9 National Park Service Sites within 2 Hours of Albuquerque - Trip Canvas
Editor Pick
9 National Park Service Sites within 2 Hours of Albuquerque
Updated: May 21, 2024
Written byJennifer Broome
Situated in the high desert at the foot of the Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque, is the largest city in New Mexico. It’s known for both the International Balloon Fiesta and for the popular TV series “Breaking Bad."
There's also the food. New Mexican cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, Native American and Mexican flavors. (When ordering enchiladas, get them New Mexico-style, which is stacked instead of rolled.)
Route 66 also runs through Albuquerque. El Vado Motel was one of the first motels in New Mexico when it opened on Route 66 in 1937. The historic motel is now mod chic and a great basecamp to explore the nine National Park Service sites within two hours of Albuquerque.
istockphoto.com / scgerding
A Fort and a Pueblo
Fort Union National Monument was my first stop on a road trip from Denver. It is about two hours from Albuquerque. Between 1851 and 1891, Fort Union served as a military hub to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. It was the largest 19th century military fort in the region and some of the adobe remnants are still standing.
I opted to walk the longer of two loops. The short one is a half mile, and the longer is 1.6 miles. I started at the third Fort Union hospital then walked along the Santa Fe Trail with deep ruts still etched into the earth. The trail takes you past the post jail and former barracks, where 30-100 wagon trains — of as many as 200 wagons — passed through daily in the second half of the 1800s.
The depot at Fort Union was the American Southwest’s central supply hub. You can wander through what remains of the mechanic’s and transportation corrals, then follow the trail past the officers’ quarters and offices. Plan for 30-60 minutes to explore Fort Union.
I spent about an hour exploring Fort Union and then drove about 45 minutes to Pecos National Historic Park. Pecos Pueblo dates to 1350 and was once home to over 2000 people. It was on the busy trade route in the cultural crossroads of Glorieta Pass. It was one of the largest and most powerful pueblos with more than 600 rooms, four-to-five stories high in places.
Get one of the ancestral sites trail guides in the visitor center before you walk the 1¼-mile that winds through the Pecos Pueblo and Mission Church sites. Right after I passed the South Pueblo, I saw a kiva and climbed down the ladder to the reconstructed ceremonial room.
From a high point in the village, you’re treated to a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape and the Adobe Mission Church farther on the trail. The Spanish established a mission here and completed the first church in 1625. During the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the pueblo people revolted against the Spanish, resulting in the only expulsion of European colonizers in the New World. The Spanish returned twelve years later and built a church in 1717, which is the one still standing.
After spending some time wandering through the church and Franciscan convento, I headed to Albuquerque for the night at El Vado Motel. Allow at least an hour to explore the pueblo and church. If you have more time, visit one of the other units of Pecos National Historical Park.
istockphoto.com / Faina Gurevich
Petroglyphs and Missions
Petroglyph National Monument stretches 17 miles along Albuquerque's West Mesa. It protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. There are over 24,000 images of people, animals, and symbols carved into the basalt boulders by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400-700 years ago. There are three canyons where you can see petroglyphs and a day-use area with trails to volcanoes.
I debated on hiking Rinconada Canyon or Piedras Marcadas Canyon. Both have sandy trails to see petroglyphs. With insight from a ranger at the visitor center, I opted to hike Piedras Marcadas, which is the farthest north canyon. “Piedras Marcadas” means “canyon of marked rocks." This canyon has the highest density of petroglyphs in the national monument.
As I started the trail, I was excited at the possibility to see up to 400 petroglyphs along the Lower Petroglyph Viewing Trail, which is less than 2 miles round-trip. There are seven sites along the trail where you see clusters of petroglyphs, many of them being easy to spot. The hands at seventh stop were my favorite. If you want to go for a longer hike, or do a loop, head up the North Rim Trail to the mesa top for a 3.3-mile round-trip hike. There’s not much shade, so make sure you have sun protection and plenty of water. Plan for 1-2 hours to hike in Piedras Marcadas Canyon.
I drove about 1.5 hours from Albuquerque to the northern-most unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument which preserves the remnants of three indigenous villages that were major trade centers for centuries because of salt from nearby dry salt lakes prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The Spanish government officials called the entire region the Salinas Jurisdiction.
I first stopped at the Quarai Pueblo, where the brooding church walls rise above the village ruins. The first homes in the village date to 1300. Spanish friars started a missionary here in 1627. Nuestra Señora de La Purisima Conception de Cuarac was completed in 1632. I was fascinated by how much of the church remains. From Quarai, I drove to Mountainair, NM where the visitor center is located, and then on to Abó. It was also on a major east-west trade route and from circa 1300 to 1670s, it was one of the largest pueblo villages in the southwest. People lived in Abó for over 800 years. and impressive as you drive up to it. I weaved my way through the housing complex toward the unique buttress walls of the church rising 40-feet high. Built around 1630, the ceiling of the Spanish Franciscan Mission of San Gregorio de Abó is gone. I spent about a half hour at each mission and had both of them to myself on a breezy winter afternoon. If you have more time, continue on to Gran Quivira. It’s the largest of the three villages and has two mission churches.
istockphoto.com / Benjamin Klinger
New Mexico’s Badlands and an Ancient Watering Hole
El Malpais National Monument is about an hour and a half from Albuquerque. Its 114,000 acres of public land protects unique volcanic features including lava flows, lava tubes, cinder cones and shield volcanoes. The visitor center is in Grants, N.M. My first stop was Sandstone Bluffs Overlook.
The bluffs are composed of 200-million-year-old sandstone. Walking on top of the bluffs, you get a geologic history including millions-year-old rocks and some of the most recent lava flows in the continental United States. Directly west and southwest of this overlook are dozens of volcanic cones which are part of the Chain of Craters.
While the geological curiosities are the big draw, this protected volcanic region has an interesting military connection. Remnants of World War II military training activities may still be hidden within the national monument. In 1943, the U.S. Army air forces obtained land, which is now part of the national monument, and used it as a bombing practice range. In May 1944, the terrain was deemed too rugged to construct and maintain targets. Despite numerous removal actions, the lava flows made it difficult to ensure all the targets were removed.
I visited the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook just after sunrise on a cold winter morning and had it to myself. Allow at least a half hour for a stop and be careful exploring the bluffs. From the overlook, drive a few more miles to see La Ventana Arch in the El Malpais National Conservation Area. It’s one of the largest natural arches in New Mexico. There’s a paved quarter of a mile path up to the base of the arch.
My next stop was about a 45-minute drive to El Calderon Trailhead. I didn’t have time to do the 5.6-mile loop to the top of El Calderon cinder cone, but it’s on my list for my next visit to El Malpais. I did see some of the oldest exposed volcanic rock in El Malpais at the entrance to a lava tube, which was closed for winter. You can enter the lava tube caves in summer with a permit. On summer Friday nights, you can go on a 2-mile round-trip guided hike to see thousands of Brazilian freetail bats fly out of a lava tube cave at sunset. Ice cave and Bandera Volcano is an attraction just west of the trailhead that is open March 1 to November 1.
I’ve visited all the National Park Service sites in New Mexico, and El Morro National Monument is the one that surprised me the most. It’s about two hours west of Albuquerque. There is a reliable water hole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff, which has long been an oasis for travelers. Native Americans, Spanish explorers and missionaries, and American soldiers and pioneers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages and petroglyphs into the Zuni Sandstone, which is wind-blown sand during the Jurassic age; it's about 170 million years old. After chatting with a volunteer at the visitor center, I decided to do the 2-mile loop hike going up the Headlands Trail to get the 242-foot climb done first.
On top of the mesa are the remains of a pueblo that was occupied from roughly 1275 to 1400. The Puebloan people were ancestors to the Zuni and called Atsinna, or the “place of writings on the rock." Eighteen rooms were excavated between 1950-1961.
Following a trail marked by grooves in the white rock, you get wonderful views of the box canyon before descending down some switchbacks to the base of Inscription Rock. I stopped at each of the 23 markers to see some of the more significant signatures, including the oldest one dating back to 1605, and petroglyphs. At marker 4 is the pool that has been an important rest stop for thirsty travelers for centuries. Ending at the oasis was a perfect finish for this hike. Allow for an hour and a half if doing the mesa top hike. You’ll want 45-60 minutes if just seeing Inscription Rock.
From here you could drive two hours back to Albuquerque or drive another hour north of the city to the village of Jemez Springs for a night. There are commercial and primitive hot springs in and near the village. I checked in at Laughing Lizard Inn and then walked across the street for a sunset soak Jemez Hot Springs. They have four therapeutic mineral water pools ranging from 98° to 105° degrees Fahrenheit. After a soak, grab dinner at Los Ojos Restaurant for great grub and live music in a historic bar.
The next morning, fuel up with a hearty breakfast at Highway 4 Café and Bakery and visit the Jemez Historic Site to see the remnants of a 700-year-old village. The Spanish established a mission at the village in the 17th century, and you can see the remnants of San José de los Jemez church dating back to circa 1621-1622.
Also just north of Jemez Springs is the Jemez Soda Dam. It’s a calcium carbonate formation built over centuries from a spring that bubbles to the surface there. The natural dam is 300 feet long, 50 feet high, and 50 feet wide at the bottom. Continue on the scenic mountain road to another National Park Service site.
istockphoto.com / AndyMagee
Volcano Caldera, Atomic Bomb History and Cliff Dwellings
Valles Caldera National Preserve protects a 130-mile wide circular depression formed from a volcanic eruption about 1.25 million years ago. In winter and early spring, there’s limited access in the preserve, but you can go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The busy season is May-October for hiking, biking, fishing and hunting. Visiting in winter gives you solitude in the geologic gem.
I stopped by the ranger station to get a day permit to explore the cabin district. There are cabins dating from 1918-1951. You might also get lucky like I was and see a herd of elk grazing in the distance. Plan to spend 30-45 minutes if just seeing the cabin district.
Bandelier National Monument is between Valles Caldera and Los Alamos. I’ve visited here several times to see the cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. Frijoles Canyon is the heart of Bandelier where you can walk the 1.4-mile Main (Pueblo) Loop Trail. Plan for an hour to walk the main loop and make sure to climb up some of the ladders into cavates, which are small human-carved alcoves. Get a trail guide in the park store to learn about the 21 stops along the way as you past the Big Kiva, Tyuonyi, Talus House and Long House. Half way through the main loop, you can add another mile (half way each way) and visit the Alcove House once home to approximately 25 Ancestral Pueblo people. If you’re scared of heights, this is a challenge as it is 140 feet above the canyon floor. You have to climb four wooden ladders and stairs to reach this lofty home.
Tsankawi is a detached area of Bandelier and is my favorite area of the national monument partly because of the lack of crowds. The ancestral home of the modern Pueblo of San Ildefonso dates to the 1400s and 1500s. There is a trail guide with 20 markers on the Bandelier website or in the National Park Service app. The 1.5-mile hike takes you on top of the mesa, through the ancient village, past petroglyphs, and involves climbing some ladders. There is not a lot of shade, so make sure you have sun protection and water. Allot 1.5 hours if doing the hike at Tsankawi.
Between Bandelier and Los Alamos, you’ll go through a secured stretch of highway where you are not allowed to stop after going through the checkpoint. Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of the sites that helped develop the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II and is still an active research facility.
Manhattan Project National Historical Park is made up of three sites, including Los Alamos. Once in town, I stopped at the Los Alamos Visitor Center and picked up the self-guided trail map to learn about the role Los Alamos, the scientists and other people who lived in this once-secret city during the Manhattan Project. The walking tour takes 30-60 minutes in downtown Los Alamos. From there, it’s about 40 minutes to Santa Fe or an hour and a half drive back to Albuquerque.
Have fun exploring nine National Park Service sites within 2 hours of Albuquerque as well as the 15 sites in the state!
Note: If you have more time in New Mexico, head to Aztec Ruins National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park in the northwest corner of the state; Capulin Volcano National Monument in the northeast corner of New Mexico; or head south to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park. Those two are the most visited National Park Service sites in New Mexico. For a more remote experience, head to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in southwest New Mexico, where you can hike up to see 40 rooms in a series of naturally formed caves. The dwellings were built by ancient Puebloans of the Mogollon era about 1280 A.D. Part of that adventure is the drive on the scenic but narrow mountain road.
AAA
AAA Travel provides peace of mind when you travel — before, during and after your vacation! Members enjoy the advantages of membership including exclusive benefits, map routing, savings with the AAA Discounts & Rewards® program as well as recommendations for AAA Diamond-designated hotels and restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Let AAA provide the rest of your travel needs with AAA Travel Guides, TourBooks®, access to travel agents and counselors and travel insurance. Your next vacation starts with AAA — your complete travel solution. Visit AAA.com/Travel.
Jennifer Broome has stood on the equator, crossed the Arctic Circle, skydived with the U.S. Army Golden Knights, flown with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and trekked to Everest Base Camp. She is a freelance multimedia travel and environmental journalist for broadcast, digital, and print outlets. She’s also a freelance television meteorologist, content creator, and speaker. Her specialties are adventure travel, solo travel, U.S. National Parks, road trips, and sustainable tourism. She's been to all 50 U.S. states, over 60 countries, and 6 continents. She is on a quest to visit all of the National Park Service sites, and so far has visited over 265 including 49 of the 63 national parks.
THE VALUE OF TRIP CANVAS
Travel Like an Expert with AAA and Trip Canvas
Get Ideas from the Pros
As one of the largest travel agencies in North America, we have a wealth of recommendations to share! Browse our articles and videos for inspiration, or dive right in with preplanned AAA Road Trips, cruises and vacation tours.
Build and Research Your Options
Save and organize every aspect of your trip including cruises, hotels, activities, transportation and more. Book hotels confidently using our AAA Diamond Designations and verified reviews.
Book Everything in One Place
From cruises to day tours, buy all parts of your vacation in one transaction, or work with our nationwide network of AAA Travel Agents to secure the trip of your dreams!