Sandia Mountain Wilderness is located east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This wilderness area is part of Cibola National Forest, with over a 100 miles of forest trails. Numerous trails are clearly marked along the road, so hiking for exercise is easy to come by there.
Generally, the temperature in Sandia is significantly cooler than that in Albuquerque. This is a relief to the summer’s heat, but you still need to keep yourself hydrated. And traveling in this wilderness offers little opportunity to obtain fluids. So bring along something to drink, especially if your plans include hiking.
Motion sickness is a health concern if you opt to travel by car into the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. The crest of the Sandia Mountain range offers a spectacular view, but to get there you drive up the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway. This scenic road winds its way up to an elevation of over 10,500 feet via numerous switchbacks. You can avoid this winding road by taking the Sandia Ariel Tramway instead. This travel tip may prevent motion sickness, but riding the tram presents a new problem if you suffer a “fear of heights” .
Mountain sickness is another health related issue you could experience while traveling up in the Sandia Mountain Wilderness. When moving around at a high altitude you should expect to feel “out of breath” sooner. However, if you feel shortness of breath at rest, turnaround and go back down immediately (at least 1000 feet). For most, moving to a lower elevation will alleviate breathing problems. But if your symptoms continue or escalate despite the change, seek emergency health care assistance.
