The La Luz Trail (Trail 137) is a popular hiking trail located on the west face of the

Sandia Mountains The Sandia Mountains (Southern Tiwa: ''Posu gai hoo-oo'', Keres: ''Tsepe,'' Navajo: ''Dził Nááyisí''; Tewa: ''O:ku:p’į'', Northern Tiwa: ''Kep’íanenemą''; Towa: ''Kiutawe'', Zuni: ''Chibiya Yalanne'') are a mountain range located in ...

near

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

. The trail begins at the La Luz Trailhead and proceeds approximately eight miles to either

Sandia Crest Sandia Crest, also known locally as Sandia Peak or simply as the Crest, is a mountain ridge that, at , is the highpoint of the Sandia–Manzano Mountains, and is located in the Sandia Mountains of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. ...

or the

Sandia Peak Tramway The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway located adjacent to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to Sandia Peak on the ridge line of the Sandia MountainsThe upper station of the tramway is at a point on ...

. The hike is strenuous, with of elevation gain and a grade of 12%. The trail allows hikers to view the flora and fauna of four climatic "life zones" and the granite cliffs and spires native to the west face of the

. It also offers excellent views of

, the cinder cones of the Albuquerque Volcanoes, and Mount Taylor. The La Luz Trail is also home to the La Luz Trail Run.

Location

The La Luz Trail is located in the northwestern part of the

subrange of the Sandia-Manzano Mountains. It can be accessed from

, the

, or the La Luz Trailhead. The La Luz Trailhead is accessed by taking the Forest Road 333 turnoff from Tramway Road (

NM 556 New Mexico State Road 556 (NM 556) is a state highway entirely within Bernalillo County, New Mexico. For most of its length, NM 556 is signed as Tramway Boulevard in Albuquerque, although from I-25 to its northern terminus at NM&nbs ...

Trail information

The trail originates at the La Luz Trailhead, which has an elevation of . The lower reaches of the trail are a wide dirt path that climbs at a moderate slope. This part of the trail passes through the ''Upper Sonoran Zone'' life zone, where

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

and piñon trees,

prickly pear cactus ''Opuntia'', commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pears are also known as ''tuna'' (fruit), ''sabra'', ''nopal'' (paddle, plural ''nopales'') from the Nahuatl word f ...

, and

cholla cactus ''Cylindropuntia'' is a genus of cacti (family Cactaceae), containing species commonly known as chollas, native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. They are known for their barbed spines that tenaciously attach to skin, fur, ...

are found. About a mile from the trailhead is the junction of La Luz Trail and the Tramway trail. The Tramway trail connects to the lower tram terminal, and allows hikers to use the tram to return to their vehicles instead of hiking the round trip. As the trail climbs the mountain, the scrub forest is replaced by the alpine forest of the ''Transition Zone'', with

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

blue spruce The blue spruce (''Picea pungens''), also commonly known as green spruce, Colorado spruce, or Colorado blue spruce, is a species of spruce tree. It is native to North America, and is found in USDA growing zones 1 through 7. It is found naturall ...

trees, and assorted wildflowers in the summer months. A scenic overlook is found at around and a distance of about . Just past this overlook is a sign that warns hikers that the trail beyond is snowy and impassable in the winter months. The trail becomes narrower and more rocky after the overlook. The trail travels through a steep, rocky draw with the many

quaking aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...

and pines of the ''Canadian Zone''. Hikers traverse 19 switchbacks in this area as they near the top of the trail. Approximately from the trailhead in the ''Hudsonian Zone'', the La Luz trail forks. The right (south) fork leads to the upper terminal of the Sandia Peak Tramway at

Sandia Peak Ski Area Sandia Peak Ski Area, originally La Madera Ski Area, is a ski resort located in the Sandia Mountains in northeast Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States, immediately northeast of the city of Albuquerque. It is part of a Special Use Permit Z ...

, and a final elevation of . The left (north) fork is the Crest Spur Trail (Trail 84) and travels approximately up a very steep slope to Sandia Crest and a final elevation of .

Trail conditions and precautions

The La Luz trail is a strenuous day hike, especially if hikers are attempting to hike up and down the trail. Often, hikers will turn around at a set point on the trail or use the tram to only hike one way on the trail. It is recommended that all hikers be in the appropriate physical condition for their desired trip length, and to take the necessary equipment including severe weather clothing. The La Luz trail is well-worn due to the large number of hikers it receives. However, it is possible to lose the trail, as there have been some relocations of switchbacks. In the winter months, the area above the sign is very snowy, and requires snowshoes and trekking poles for passage. The trail is subject to closure due to extreme fire danger in the hot summer months. The Sandia Ranger District provides a websi

that has a page of current trail conditio

such as ice and snow.

La Luz Trail run

The La Luz Trail has been the site of a trail race up its slopes since 1965. After the designation of the

Sandia Mountain Wilderness Sandia Mountain Wilderness, part of Cibola National Forest, is located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and comprises much of Sandia Mountains. It became part of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1978 by an act of the United States ...

area in the 1970s, the race was limited to 400 participants by the Forest Service. These slots are filled by lottery. The run is nine miles (14 km) in length, beginning with on Forest Road 333 and finishing at Sandia Crest after running of the trail. This run was honored as one of the "12 Most Grueling Trail Races in North America" by the fall 2001 issue of Trail Runner Magazine.

References

External links

La Luz Trail Run
{{coord, 35, 12, 40, N, 106, 27, 56, W, display=title Geography of Bernalillo County, New Mexico Hiking trails in New Mexico Transportation in Bernalillo County, New Mexico