North Mystery Trail Hike
In Sandia Mountain East Region

Map File Source: Garmin BaseCamp

Hike Key: H10251
Last Updated: 04/16/2026 2:13pm
Last Updated By: Marilyn Warrant
Hike Class: C (Challenging)
Hike Distance: 6.2 mi
Minimum Elevation: 7340 ft
Elevation Change: 770 ft
Total Uphill: 975 ft
Total Downhill: 1590 ft
Avg. Grade: 3 %
Route Type: Oneway
On Trail: Yes
Paved or Gravel Roads: Yes
GPS Advised: Yes
Drive Distance Round Trip: 60 mi
Drive Time One-Way: 1:00
Hiking Seasons: Spring, Summer, and Fall
New Mexico Game Unit: 8
Hike Status: Waiting Editor
Attractions: Forest and Views

Highlights

Seven Medallion Trees, beautiful wooded hike.

Cautions

Mostly downhill, but still contains plenty of uphill.

Trailhead Directions

From Albuquerque take I-40 east to the Tijeras exit. Go north on SR 14 for 6 miles to SR 536, the Crest Highway. Leave a shuttle vehicle at the 2.5 mile point on the Crest Highway (PARK-SOUTH (5.9 mi)) at the hairpin turn where there is a large area to park on the left. Continue for 5 miles to The Balsam Glades area where SR 165W leaves to the right. Take this road, which turns to dirt, for 2.2 miles to PARK-NMYSTERY (0.0 mi) on the right side of the road at the concrete barriers at a bend in the road.

Actual Hike

From parking take the Palomas Cliffs trail which starts at the uphill end of parking and goes east for about 0.7 miles to the start of the cliffs area. LEAVE (0.7 mi) this trail and go southeast along the left edge of the meadow for about 400 feet to the NORTH END (0.9 mi) of the North Mystery Trail. At this point the trail begins a sometimes steep 1.7 mile descent into the bottom of MADERA CANYON (2.6 mi). The trail then climbs back out of the canyon, a vertical rise of 600 feet in about 0.7 miles to a flat at the TOP (3.4 mi), a good place for lunch. Once out of the canyon there is a 2.0 mile mostly moderate descent towards the SADDLE (5.6 mi) in the bottom of Barro Canyon. Then it is 0.6 miles to SR 536 and parking.

Comments

See the file NorthMysteryTrailMedallionTrees for the locations of the seven Medallion Trees that can be found on this hike.

Note that this “downhill” hike involves lots of uphill.

This is written as a shuttle hike. Road conditions at the north end are marginal when wet, with deep, muddy ruts.

Other options:
(1) the van driver hikes down the trail with the rest of the hikers, leaves them at some point to go back to the van, and returns the van to PARK-SOUTH or
(2) everyone hikes the trail as an in-out hike starting from PARK-SOUTH.

Waypoints

PARK: N35 13.584, W106 24.561
LEAVE: N35 13.686, W106 24.080
NORTH END: N35 13.631, W106 23.969
MADERA CANYON: N35 12.939, W106 23.271
TOP: N35 12.452, W106 23.282
SADDLE: N35 11.267, W106 22.674
PARK-SOUTH: N35 10.880, W106 22.620

Map Filename: NorthMysteryTrailMap2_MW
Hike GPS File Name: NorthMysteryTrail_MW2.gpx
Hike GPS File: Click link to download hike waytrack file
Other GPS File Name NorthMysteryTrailMedallionTrees.gpx
Other GPS File: Click link to download other gpx file.

Text Author: Dick Brown
Map Author: Marilyn Warrant
Waypoints Author: Dick Brown
Track Author: Marilyn Warrant
Maintainer: Dawn McIntyre
Editor: Marilyn Warrant