Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Sandia Peak that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Sandia Peak stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Sandia Peak review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Sandia Peak
Total (2.0)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
Very nice skiing on 1/5/20. Firm packed snow mostly groomed. Ten 3 restaurant at top is perfect. It's great to have this in Albuquerque's back yard even with the old chair lifts.
James undefined
If you are an intermediate skier then you will find you can pretty much ski every run on this mountain, okay at least 95% of them. This alone would make this mountain pretty fun for you. The whole mountain tends to open up (as in it is able to) with just a couple of feet of snow. The bad part is that this snow often get melted by the morning sun then freezes up again, so often the quality of the snow suffers. Finally they REALLY need to rip out all the lifts to the top and put in a single high speed quad. It would be the single best improvement they could make. The current lifts takes 20 minutes to crawl up the mountain (it IS an 1800' vertical) and it is often a cold ride.
suckmydick
Beginner mtn
David Cuneo
I love this area, have skied it for 20 years. Very helpful & friendly staff. The best place to learn for beginner skiers and snowboarders, 20 years ago it had moguls, now that its mostly a beginner snowboarder mountain, it needs to glade (thin for tree skiing) some areas for moguls to form for advanced skiers. We need a bit of a challenge. Thinning the sides of La Madera and Diablo would be enough... we don't ask for much.
Mike Lopez
Update lifts please!
Has potential to be a solid place to ski for residents that don't feel like driving to Santa Fe or Taos.
Snow is hit and miss but when snow is good lifts are a problem. Slow and unreliable.
Maggie Johnson
I really like the Sandia Ski area; it's convenient for me and my family (an hour away from home) and the runs are nice and long. There are several different routes you can take off of the main runs too. However if you're looking for steep black runs this ski area may not be for you. The only gripe I have are that the lifts are old and outdated. They only have one double that takes you to the top and another double half way down the mountain, and one beginner double.
Martin Martinez
I am a new mexico native from albuquerque and heir to Spanish land grants. Drove to the tram and it was closed but staff said lifts were running drove another hour to the back of the mountain and they were only running the beginner lift because of high winds and rain. It was actually snowing with no winds. Winds at the top reported at 4mph. I try to keep my money in NM but going through this for years I completely understand my friends that choose to go to Colorado to ski and board. This is completely unacceptable. A huge waste of time and money. Go to Colorado where they have their act together. I no longer can support incompetent and unprepared economy, government and culture.
Julia Camp
I grew up 15 minutes from this ski area so I'm a bit partial as I learned here and spent 20 years riding these slopes. I love the view from the top of this mountain and really enjoy the super long runs. They are perfect for my level of snowboarding and skiing so I don't get bored at all. I could see however if you are looking for extreme expert this place might not challenge you enough. That said it's still a very nice area. If it would actually snow more (not the ski areas fault) I'm sure they could afford to upgrade their equipment. Until now I'll patiently wait for hopefully the weather to turn around get a big powder dump at my home base!
Rulon Bravo
Sandia Peak is a time warp to another era in the west when skiing was affordable, lodges were relatively simple, and the clientele base was mostly locals. The lifts are old, but the crew strives mightily to keep them creaking along. I've skied it for 10 years now, and when there's a big dump of fresh snow, the place is magical. The staff are top flight, most of them really care about the experience and do their best for customers. It's not perfect, and those used to a posh ski experience will most likely turn their noses up at this place. That's fine; go elsewhere and leave Sandia to those who understand and appreciate it.
David Milford
Like most ski areas in NM, this is a great little ski area when they have snow. Powder dumps can be up to 8-10 inches in 48 hours, and they do have a few runs that do not get groomed and will be pure powder, such as La Madera, Foster Murphy, and Double Eagle. Yes I get what others have said about the lifts being old and slow, I agree. They really need to put in a high-speed quad since one lift takes you up the whole mountain. But to be able to ski fresh powder among beautiful pines with views of the desert in the distance 30 miles out or more, only 35 minute drive from my house is worth it every time. The snow is not real deep, so I can't recommend skiing the trees here, and you may run into bare or icy spots, but come on a powder day and you will really enjoy it. The advanced runs are quite short, so steep mogul fans will be left wanting.
Rate this Resort
Share your experience at resort Sandia Peak to help other skiers.
