyph Monument locations have more numerous, clearer, and more easy to see ancient glyphs to see (Boca Negra and Rinconada). There are plenty here as well, and some have informational plaques to tell you what's what. And here, you can get up close and personal with them (unlike at Rinconada). This canyon and it's glyphs are NOT accessible or easy to get to by those with mobility difficulties (unlike Boca Negra), it is all loose sand trails and rocks. But for me, and my love a good hike and extended nature time...this is my favorite! It is big and beautiful and has plenty of trails (both official and naturally/organically created). There are always people, but with a few minutes, you can easily get to an area further away from people and the noise of the surrounding streets and neighborhood. I could, and have, spent hours here just walking around, back and forth, climbing to the top of the canyon. You get superb views of the Sandias and can see some cool wildlife (like jackrabbits! And snakes!). All stuck in to a development. If you are just passing through ABQ and have to check the Petroglyphs off your list...this is not the place to visit. If you want to explore some more while also seeing and getting some info on ancient images on rocks...this is absolutely the place for you! read more
There isn't much hiking to do west of the Rio Grande, but this canyon is a worthy walk -- all of the Petroglyphs are, especially if you're trying to tire out an anxious puppy. We've been coming here regularly for the past several months, our dog loves it, we've only spotted a couple coyotes and the jackrabbits, they're clearly gentrifying the place. What sets this canyon apart from the surrounding national monument are the intense coves of outdoor art, trust me on this. Enter from the north on Jill Patricia street, not the park. The north entrance gets you moving directly towards the end point, a roped circular path that's basically a dead end, and a jawdropper, if you like this kind of creativity. While there are, undoubtably, plenty of rogue symbols and scratches from scoundrels over the years, there's a ton of Aboriginal and Spanish work to behold, and the less I personally know about it, the better. This volcanic trove is apparently considered Mecca by some, literally the beginning of creation, and I'm good with that. Bring sand-resistant shoes and a water bottle, particularly in the summer, and watch for bounding ears. read more
Finally took the White, Fluffy Dog out to this trail the other day. Its a five star experience except for the lack of shade. For those of you with giant, fluffy dogs who are heat sensitive like mine, you may want to give this place a pass in the summer months. It was 37 degrees F out when we went, with snow on the ground, so the Snowbeast and I had a great hike. There's just a little bit of a climb if you want the best view of the city, but there are plenty of flat trails to choose from if you don't want to climb. The real draw are the petroglyphs. There are so many of them and they're just beautiful! This is one of those unique things about Albuquerque that is worth taking out of town visitors to. Hike as much as you like or as little as about a mile and you can see petroglyphs. Keep the pups leashed up though, there are roads and neighborhoods that border this park as well as other people on the trails who may not appreciate unleashed dogs. read more
5 years ago
Marked Rocks: 1.5 mile Easy, flat trail that winds through the desert and passes rocks with petroglyphs. It is dog friendly and doggie bags were provided at the entrance. It's very well maintained with a wire fence marking off the trail. The trail and boulders are right in town and parking is limited but you could always park at some grocery store or shop and walk to the trail head. read more
8 years ago
Wowsers... what an excellent trail and step back in to history! We were in town for the day and our hosts brought us to this trail. I was in awe the entire time. Note this is a sand trail. I'd this is your first time, be sure to go to the visitor center first. Ask them to play the intro video for you to learn about the history of the area and the petroglyphs. This trail is about a 10 minute ride from the welcome center and not difficult to find with a map. The parking lot is small and in a neighborhood. When taking the trail, it starts off fairly easy to identify, however, there have been many side-trails created as others to get to the petroglyphs. Just stick near the black rocks and you'll be fine. We even hiked up a bit on the rocks to get closer to hard-to-see drawings higher up... being very careful, of course, not to disturb anything. I can't speak any more highly of this and suggest you go. read more
7 years ago
Piedras Marcadas was a great little adventure hike. We had a lot of fun playing "iSpy" trying to pick out each glyph and trying to imagine what each meant! It is great for those that love history, art, and have an active imagination. We tried to picture what life was like 3,000 years ago! It's a magical place. It is dog friendly-doggy bags and a trash can are provided at the start of the trail. We brought our dog and saw many furry friends on the trails. The trails are marked off well. They are sandy and slightly rocky, so those with mobility issues will probably have difficulty navigating the trails. Please note that the trail marker is located behind an auto shop and is not accessible from the main visitor center. read more
Holy petroglyph goodness! Is this one of the coolest trails ever, or what? No, don't answer that, it was rhetorical, of course, because I assure you that it is! I gotta tell ya, if I lived on the West Side I'd be hiking this baby ALL of the time, but alas, I don't, so I'll need to make special trips out here for more adventures. There's an easy 1.5 mile up and back route where you can get up close and personal with said petroglyphs, and there's a more robust 4.5 mile loop, of sorts. We bellied up to the bar with the 4.5 mile route, which has a couple challenging hills, however, after those hills it's relatively flat and easy. Mind you, we hiked it during the winter and I understand come summer time the sand is much more loose and adds that additional resistance, if you will. Nevertheless, it is simply breathtaking and seriously cool! If you want to get your hike on, give this trail some serious attention, you'll be glad you did. read more
So, the ranger at the Welcome Center at the Petroglyph National Monument directed us here since we said we wanted to hike for about an hour. Great recommendation. The path starts behind a residential area and businesses. It is easy to follow and smooth to walk on. There are markers on the path with descriptive explanations. We saw many etchings on the volcanic rocks. We were also lucky enough to spot a Roadrunner. Glad we went. read more
10 years ago
8 years ago
More info about Piedras Marcadas Canyon
Piedras Marcadas Canyon Trl
Albuquerque, NM 87114
Westside
Directions
(505) 899-0205
Call Now
Visit Website
https://www.nps.gov/petr/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Hours
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
