North Rim Trail

3.4 mi of trail, end to end · about 100 ft of climbing · 5,246 ft–5,330 ft · hiking, multi-use

Boca Negra Canyon the Park Service's write-up

5-60 Minutes · no dogs

Start Boca Negra Canyon

A petroglyph of a macaw parrot on a dark volcanic boulder. — This macaw is one of around 100 petroglyphs you can see at Boca Negra Canyon. Photo: NPS Photo/Daniel Leifheit

If you only have one hour to visit the monument, Boca Negra Canyon is the place for you.

Located off of Unser Boulevard, ¼ mile north of Montaño. Combined walking time is approximately 1 hour. Although each trail is very short, they vary in difficulty as follows: Mesa Point - strenuous, Macaw - moderate, Cliff Base - moderate.

This unit of petroglyphs National Monument is owned, staffed, and managed by the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division.

Open 8:30 am - 4:30 Petroglyph daily. Last entry at 4:00 pm is strictly enforced.Open 8:30 am - 4:30 pm daily. Last entry at 4:00 pm is strictly enforced.

Pets Pets are not allowed on the trails. (Service animals are allowed.)

Accessibility Boca Negra Canyon has partly paved paths but are not stroller or wheelchair accessible. An ADA view scope is available for viewing petroglyphs at the patio by the restrooms.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.

North Rim Trail

Boca Negra Canyon the Park Service's write-up

About this trail's facts