Elena Gallegos

Elena Gallegos Open Space is a beautiful 640 acre park set between the eastern edge of Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains/Wilderness. From an elevation around 6,500 feet at the foothills of the Sandias , you can see the mountains looming overhead. Or if you turn toward the west you have a panoramic view of the region, with Mt. Taylor to the west, the Jemez Mountains to the north and the Tijeras Arroyo to the south.

The landscape in a maze of desert plants, crisscrossed with sandy drainage runs and occasionally opening out on grassy meadows. The vegetation includes juniper, chamisa, Apache plume, scrub oak, yucca and various cactus. If you take one of the trails far enough, you can get up into Pinon pines in the Sandia Wilderness.

Picnic areas and trails are all over the place; it's a popular spot for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Along the north boundary of the picnic area runs the Cottonwood Springs trail, with shaded rest areas and sculptures leading to a pond and wildlife blind. It costs a buck per vehicle to park there, or 2 on the weekend. If you hike or bike up from the city there is no charge. Access to the park is from Tramway Blvd. Turn up Simms Park Road near the Academy intersection and head all the way up.