Rinconada Canyon Stop 1

The view from Stop 1 on the Rinconada Canyon Trail.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Audio Description, Scenic View/Photo Spot

(0 miles / kilometers- at trail entrance, near split off for connector trail) 

Welcome to Rinconada Canyon, just one of three major petroglyph concentrations at Petroglyph National Monument. Continue forward for a 2.2-mile or 3.5 kilometers loop with petroglyph viewing beginning at ¾ of a mile. The connector trail to your right leads one mile north to the Information Center entrance gate. If you are not prepared or do not have 1 ½ hours for this hike, consider driving 3 miles or 4.8 kilometers north to Boca Negra Canyon. There are 3 short hiking trails within Boca Negra Canyon where you can see petroglyphs immediately. Or drive 7 ½ miles or 12 kilometers north to Piedras Marcadas Canyon for a larger concentration of petroglyphs on a sandy path less than 2 miles or 3.2 kilometers roundtrip.  

Rinconada Canyon offers an opportunity to step away from the sights and sounds of the city of Albuquerque and experience the natural soundscape of this high desert environment. Before you start your hike, make sure you have plenty of water, sun protection, and are wearing the appropriate type of clothing for the weather, including comfortable, close-toed hiking shoes. If you are hiking with a dog, please remember to keep them on a 6 foot long or shorter leash for the safety of your dog and wildlife. If you are hiking alone, make sure someone knows where you are and approximately when you plan to be back.  

Before we begin, it is extremely important to recognize where you are: a living, cultural landscape. What does this mean? As you will learn in this audio tour, this canyon was and still is considered a sacred place to local native groups. Petroglyph National Monument protects one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America; featuring designs and symbols carved onto volcanic boulders by the Ancestral Puebloans and early Spanish settlers primarily 400 to 700 years ago. It is your responsibility to treat this area with respect and care as vandalism leaves permanent scars that erase valuable records of cultural expression and a significant story from our collective human history.  

Continue on the trail to learn more about the petroglyphs, the people who carved them, and the unique geologic story that formed this landscape.