| Sandia Crest | |
|---|---|
 Closeup of Sandia Crest from the west, July 2007 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 10,679 ft (3,255 m) |
| Prominence | 4,098 ft (1,249 m) |
| Coordinates | 35°12′36.41″N 106°26′55.14″W / 35.2101139°N 106.4486500°W |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 5 mi (8 km) N-S |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Watermelon (Spanish)[1] |
| Nickname(s) | Sandia Peak, the Crest[2] |
| Native name | Posu gai hoo-oo (Southern Tiwa)[3] |
| English translation | "Where water slides down arroyo" |
| Defining authority | Sandia Pueblo |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Bernalillo |
| Nearest city | Albuquerque |
| Parent range | Sandia–Manzano Mountains |
| Biome | Hudsonian Zone |
| Geology | |
| Formed by | Rio Grande rift |
| Orogeny | Laramidian |
| Rock age | 300 Ma |
| Mountain type | Tilted fault-block |
| Rock type | Sedimentary |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Grand Enchantment Trail |
| Normal route | La Luz Trail |
| Access | Albuquerque, Sandia Pueblo |
Sandia Crest, also known locally as Sandia Peak or simply as the Crest,[2] is a mountain ridge that, at 10,679 feet (3,255 m), is the highpoint of the Sandia–Manzano Mountains, and is located in the Sandia Mountains of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States. Instead of a true summit or topographic peak, this range climbs to a long ridge line. To the east, the range slopes down from the Crest and merges into the plains below. On the west side of the Crest is a cliff; the range dramatically drops over 4,000 feet (1,000 metres) in elevation over 2 miles (3 kilometres) of horizontal distance to the Rio Grande Valley and city of Albuquerque below. It is within the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. The Crest features a viewing area with a shop and visitor center, telecommunications transmitters, the popular La Luz Trail, the Sandia Mountain Wilderness, and the summit of Sandia Peak Ski Area and the Sandia Peak Tramway, which is the longest aerial tramway in the Americas.[citation needed]
- ^ "Popular belief holds that the striped appearance of the rocks or the pinkish reflections of the surfaces at sunset led to the name "watermelon mountains" in Spanish." Pearce, T. M. (1965) "Sandia" New Mexico place names; a geographical dictionary University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 142, OCLC 420847
- ^ a b "Sandia Mountains". Summit Post. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Pearce, T. M. (1965) "Sandia" New Mexico place names; a geographical dictionary University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM, p. 143, OCLC 420847