Home › New Mexico › Albuquerque › Rinconada Canyon Trail
Rinconada Canyon Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 533 Google reviews · Running trail in Albuquerque, New Mexico · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Crushed gravel
- Loop distance
- 2.2 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Rinconada Canyon Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Easy loop trail for viewing ancient rock drawings.
What runners say about Rinconada Canyon Trail
“Beautiful views, not too long of a loop, and if you're lucky you'll get to see some wildlife too.”
“I really enjoyed it, there is no shade though, so if you're coming in the summer make sure to bring some water!”
“Easy enough trail, no steep climbs or anything, just a peaceful walk.”
“The Rinconada Canyon Trail was a very easy hike with lots of cool Peteoglyphs to see on the way.”
Super trail! Takes you a total of 2.2 miles and about 1-2 hours to get around the loop depending on how long you are looking for the petroglyphs!! We saw many, just need to stop and enjoy the view! We had many, many, centipedes? that were on the trail at the time!
Easy 2mi hike and very interesting to observe and read the history signs along the way. Trail is mostly sand type. About half the way into the trail there is a bench to rest on. Breathtaking views of historic boulders. Conveniently public bathroom available.
The Rinconada Canyon Trail is one of three trails in the Petroglyph National Monument. The large parking lot is located south of the Visitor Center. This is a 2.2 mile loop trail. This is an easy trail that is very well marked. The petroglyphs are fantastic to see.
I LOVE THIS HIKE!!! I used to live off of Coors and Montano and I would visit this Trail at least three times a week. I would like to run the trails, meditate at the end of the trails, get all kinds of good pictures of the petroglyphs.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful views, not too long of a loop, and if you're lucky you'll get to see some wildlife too.”
“Beginner level Within 15 minutes from Old Town, a great free, family and dog friendly loop with easy to find (self-guided) petroglyphs.”
“Trailhead has paved parking, a bathroom, and covered picnic tables.”
“Super cool short hikes to see petroglyphs but one of the trails does have some elevation change and should be taken slowly.”
“Trailhead has paved parking, a bathroom, and covered picnic tables.”
“Came here with my fiancée and we saw so many cool petroglyphs and the explainer sign markers make it easy to self guide here.”
“Easy enough trail, no steep climbs or anything, just a peaceful walk.”
“I really enjoyed it, there is no shade though, so if you're coming in the summer make sure to bring some water!”
“Beginner level Within 15 minutes from Old Town, a great free, family and dog friendly loop with easy to find (self-guided) petroglyphs.”
Plan your run at Rinconada Canyon Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceCrushed gravel — the rail-trail classic: softer than asphalt, still smooth enough for tempo work
- Loop distance2.2 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitenps.gov
- Phone(505) 899-0205
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Saturday | 8 AM–5 PM |
| Sunday | 8 AM–5 PM |
Running trails near Albuquerque
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Boca Negra Canyon
4.6 ★★★★★ 950 reviews
Rustic desert park featuring low-key day hikes amid numerous petroglyphs carved into volcanic rocks.
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 1,610 reviews
Riverside forest featuring trails, bird watching & native plants, plus exhibits & picnicking.
Mariposa Basin Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 1,164 reviews
3 walking trail loops around ponds, a draw for bird watchers, plus playgrounds & sports fields.
