Sandia Peak Tramway

The longest aerial tramway in North America, rising to the top of the Sandia Mountains

Address 30 Tramway Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87122
Phone (505) 856-7325

The Sandia Peak Tramway rises from the desert floor at the eastern edge of Albuquerque to the crest of the Sandia Mountains in about 15 minutes — a vertical gain of 1,275 metres in a single cable span. The views from the top are genuinely extraordinary: on a clear day you can see from Arizona to Texas, the Rio Grande snaking through cottonwood bosque far below, and the city spread across the valley like a circuit board. The summit at 3,255 metres is cool even in summer and often snowy in winter.

At the top, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner, and there are hiking trails along the crest. The popular La Luz Trail descends the western face back to the base, a serious hike if you want to make a day of it. The tram runs year-round; the most spectacular views come in autumn when the Sandia's aspens turn gold and after winter storms when the mountains are white above the desert. Expect a wait on weekends and in October.

things to do sight
A story
When it opened in 1966, the Sandia Peak Tramway was the longest aerial tram in the world at 3.6 km. The two cars pass each other in the middle of the cable span — entirely suspended in mid-air — over a 500-metre void between towers. The lower tower is in the desert at 1,980 metres; the upper terminal is at 3,255 metres in a completely different ecosystem of fir and aspen forest.