This Easy Trail In Albuquerque, New Mexico Is Hiding An Unexpected Sculpture Garden

New Mexico is hiding an incredible number of beautiful places but did you know an unusual sculpture garden is hiding in plain sight?

Located right along the river in Albuquerque, the Pueblo Montaño Trail is one of a handful of scenic trails in the Rio Grande Valley State Park.

The trailhead starts approximately 0.25 miles southeast of the intersection of Montaño Road and Coors Boulevard.

The trail measures 1.7 miles and loops through just a portion of the park to the banks of the Rio Grande.

The trail is an easy one; the trail is fairly flat, clearly marked, and is even ADA-accessible.

Aside from the lovely views on the trail, you'll also find an unusual sculpture garden hidden along the trail.

It all begins with the remnants of trees once ravaged by a forest fire.

In 2003, a human-caused fire consumed 250 acres in the Rio Grande Bosque, leading to extensive damage on the landscape.

It was that incident that inspired firefighter Mark Chavez to create something to help beautify the area again.

Here, Chavez utilized the charred tree stumps to create sculptures carved with a chainsaw.

Scorched cottonwoods were given new life as sculptures depicting real and fictional characters. One of the most prominent sculptures shows a firefighter standing atop a fire dragon wrapped around a tree stump. Other sculptures feature an image of La Llorona (seen above), bosque wildlife, and even an eagle rising from the flames.

Have you had the opportunity to trek along this trail?

What were your thoughts of seeing the sculptures during the hike?

The Pueblo Montaño Trailhead is located in Albuquerque's Rio Grande Valley State Park, near the intersection of Montaño Road and Coors Boulevard.

The trail is open daily, is ADA-accessible, and has no admission fees. For details about their seasonal hours, trail map, and more, visit the City of Albuquerque website.

Website: City of Albuquerque Parks & Recreation

Phone: 505-768-5353

Address: 4100 Montaño Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120

Prefer heading out to a more remote location for a hike? Check out the spectacularly beautiful trek to Lake Katherine hidden away in northern New Mexico. Read more in Nestled In The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Lake Katherine Has Some Of The Clearest Water In New Mexico.