Would you believe that downtown Albuquerque is just over the ridge on the horizon? Well, it is. This trail has become one of my favorites of late mostly because it is the closest access to the Sandia wilderness we have from our house. The Piedra Lisa trail offers fantastic views, beautiful forest, occasional water, wildlife and a good workout. It starts low in the desert near the town of Placitas where the tail winds it’s way through pinon pines and scrub oaks that have wrested a hold in the super old, twisted metamorphic rock. To the south and east, one can also see the looming Sandia granite spires overlain with a much younger, fossil rich, limestone cap. Three fascinating rock formations, each from a different age with it’s own rich history and each with its own contribution to the current geology of this beautiful spot. The trail winds it’s way through the wilderness, climbing through life zones and finishing in an area filled with Ponderosa Pine and Spruce and an incredible view of the city beyond.
Main trail – Rincon Ridge with Sandia Crest beyond
Hedgehog cactus sits atop twisted metamorphic rock on the Del Agua
These butterflies swarmed the Del Agua trail after a rain shower Lorquin Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)?