Canyon Hunting On El Cerro De Los Lunas

With sand in my shoes, small cuts along my legs, and red arms, I have had a very successful day of hiking and climbing on a landmark that is most sentimental and beautiful to me...Los Lunas Hill.
Los Lunas Hill, or El Cerro De Los Lunas, sits on the western edge of Los Lunas, NM, a small town about 30-40 minutes south of Albuquerque. Overlooking the entire town, it is host to lots of desert wildlife, various canyons, sand dunes, petroglyphs and even some very spread out and isolated bouldering.

While there are a lot of official trails popping up on the "hill", one of my favorite hikes is the main eastern canyon, one that resembles a big cut or chasm in the side of the hill. After many years, something about this little canyon always brings me back.

Alyssa working up the steep sand bank

To reach this canyon, take I-25 to Los Lunas. Take a right onto main street and head down towards Huning Ranch. Skip the first turn into the community and make the next left onto Huning Ranch Loop SW. You'll pass an elementary school on your right on this road. Follow all the way down and take a right, heading up to park in the southwestern-most cul-de-sac. Basically when you're passing the mailboxes at the bottom of the hill (after making the right at the end of Huning Loop), take a left, then a right, then a left.

Lots of beautiful flowers out today

From the parking area, you can see the first main band of cliffs, with some steep sandy trails heading up and around them. While exhausting, these steep trails provide quick, easy access to the top of the cliffs, and to the bottom of the canyon. Personally, I like to hike up this main sand trail and follow the branch heading west that stays above the canyon.

Alyssa refueling and catching a break at the top of the steep bank

You can follow this trail west and then take the canyon down, or you can take the canyon up and back. Either way, there will be a lot of climbing and downclimbing once in the canyon. Coming down is definitely the highlight of the hike, downclimbing some short but steep sections, depositing you into some wonderful areas, with towering walls of volcanic rock above.

Looking east to the Manzanos and Meadow Lake

Coming up in the middle of the canyon

While the trail in the bottom of the canyon has always been easy to see and travel, it's undergone a lot of growth over the last few years. Not to mention, it is now plagued with oceans of tumbleweed, making navigating a bit more of a game. However, it only adds to the novelty of the desert, in my opinion.

Alyssa resting on a shady bench in the rock

A beautiful open area separating the upper and lower parts of the canyon

There are some beautiful places to rest where the canyon narrows, providing lots of shade at some points in the day (and none at others). There is a lot of sketchy climbing in the upper part of the canyon, but what fun would this be without it?

Alyssa climbing up and around the narrow rest spot

This sea of tumbleweed covers the original, easier path

There comes a point where the canyon intersects the Overlook Trail, in a broad opening not too far below the northern peak. This is where I usually turn around hike back down, though you can continue in any number of directions to further the "adventure". You can continue up and over the ridges ahead, hiking to the other side of the hill, or you can follow the overlook trail to the tallest peak to the south, or hike up to the north to the main peak with the famous "LL" on the side.

I love desert canyons

Even if you went up the canyon, coming down it is enjoyable in a whole different way, with beautiful views out east the whole way down. The canyon ends at a 30-40 foot drop off, which is where you hike up and out of the canyon and back down the sand bank that took you up.

The canyon ends above the black streaks on the cliff

Normally this is a nice little outing for those in the Los Lunas area, but it wasn't enough to satiate my need to DO something. After eating a little bit, Alyssa and I hiked around to the back side to one of better boulders. I pieced together an old project and found out how to start it even lower, creating another slightly harder project. The bouldering out here isn't really worth driving out to, but the sentimental value of a lot of these boulders still brings me back.

Lullaby (V3)

Lullaby Sit (V4+)

El Cerro de Los Lunas is definitely a hidden gem, and this post is only a taste of what exists out there. It is definitely not for everyone. There is a LOT of sun, harsh desert vegetation, rattlesnakes, loose rock, etc. But for those who love venturing outside, it is a great little escape located very conveniently on the edge of a town. Though the adventure provided by this hill is minimal, it is still worth doing and bound to be enjoyed by a few. But, as always, don't take my word for it...get outside and form your own opinions on it!