New Mexico trails · Crest

Crest

A 11.6-mile network in New Mexico, with 4,365 ft of climbing. Reaches Sandia Crest and other pass/spring/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

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Length

11.6 mi

Elevation gain

4,365 ft

Difficulty

Expert

Max grade

19%

Steepest mile

+658 ft

Tread at ≥10% grade

3.6 mi

Shape

network

Managed by

U.S. Forest Service

Elevation profile

The climbing leans toward the middle third: 45% of the ascent falls between mile 3.9 and mile 7.7. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.

3-D terrain

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Sandia Crest (pass)
Tunnel Spring (spring)
Del Agua Overlook (viewpoint)
Sandia Peak (viewpoint)
Upper La Cueva Canyon, La Luz Overlook (viewpoint)
The Wall Overlook (viewpoint)

Heads up

Terrain graded T3 (SAC scale) — exposed or hands-on hiking reported on part of this route.

Sections reported faint or hard to follow — carry a map or download this area offline.

Getting there

AGUA SARCA — parking nearby. About 34 min drive (24 mi, 1 of them unpaved) from Albuquerque. 35.29141, -106.44111 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:45 a.m., the sun rises at 7:10 a.m. and sets at 6:32 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:57 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 21 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 11.6-mile route takes roughly 6 h 28 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:38 p.m. — 4 h 53 min before sunset.

Loop options

Crest + Peacock + Southfork — 16.6 mi loop, 4,175 ft gain
North Eagle Creek + Miner'S Road + Crest — 6.3 mi loop, 1,456 ft gain
Old South Crest Trail + Radiolarian Trail + CREST — 7.2 mi loop, 375 ft gain

Nearby trails

La Luz — 5.4 mi