Three Sisters Volcanoes

I love going out to the volcanos to hike. The views and atmosphere are amazing! The trails are well marked with good signage. There are primitive style bathrooms at the parking lot. There are also benches along the first part of the trail and a nice overlook area with a covered awning to shield the sun. A great outing every time!

This was a great hike with amazing views. The hike itself is pretty easy. Unless you are climbing the cones it is nice and easy. The paths are well marked and maintained.

A hidden spot that is literally right in front of most people! If you have been to Albuquerque one feature dominates the skyline, the Sandia Mountains. The run all along the East side of the city and it's hard to stare at them in wonder. Very little known to most though is that the "barren horizon on the west side is not barren at all. It has a large area that is taken up by 3 ancient volcanoes, The Three Sisters. I was raised in Santa Fe, so maybe locals of Albuquerque no place place better. I was in town and looking for a casual hike and came across this place. I read some things that said it was an easy hike. I went out before dawn to see what the sunrise would look like. I arrived in the dark but there was desert light to make my way. after a short hike I had a good spot to sit and way for the sun. It was perfect. The beauty was incredible as the sun pulled it self up from behind the Sandia mountains. in the foreground half a dozen hot air balloons were slowly rising from the city. It ended up a great hike, with amazing views, and one of the best sunrises I have seen. next time I'm sure I may want more of a challenge for a hike, but this is definitely the most chill walk I have taken, and one of the most beautiful in the early morn.

This is one of the four parts of the Petroglyph National Monument. And it might be my least favorite.First....there are no petroglyphs. There is a nice enough trail that goes around a couple of the volcanoes. But I passed trail after trail after trail that was blocked off for restoration. Which I certainly understand is important, but it left a lot unseen and unexplored. For what I *expected* I was disappointed. If you go looking for somewhere to hike, get good views of the Sandias, with very few other people....this is the place for you. It can be difficult to find...stop at the Petroglyph Visitors Center to get directions and landmarks to look for.

Super easy to get to and just a nice place to stop by and see! Not much to it other than pulling over on the side of the road and walking over

One of my favorite places in the Albuquerque area. Good exercise, good view. Not to far away. Watch for Rattlesnakes when it's Rattlesnake weather.

Came here during a business trip and it was during such amazing weather time during March. It was just awesome to see some inactive volcanoes and take a nice hike in beautiful part of New Mexico! I would highly recommend coming here if you have the time for a nice hike!

These ABQ landmarks are actually part of the Petroglyph National Monument, which already has a biz page, but the experience of hiking these alien ancestors is worth a separate listing. Like most recreation areas in central and southern NM, you won't be getting any shade out here, so before you go make sure to bathe yo'self in whatever fruit-scented sunblock you prefer (I enjoy kiwi). This is a dog-friendly area so just remember that the pup's paws could get mighty toasty in the mid-day heat, he'll be walking on basalt, for God's sake. And bring plenty of water for the both of ya's.Late summer/autumn, this area can be unique. I've seen some disco-fied bugs out here (bright colors, shiny, generally not seen in public): beetles, butterflies, bees, and plenty of others that do not begin with that letter. The freakiest muthas are the centipedes - or millipedes, I dunno - that cruise around with neon green and yellow legs. Snakes and lizards too, naturally. The volcanoes offer a really powerful view of ABQ and a mild, enjoyable hike. From what I understand they're also a rare example of a "fissure eruption", where lava cracked a five mile long rift across the earth, rather than explode from a funnel. My advice: come later in the day, bring a picnic, get out of the house and away from those darn internets.

We came out here for a nice easy hike, walk, activity, whatever. There was a good trail, but all the offshoots of the trail, anything but the one main trail was marked as being closed. Don't get me wrong, the one trail was great, and we got to see some volcanos, but overall, it was a bit underwhelming.

http://www.nps.gov/petr/planyourvisit/volcanoes.htmJA, Black, and Vulcan - those are the names of the three volcanoes. After hiking them many times over the last two years I have come to know them and love them. They each have distinct features and hidden treasures. JA is the closest, so it is the one most people scramble up. They are rewarded with a breathtaking view of our city and about 100 miles in every direction. Black is the easiest to peak, and is also the one where I always see the most lizards - foot long beauties basking on the black rocks. Vulcan is my favorite. Approach from the east side and you will find yourself in a wide depression - you can almost imagine it full of fire and lava. The rabbits love it here and they bounce away from you at every turn. The climb up is tough and will require hands to steady your ascent, but the top is incredible. In the winter you can find the hot vents by the absence of snow, and the sight of steam. On Vulcan there is a little protected shelf that vents hot air and feels like a sauna on frozen days. Take your dog, take some water, wear a hat and sensible shoes. Take your time and discover what I already know - that we live in a beautiful place.