Golden Open Space

Thank you: 60 Hikes Within 60 miles of Albuquerque.*
Hike #17 The Golden Loop Trail... (best viewed on black)

* red clay and beige sandstone layers speak from eons of a long ago past;
* flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes dance everywhere across the land, celebrating a healthy "monsoon" season. 
* I like to watch the cloud shadows leisurely drift across the high plain mesa.

*"The City of Albuquerque acquired this 1,200 acre parcel in Sandoval County in 1964 under the federal Recreation and Public Purposes Act, which required the City to develop it for recreational purposes or return it to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Early plans for the property had it slated to as a campground, one of several that would form a camping ring around the city. The idea never reached fruition.  

Set aside for the preservation of nature, the land has since remained relatively undisturbed.  The Golden Open Space is 6 miles west of its namesake ghost town and has been a work in progress for many years and has expanded into a network of trails that explore all corners of this breath-taking landscape."