Albuquerque, NM

Copper Trail Head

Courtesy: New Mexico Meanders

The Copper Trailhead is a great option if you’d like a technical and hilly trail near the city. Located at the top of Copper Boulevard in the Northeast Heights neighborhood about 8 miles east of downtown, the trail overlooks the whole city. The run starts with a steep incline for a few hundred meters before dipping down to the other side of the Sandia Mountains. The panoramic views, the abundant cacti, and the winding trails all make up a spectacular run. As mentioned earlier, the trails seem endless in the mountains, going for more than 150 miles, so there is certainly opportunity to plot routes of various distances. For runners and hikers, the trails have signs at every crossing, so as to not jump on the wrong path.

Caution: Starts at 6,000 feet and very hilly: 1200 foot elevation gain

 

 

Essentials
  • 5.8 miles, mainly out and back
  • 1200 foot elevation gain - very hilly! Caution: Starts at 6,000 feet
  • Copper Trail Head on Copper Ave.

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Brian Pilgrim
5 years ago

This is a great place to run but nothing like what’s described or pictured here. I literally live at the end of Copper. My back gate opens up onto the trails at the Copper trailhead. When you click on the map it givens the right location and there are numerous runs here but absolutely nothing that looks like the picture above. Also if you want to “dip down to the other side of the Sandia Mountains from the copper trail it’s a fairly rugged seven mile climb of about 3000 feet before you reach the Sandia Crest trail and then you could start going down the other side.

Essentials
  • 5.8 miles, mainly out and back
  • 1200 foot elevation gain - very hilly! Caution: Starts at 6,000 feet
  • Copper Trail Head on Copper Ave.