This Southwestern City Is a Surprisingly Great Fall Foliage Destination—With a 2.7-mile Tram Ride, Golden Cottonwoods, and a Foliage Season That Lasts Into November

November 2026 marks the official centennial of Route 66, which passes right through Albuquerque. If you're visiting New Mexico's largest city in time for the festivities, you might be surprised to find out that this high-desert city is a surprisingly great hub from which to see fall foliage. The seasonal display unfolds over an extended period, ranging from late September in the mountains and canyons outside of town to early November within city parks. Right in the city, the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden is an easy place to start, where the Sasebo Japanese Garden offers a reliable chance of seeing blazing red maples among koi ponds, stone lanterns, and pagoda sculptures. Equally convenient is the Paseo del Bosque Trail, a 16-mile paved pathway that runs alongside the Rio Grande and its bosque, a type of forest habitat found along riparian flood plains. In the fall, the cottonwood canopy here transforms into a gleaming tunnel of golden leaves, which you can explore on foot or on a bike from Routes Bicycle Tours & Rentals. Another unexpected way to take in the cottonwoods is at Tingley Beach, a series of human-made fishing ponds within ABQ BioPark that are stocked with rainbow trout; there's a pond for fly-fishing, one for conventional fishing, and another for children 12 and under, all of which are backed by golden cottonwoods. And as a bonus, the surrounding area attracts a full roster of migratory species, including warblers, flycatchers, and waterfowl. For more dramatic views, head to the northeast corner of the city and make a special visit to Sandia Peak, which is accessible via an aerial tramway up to the 10,378-foot Sandia Peak. The longest such tramway in the Americas, it takes 15 minutes to climb 2.7 diagonal miles. From the observation deck at the top, you can reportedly take in 11,000 square miles of panoramic views—an area bigger than the state of Massachusetts. As you ascend, the lower-altitude vegetation of piñon pine, juniper, ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir gives way to expansive groves of golden-yellow quaking aspen. Note that, because of the higher elevation, these leaves change color from late September to mid-October—about a month earlier than the ones down in the city. Farther afield, Fourth of July Canyon sits about 90 minutes southeast of the city in the Manzano Mountains. Unlike the aspen groves that proliferate in these parts, this canyon is home to the state's largest stand of bigtooth maples, producing a colorful foliage patchwork of red, orange, gold, and yellow that looks more similar to East Coast hardwood forests than other woodlands in the American Southwest. The best way to get up close and personal with the trees is a hike on either the shorter Crimson Maple Trail or the more substantial Fourth of July Trail.