Hiking the Sandia Mountains, La Luz Trail

Take the Forest Service Road 333 off of Tramway Boulevard. Follow the road for four miles to the Juan Pablo/La Luz Parking lot. $3.00 parking fee required. 

Starting at an elevation of 6500', the trail steadily climbs for the first 5 miles of the hike. At around the 5 mile marker, you will switchback up a rockslide for a few miles. The trail is still marked and passable, but the rocks slow you down and make hiking more difficult. At the end of the rock slide, you will continue to gain significant elevation until you reach the Crest Trail. For the last mile of the hike, you will continue along the flat Crest Trail across the top of the mountain towards the Sandia Tram. This is the best part of the hike, as it offers a break from the climbing and spectacular panoramic views. After roughly 8.8 miles, you will reach the peak of the Sandia's at 10,678'. 

I highly recommend eating lunch at the restaurant at the top and paying the small fee to ride the tram back down the mountain, although keep in mind, the bottom of the tram is at a different location than the trailhead, so you will find it necessary to coordinate rides or a car park.