Exploring Petroglyph National Monument Albuquerque, NM

There are over 24,000 petroglyphs engraved into the volcanic escarpment covering seventeen miles in Albuquerque, New Mexico – and no one knows exactly what they mean except for the ancient carvers. Petroglyph National Monument is the largest site of its kind in North America with images 400-700 years old created mainly by Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache peoples. Multiple sites with varying lengths of hiking trails showcase these spiritually significant works protected by the national parks. Begin at the visitor center, while it does not have any petroglyphs on site, there is an informative display and a 22 minute film to learn about the history behind these cultural expressions.

Each of these rocks is alive, keeper of a message left by the ancestors. There are spirits, guardians; there is medicine…’ -William Weahkee, a Pueblo elder.

+Rinconada Canyon

Find a combination of art, history, and nature along an easy 2.2 mile loop trail revealing 500 petroglyphs within a beautiful landscape.

Dark lava rocks contrast with Rio Grande style petroglyphs from approximately 1300 AD – you will see human figures, animals, and geometric designs.

Helpful and interesting descriptions are scattered around the site. This site is free to all.

+Boca Negra Canyon

Known as ‘black mouth’ by the Spaniards, there are three short trails within this section of the park and over 100 petroglyphs to discover.

The Mesa Point Trail winds up a small hill, but at the summit hikers are one mile above sea level with great views.

Along this path there are very interesting petroglyphs including what look like dragonflies, serpents, and a flute player.

The nearby Macaw Trail is home to my favorite image in the whole park, and namesake of the trail. It is so interesting because macaws are native to Mexico, showing the trading between regions at this time.

Connecting these two paths is the Cliffside Base Trail, which not only has petroglyphs, but botanical placards as well.

This is the one paid section of the park with a fee of $1 on weekdays, $2 on weekends, or free with America the Beautiful national parks pass.

+Piedras Marcadas Canyon

A less visited section of the park located in a more suburban area, this pocket is named ‘marked rocks’ by earlier Spanish settlers. The trail length is 1.5 miles with beautiful views.

+Volcanoes

This day use area has no petroglyphs, but it is a sacred cultural landscape with scenic trails that range from one to four miles.

Views of the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande Valley are gorgeous as the path encircles cinder cones and climbs to the top of volcanoes.