During our weekend in Albuquerque, we took the opportunity to visit the National Park Service sites in central New Mexico. Petroglyph National Monument is located right in Albuquerque, so it’s an easy addition to any visit to the city.
Address and Location
You’ll find the Petroglyph National Monument Information Center on Unser Boulevard NW at the Western Trail Intersection. You can drive through the stop light to the Information Center. Keep in mind that the Information Center does not have trails or petroglyphs. You’ll want to grab directions to the different trailheads here. They have printed copies available.
Cost
Exploring Petroglyph is free!
What to Do
The Information Center is pretty small, but they do have the standard NPS site video and a small park shop. You’ll find vault toilets and limited amenities. Keep in mind that the different locations are off-grid. You can choose to hike Boca Negra Canyon, Rinconada Canyon, Piedras Marcadas Canyon, or the Volcanoes Day Use Area. Each trail offers a different hiking experience in terms of difficulty, number of visible petroglyphs, trail condition, and amenities.
Boca Negra Canyon
We decided to hike the Boca Negra Canyon trail. It’s about two miles down Unser Road from the Information Center, just past Montano Road (you’ll drive past a neighborhood to reach it). It has a great selection of petroglyphs, and you’ll see some as soon as you get out of your car. The trail is quite rocky, uneven, and not accessibility friendly. You’ll climb up and down to reach the top of the hill. It has great views of Sandia Peak and Albuquerque, so it’s worth the hike.
New Mexico National Park Service sites: Your guide to the New Mexico National Parks | Aztec Ruins National Monument | White Sands National Park | Fort Union National Monument | Pecos National Historic Park | Valles Caldera National Preserve | Los Alamos Manhattan Project National Historic Park | Bandelier National Monument | Carlsbad Caverns National Park | Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument | Petroglyph National Monument | El Morro National Monument | El Malpais National Monument |
