The hikes are short, accessible and packed with natural and cultural wonders – this is Petroglyph National Monument perched high on the black basalt boulders of Albuquerque’s West Mesa. I must admit it was a little surreal to be sitting atop the escarpment, having wandered through centuries of rock art to gaze out at the suburbs of a metropolis, but ease of access is part of the charm of this unique area.

When the Vulcan, Black and JA volcanoes (locally know as the Three Sisters) began erupting 150,000 years ago, molten lava seeped out through deep cracks in the earth and flowed across the landscape. It would do this again and again until six different lava flows eventually covered the earth with 5 to 50 feet of dark basalt rock.

The cutting action of the Rio Grande helped create a long ridge or escarpment where the thick cap layer continues to erode and large dark rocks lie conspicuously amid the greens and browns of the surrounding desert. Puebloan people began carving human and animal figures, spirals and stars, and whole host of other images into the rock more than 1000 years ago. Most of the approximately 25,000 rock carvings (or petroglyphs) that grace the 17-mile long escarpment are between 300 and 1000 years old.

Hikers can access the trails of the monument in four different areas: Boca Negra Canyon, Volcanoes Day Use Area, Rinconada Canyon, and Piedras Marcadas Canyon. All but Volcanoes Day Use Area offer sightings of hundreds of petroglyphs.

I wandered up the first of three, short interpretive trails in Boca Negra Canyon to the Cliff Base where birds and stars and human figures were found at every turn. It became a game to see who could spot the most! Interpretation (or best guesses) as to what we were seeing was the next challenge.

Picking our way through the boulders, we took the short, steep climb up the Mesa Trail to an overlook of the city and a spectacular view of the escarpment. Handprint petroglyphs and a low rock-walled structure marked the summit at one mile above sea level (330 feet higher than downtown Albuquerque).

Although the hiking is low key, the abundance of cultural history mingled with potential sightings of black-tailed jackrabbits, Eastern fence lizards and gopher snakes make Petroglyph National Monument a must-do experience when in Albuquerque.

If You Go:
Additional information about the area can be found online at the National Parks Service website or from the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau.