Introduction
| The High Desert is blessed by a rich collection of walking and hiking trails that stretch from our neighborhoods all the way to the Cibola National Forest and the Sandia Mountain Wilderness area. Any discussion of the landscape of High Desert necessarily includes the walking and hiking trail system in and immediately around the development. This trail system is a testimony to the foresight of many people, from Albuquerque’s Open Space leaders to the designers and builders of the High Desert development. One of the principal contributors was Michial M. Emery, who worked hard to maintain the natural atmosphere of the area. Before we begin there are a couple of cautions that you should keep in mind when hiking within the High Desert community. First: within High Desert only certain areas are public. Even most arroyos are part of the private residential lots that abut them. Please honor private property by keeping to the designated trails. Second: while the streets are public, they are not intended to be parking lots for hikers leaving the area. If you cannot start from home, you must use one of the public parking areas at Michial M. Emery Bear Canyon Trailhead or High Desert Park. Alternatively, you can have somebody with more pedestrian goals drop you off at your starting point. Finally, the unpaved trails through our open space areas are in very fragile landscapes. Please keep to the trails to avoid damaging plants that can take years to repair themselves. |  |
Walking and Jogging Trails In High Desert
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| There are three principle walking trails within High Desert going east/west along the Open Space arroyos. You will find numerous informative signs along many of the trails pointing out various features of the landscape. For lack of a real name, we will call them by the street they (mostly) follow. Click on the button at the right for a complete layout of trails and paths, including distances. The southern trail (Spain Trail) is in the High Desert Open Space along the north side of Spain Road, connecting on the west end with the paved biking/walking trail along the east side of Tramway Blvd. and on the east end with the bike path and sidewalk along High Desert Street. The drainage is one of the spurs of Bear Canyon Arroyo. This trail will take you past a stand of Osage Orange trees just west of Cortaderia Street and the Water Kiva park at Imperata Street. At the east end you can go south a short distance along High Desert Street to the Michial M. Emery Bear Canyon Trailhead. The middle trail (Academy Trail) is in the Open Space along the north side of Academy Road, connecting on the west with the Tramway biking/walking trail and on the east with the bike path and sidewalk going south along High Desert Street and going north along Blue Grama Road. The drainage is one of the spurs of Pino Canyon Arroyo. This trail takes you past the water harvesting areas integrated into the arroyo. The northern trail (Blue Grama Trail) is in the Open Space along Blue Grama Road, extending west to the biking/walking trail along Tramway and east to Pino Pond and Pino Park. The drainage is one of the primary branches of Pino Canyon Arroyo. Along a wheelchair accessible path, Pino Park has numerous posters that explain some of the geography and biology of the High Desert area. The park also has a range of trees that replicate the life zones from the Rio Grande river to the Sandia Crest. The trail at Pino Park ties into the bike path along Blue Grama Road and High Desert Street. There are two additional paths that lead from the northern trail north to the trail along Simms Park Road. To get to the first one, take Blanket Flower Road in the West Highlands Village north from Blue Grama Road and turn east on Sand Cherry Place. The trail connection follows a common property line north from the cul du sac at the east end of Sand Cherry Place. To get to the second, follow Pino Ridge Place in the Mountain Highlands Village east from Blue Grama Road, then take Cherry Sage Court north to the trail connection. This trail also follows a common property line, so be careful to stay on the trail. Please note that YOU CANNOT PARK near these paths. The biking/walking path along High Desert Street has additional connections you can use to access the trail system that goes around High Desert. The first connection goes east a short distance on Elena Gallegos Place in The Highlands Village, then right on Canada del Oso Place all the way to the end. Please note that YOU CANNOT PARK IN THE TURN-AROUND. From there you leave High Desert on a restricted access road that goes east to intersect with the Foothills Trail #365 and others we will talk about in the next article. This road continues east to the private Albuquerque Academy property. Please honor the Academy’s request and DO NOT ENTER THEIR PROPERTY. You can also go south along High Desert Street to the Michial M. Emery Bear Canyon Trailhead which accesses the trails east and west along Bear Canyon Arroyo. Another path continues south along High Desert Street almost to the end after it curves to the west in Wilderness Village. At the west side of the large Tract 13 rock hill south of Wilderness Village next to a fire hydrant there is an opening in the village wall that takes you to the trail in the Open Space along the Embudito Canyon Arroyo between Wilderness Village and The Trailhead Village. Please note that YOU CANNOT PARK ALONG THIS ROAD OR IN THE TURN-AROUND. The walking trails within High Desert tie into the bike trails along Cortaderia Street, Imperata Street and High Desert Street, as well as numerous bike trails and sidewalks within the various villages in High Desert. |
Open Space and Forest Service Trails
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| Before we begin discussing the Open Space and Forest Service trails outside of High Desert there should be an important word of caution. The Forest Service trails go into the Cibola National Forest and Sandia Mountain Wilderness Area. These trails are rugged and require a significant level of physical conditioning and preparation. Every year the mountain exacts a toll of victims from the unwary, the unprepared, and the unfit. The chief hazards to be aware of are storms (always dress in layers), dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hypothermia and getting lost. When you go into the wilderness areas you should always tell a responsible person of your plans and schedule. One last item of importance: it is important that you stay on the trails. The plant and wildlife habitat in this high desert environment is very fragile, and damage can take years to repair itself. Since if you are out for exercise, go the whole distance and stay on the trail. If you feel like taking a shortcut, take the ultimate one and stay home. City and Forest Service trails encircle the High Desert development, starting with the paved Tramway Boulevard biking/walking path on the west, the trail along Simms Park Road on the north, Forest Service Foothills Trail #365 on the east, and the network of trails in Bear Canyon Arroyo and Embudito Arroyo on the south. We’ve already discussed the trail access to Simms Park Road and Tramway Boulevard. However, the Bear Canyon and Foothills Trail #365 are more complex. You can access the Bear Canyon Arroyo trails on the west side of High Desert from ramps on the east side of Tramway at either end of the bridge over the Bear Canyon Arroyo. While you are at the Tramway Bear Canyon Arroyo access, you can go under the bridge and visit the Albuquerque Arts Bear Sculpture on the south bank of the arroyo just west of the bridge. The trail east from Tramway in Bear Canyon Arroyo is actually a network of trails. Approximately 0.25 miles east of Tramway, the trail along the north side of Bear Canyon Arroyo turns to the northeast towards the Michial C. Emery Bear Canyon Trailhead. Another quarter mile along the trail there is an intersection with a cross trail that goes from a gate in The Canyons Village to the west side of the Wilderness Village, where it joins the trail along the south side of Bear Canyon Arroyo. From there the southern trail goes through the Open Space on the south side of the Wilderness Village and then to Foothills Trail #365. A short distance further south is Embudito Trail #192 and the Embudito Trailhead parking lot east of The Trailhead Village. The area around the Embudito Trailhead has had significant reconstruction that resulted from the development of The Wilderness Village and Wilderness Compound. Foothills Trail #365 generally follows the east development boundary wall until it is north of the Wilderness Compound. From there, Foothills Trail #365 goes generally north past a steep rise on the east, then northeast to the middle of Bear Canyon Arroyo, where it intersects with two other trails. One branch goes straight west to Michial M. Emery Bear Canyon Trailhead and the trails along High Desert Street or the trails in Bear Canyon Arroyo west of High Desert Street. The second branch goes east along Trail #305, which circles back to Foothills Trail #365 east of The Highlands Village. Foothills Trail #365 goes generally north along the east boundary of High Desert to intersect Simms Park Road near the Park entry hut. Albert G. Simms Park is an area that has numerous walking, biking and equestrian trails, the Elena Gallegos Picnic Ground, and other points of interest. I recommend that you visit the entry hut at the end of Simms Park Road and pick up information about the facilities that are available. Please note that there are fees for entry and use of the facility, but you can make reservations for areas in the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area. For more information on Trails contact: Sandia Ranger District, 11776 Hwy. 337, Tijeras, NM 87059, Phone (505) 281-3304 (Dana Hollett, Volunteer Coordinator). |
Albert G. Simms Park and Elena Gallegos Picnic Area
| Albert G. Simms Park is an area adjacent to High Desert that has numerous walking, biking and equestrian trails, the Elena Gallegos Picnic Ground, and other points of interest. You may visit the entry hut at the end of Simms Park Road and pick up information about the facilities that are available. Please note that there are fees for entry and use of the facility, but you can make reservations for areas in the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area by contacting the Open Space Administrative Offices, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (505) 452-5200. Some points of interest in the Albert G. Simms Park are the Kiwanis Wildlife Observation Blind at the Wildlife Pond, and the Philip B. Tollesfrud Memorial Sculpture (the five stones of Elena Gallegos). The Cottonwood Spring Trail is accessible to persons with disabilities and provides a direct route to the Kiwanis Wildlife Observation Blind. The Visitor Services offers a "Sunset Series" and "Sunday Hikes" during the months of June, July and August. For a map and online up-to-date information about this area, visit the City of Albuquerque link at: http://www.cabq.gov/openspace/elenagallegos.html Hours of operation are: April through October: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. November through March: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fee per car: Weekdays: $1.00 Weekends: $2.00 Annual Pass:(available from parking attendant): $26.40 |  |
Volunteers Needed!
| HDROA participates with the Forest Service and City Open Space Adopt-a-Trail Programs. If you are interested in trail maintenance, contact Ray Berg and watch for notices of information in the Apache Plume, this website and other sources. The US Forest Service and City of Albuquerque also have extensive Volunteer Outdoors Programs. You can also find out more about what is happening locally by visiting the facilities at the Elena Gallegos Picnic Ground at the Albert G. Simms Park and the US Forrest Service Sandia District Ranger Station in Tijeras. |