Pinyon
Total Miles
2.4
Elevation
2,202.09 ft
Duration
0.5 Hours
Technical Rating
Best Time
Spring, Fall, Winter
Trail Overview
Pinyon is one of the easier trails in the Manzanita Mountain Trail System near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is mostly a fast and flowy dirt trail, with sections of banked corners and easy light curves. It has two rockier climbs/descents that are a bit steeper with loose rock and very small ledges, but there is a clear easy line through it. The Pinyon trail parallels Gear Grinder, which is much more difficult, so it's a good alternative choice to Gear Grinder if not wanting the extra challenge. Gear Grinder and Pinyon meet up at the same place on the north end, so it would be easy for a group to split up based on difficulty level here if need be. It also goes through a 4-way intersection with Bear Scat, but both trails are well marked and the trail is easy to follow.
Photos of Pinyon
Difficulty
This is an easy trail with light curves, banked corners, and only a couple rockier climbs that are both easy.