Cibola NF--Embudito Canyon

About this Location

Embudito Canyon is a favorite of Albuquerque locals and a staging area for many activities and hikes into the Sandia Mountains. Translated as ‘little funnel’ in English, this canyon is a major drainage of spring snowmelt and summer monsoon storm waters. People hike here all year, but despite its proximity to Albuquerque, its parking lot is relatively hidden and keeps the use numbers down.

Albuquerque Open Space Foothills Trail 365 starts here and heads north to the Elena Gallegos Picnic Area. Many locals hike these trails, but they are most popular for mountain biking.

Embudito Trail 192 heads east into the Sandia Mountain Wilderness and is one of the ways to ascend South Sandia Peak. This trail runs for 4.1 miles until it connects up to the Three Gun Trail 194. From here one can either travel south on Three Gun Trail and connect to the Embudo Trail 193 or continue on Embudito Trail 192 to the summit of South Sandia Peak and intersections with the South Crest Trail 130s and the CCC Trail.

The unofficial and unnamed trail for the summit of Point 8009 also leaves from here. The start of this trail begins just inside the Sandia Mountain Wilderness Boundary by the signboard.

About Cibola National Forest

See all hotspots at Cibola National Forest

Cibola National Forest covers more than 1.6 million acres and includes mountains, grasslands, wilderness, and forests. The name Cibola comes from the Zuni word for their tribal lands, which the Spanish later translated as "buffalo". The forest is home black bears, cougars, elk, and pronghorn. Cibola National Forest offers many recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and skiing. It also has cultural and historical significance, as it contains ancient Native American sites and historic trails.

The National Forest has four ranger districts: Sandia, Mountainair, Magdalena, and Mount Taylor. In addition, the Cibola has four wilderness areas: Sandia Mountain, Manzano Mountain, Withington, and Apache Kid.

Content from Official Website and Cibola National Forest Official Website