Albuquerque's newest trail, the 6.5-mile Volcano View, stretches across the West Mesa just north of Petroglyph National Monument. The relatively flat terrain takes riders through sandy sections and over basalt and caliche outcroppings, with spectacular views of mesas, volcanoes, and mountain ranges along the way. The West Mesa area sits on a unique basalt escarpment landscape created by five cinder cone volcanoes, and the trail puts you right in the middle of it.
Don't expect anything too technical here. Albuquerque has plenty of challenging terrain elsewhere, but Volcano View was designed with families and beginner riders in mind. The trail rates somewhere between a dark green and light blue, making it an accessible option for riders looking to explore the West Mesa without needing expert-level bike handling skills.
Volcano View is just the first phase of the West Mesa Trails Plan, which calls for 25 miles of new singletrack in the area. While future trails are still being mapped out, riders can already enjoy this 6.5-mile loop and take in some of the most unique volcanic landscape New Mexico has to offer.
