You are on Sandia Crest, one mile above Albuquerque & two miles above sea level. From this point you can see in all directions - 100 miles on a clear day. Enjoy the view!
A quarter-mile self guided nature trail beginning south of the Crest House introduces you to the local flora & fauna. The tram is 1.8 miles south of this area. The Crest Trail runs north & south from here, & a spur trail connects to the La Luz Trail just below, south of the Crest House. Wear appropriate clothing & shoes for hiking; take plenty of water & a map. For more information visit the Crest House & Visitor Information Desk inside.
Watermelon Crest
The Sandia Mountains were created by an uplift, leaving the forested eastern slope you just drove up, & a craggy, rugged western face. The rosy colored granite of this face turns crimson when the setting sun reflects on it; the early Spanish settlers named the mountain for the fruit of that color: Sandia (Watermelon).
Rio Grande Valley
At your feet, Albuquerque spreads across the Rio Grande Valley. A line of extinct volcanoes dot the western horizon & on most days you can see Mount Taylor 911,301 feet above sea level).
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The Cibola National Forest is located in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma, and is part of the Southwestern Region.
Like most of the National Forests located in the western states, the Cibola National Forest grew out of lands that originally were known as Forest Reserves. These reserves were first established in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a means of affording protection to natural resources, such as watersheds, trees, and soils.
Cibola, pronounced See-bo-lah, is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their group of pueblos or tribal lands. Later, the Spanish interpreted the word to mean, "buffalo."
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Watersheds come in all shape & sizes. They cross county, state, & national boundaries. No matter where you are, you're in a watershed.
More than Just Water
A watershed is more than just water flowing downhill. clean water comes from a healthy ecosystem. Facing west, you are standing at the edge of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area, which stretches below you. In 1978, the wilderness area was created to provide even greater protection for this part of the Cibola National Forest. This area is protected from human impacts & development that could damage the watershed.
Water & the Mountain
The Sandia Mountains help provide water for the people of Albuquerque & other communities nearby. Sandia Crest receives a great deal more rain & snowfall than the city below. The Tijeras Creek Watersheds shown here is one of many Sandia Mountain watersheds (areas of land where flows downhill & drains toward one location).
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The Sandias are a small range, a part of the Basin and Range Province, but built by a different phenomenon, consisting of a single north-south ridge, which rises to two major summits: Sandia Crest and South Sandia Peak, 9,702 ft (2,957 m). The range measures approximately 17 miles (26 km) north-south, and the width in the east-west direction varies from 4 to 8 miles (6 to 12 km). The west side of the range is steep and rugged, with a number of sheer rock walls and towers near Sandia Crest. The east side has a gentler slope.
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A Changing Forest
Driving up the Sandia Crest Highway you may have noticed patches of gray, dead trees. Outbreaks of the Douglas-Fir tussock moth have occurred in canyons on both sides of the Sandias since 2004. The moth is a native of mixed conifer forests, often going unnoticed & causing little damage. Seasons of drought can stress conifer trees, making them more susceptible to insects & disease.
Its the Caterpillars
Large numbers of the tussock moth caterpillars can consume nearly all the needles on affected trees, causing death. In the Sandia Mountains, many Douglas -Fir & White Fir trees have died. Though the caterpillars did a lot of damage in just a few years, moth populations have since collapsed. Viruses & parasites attacked the moths, causing their numbers to decline.
Head Up!
Many trails in the Sandia are lined with standing dead trees. Please be alert when hiking as trees can fall. Stay safe & don't hike on windy days!
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