New Mexico: Sandia Mountain skyline

All images copyright © 2011-2012 by Wm. Robert Johnston and Victoria Johnston.

The panorama above shows the Sandia Mountains as seen from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with insets identified below. The portion of the Sandias shown runs about 7 km north-south, with the tallest peak, Sandia Crest, reaching 3255 m altitude and 1400 m higher than adjacent areas of Albuquerque, or 1650 m higher than the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque.

1. The Shield, a slab rising about 300 m above the rest of the mountain on either side;
2. The Needle, 400 m above the rest of the mountain, 3127 m altitude at the top;
3. near Sandia Crest, 3255 m altitude, showing some of the radio/cell phone towers there, the tallest of them 24 m, and Muralla Grande, the cliff face on the right;
4. the gift and snack shops at Sandia Crest, 2 stories tall;
5. one of the towers for the Sandia Tramway;
6. top of the Sandia Tramway, 3140 m altitude, with Summit House Restaurant on the left;
7. Dragon's Tooth, 300-m high face, site of a plane crash in 1955.

© 2011-2012 by Wm. Robert Johnston and Victoria Johnston.
Last modified 2 September 2012.
Return to Home. Return to Photo Album.