Sandia Crest Byway

New Mexico

National Forest Scenic Byway

Map

Byway Details

Designation
National Forest Scenic Byway
Length
5.3 mi in New Mexico
Managed by
Forest Service

About Sandia Crest Byway

Sandia Crest Byway is a scenic drive in the Sandia Ranger District of Cibola National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The route is about 5.3 miles long. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from the nearby Sandia Park weather station, at about 7,000 feet, run around 73°F highs and 41°F lows in May and 77°F and 46°F in September, while winter highs sit in the low 40s. Several trails start right along the byway. Challenge Trail, Ridge Trail and Survey are hikes within about a tenth of a mile, and climbers can find Clandestine Wall about 0.2 miles away.

Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–83°F and lows of 34–53°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Sandia Park, NM weather station, 2.4 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan44° high19° low
  2. Feb48° high22° low
  3. Mar55° high26° low
  4. Apr63° high34° low
  5. May73° high41° low
  6. Jun83° high49° low
  7. Jul83° high53° low
  8. Aug80° high52° low
  9. Sep77° high46° low
  10. Oct65° high36° low
  11. Nov54° high24° low
  12. Dec43° high18° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Source: USFS EDW boundaries

Conditions

Active alerts for Sandia Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)