Rinconada Canyon Trail

Arthur de Wolf

2.2-mile trail with no shade. The first half along the volcanic boulders is on loose sand. The second half is on hard packed dirt and away from the petroglyphs. I appreciate that this site has an important cultural significance, but we were a little underwhelmed by the small petroglyphs. We were probably spoiled as we had just come from Utah where we visited Newspaper Rock and Parowan Gap; two sites with large complex petroglyphs that tell a story. Being that this is an entire National Monument about petroglyphs we were expecting something similar, but the petroglyphs on the black boulders along the path are very small and most of them are faint and hard to see. The signage could also be improved. It was still a pleasant walk.

Rachel Howze

Really great trail that took us an hour. The path is pretty level throughout and sandy which adds a different resistance to your hike. Beautiful canyon view with a 360 degree view of mountainous land. You really do see so many petroglyphs on this trail. Don’t give up looking if you don’t see the first few as I read on a plaque that the harsh morning light came make some of them difficult to see. As you get about halfway on the trail you’ll see the most concentrated area of rock drawings. As someone who lives on the east coast, this is truly an amazing treasure as these just seemed like things that are only in text books and museums. Hard to believe it’s right in Albuquerque. It was only a 15 minute drive from Nob Hill. There was a sign about rattle snakes, we did see a few and just kept moving. It’s an open space with no shade so definitely wear a hat and sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

kyle morris

Super nice trail! I would definitely recommend the middle path when at the initial tri-fork in the beginning, it ends with the left path at the fork. Lots of cacti so wear closed toed shoes!

Jack Ambraw

We hiked the loop trail early one morning. We spotted a coyote, several jackrabbits, and only one other person. Take a telephoto lens to get the best shots of the many petroglyphs. A few glyphs are close to the trail, but most are at a distance and they don't want you walking off the trail. If you want to do an early morning hike like we did, you're able to park in a small lot if the gates aren't open.