Drive up NM-536 from Sandia Park this October and the trip ends just past mile marker 11. The 10K lot on the south side of the highway is now a turnaround. Under the Forest Service closure order, nobody can park there, and every vehicle heading up has to turn back. Above it, the Ellis Trailhead, the Crest parking lots and the summit recreation site are all inside the closed area.
For as long as the road has led to the summit, the miles below it mostly served as the way up. This season and next, those lower miles are all that's open on the east side. The Forest Service, Sandia Peak Ski Area and the attractions along the road are now making their plans around that.
What Sits Behind the Turnaround
The Cibola National Forest is running two projects on the Crest at once. The first is the Sandia Crest "Switchback" Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project, which thins 140 acres around the Crest and NM-536. The second is the Sandia Crest Recreation Area Renovation. The closure order, number 03-03-05-26-02, runs from April 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027, unless it's rescinded. The Forest Service's own project update says the work will affect public access to the Crest area through fall 2027. The January date is when the order ends. It isn't a date for reopening the summit.
The thinning has moved quickly. As of July 29, contract crews had finished mechanical thinning on about 110 of the 140 acres, and the Forest Service said the work would continue into the fall, along with trail repairs. The agency gives a specific reason for the project. The Sandia Crest Communication Site carries emergency-response equipment and cell coverage for the greater Albuquerque area, and the dead trees around it are a wildfire risk to that equipment.
The second project has removed the most familiar building on the summit. The Sandia Crest House hasn't been open to the public since October 2021. Its last permit expired that December, and the building became federal property in 2024. The NEPA decision approving its demolition was signed on December 15, 2025, and demolition and site preparation began in August 2026. In its place, the Sandia Ranger District wants to build observation areas, shade structures, seating, landscaping, interpretive signs and trail connections. The larger renovation is planned for summer 2027.
The order also closes trail segments that East Mountain hikers and skiers use, not just the summit. The closed list includes:
- Klaus, from the Challenge Trail to the King of the Mountain ski area trail
- Sandia XC Ski Loop, the whole loop from its junction with Klaus
- Challenge, from the Ellis Trailhead to the 10K intersection
- Ellis, Switchback, Survey and Buried Cable within the project area
- Kiwanis Meadow Trail, Kiwanis Cabin Trail and Kiwanis Meadow Road
- North Crest and South Crest from the Crest parking lot, plus the Crest Spur from La Luz
On the west face, La Luz is still open up to the Sandia Peak Tramway, and the Tramway and Ten-3 are operating normally. The Kiwanis Cabin itself isn't affected, though the trails that reach it are.
The Picnic Sites Below Mile 11
The Forest Service suggests alternatives to the Crest, and the east-side list is short. Every site on it sits along the same road, at or below the 10K turnaround. Here is the status each Cibola National Forest page lists:
| Site | Day-use fee | Listed season | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree Spring Trail | $5 per vehicle | Open, no fixed closure date | Trailhead marked open |
| 10K Trail | $5 per vehicle | Year-round | Hiking, biking, horseback, cross-country ski, snowshoe |
| Capulin Spring | $5 per vehicle | Year-round unless winter weather intervenes | Group pavilion $90 per day |
| Balsam Glade | $5 per vehicle | Year-round unless winter weather intervenes | Group shelter $65 per day |
| Nine Mile | $5 per vehicle | Year-round unless winter weather intervenes | Day use |
| Doc Long | $5 per vehicle | Year-round unless winter weather intervenes | Group shelters $75 per day |
| Sulphur Canyon | $5 per vehicle | Open, no fixed closure date | Day use |
| Cienega Canyon | $5 per vehicle | Weather permitting | Interpretive trail |
The district overview page still lists a $3 daily fee, but each site's own page says $5, and the pay station has the final word. Group shelter reservations at Capulin Spring, Balsam Glade and Doc Long run May 15 through October 15, so that window closes this Thursday. The 10K Trail page lists the trail as open, but the closure order makes the south-side 10K lot a turnaround only.
Before summer began, KOB reported that the east-side picnic areas would stay open but "may be crowded" because of the closure. The Forest Service gave the same warning about congestion from displaced Crest visitors. Both were forecasts. No one has published visitor counts that show how crowded the sites actually got.
The Ski Area Started on Year-Round Use Before the Closure
Halfway up the same road, Sandia Peak Ski Area had already begun working toward year-round use. On October 8, KRQE reported that the resort wants to open its terrain to hikers, horseback riders and cyclists in every season, and that volunteers had cleared more than twenty miles of trail in recent months. General Manager Gary Forrest explained the reasoning to the station:
"This mountain is for everybody. We're 100% on Forest Service land. It's called the land of many uses. It's here seven days a week."
The trail work has names attached. The ski area's announcement for its first Trailfest on October 3 credited volunteers with clearing King of the Mountain and Golden Eagle, two older mountain-bike trails, along with connecting trails inside the ski area boundary. The plans for buildings are less settled. KRQE reported the resort is fixing up existing buildings and considering a year-round café and a wedding venue, and that a museum on its history as New Mexico's oldest ski area is being built now. Leaders described all of it as a five-year plan. Guest Services Manager Kimberlee Kavasch tied the plan to "shorter winters and unpredictable winters."
The timing matters for Sandia Park. While the summit is closed, the ski area's cleared trails are among the few higher-elevation trail networks still reachable by car on this side of the range.
Winter is on its own schedule. Ski New Mexico lists Sandia Peak's 2026–27 season as starting December 19, with a possible earlier opening if conditions allow. The 2026/27 pass page says passes are now RFID cards that you pick up on your first visit instead of getting them in the mail. For skinning uphill during the season, the resort designates the Cibola and Double Eagle routes and directs people to west-end parking, with lot gates open only during operating hours.
Tinkertown and Paa-Ko Aren't Affected
The Turquoise Trail Association confirms that NM-536 stays open to Tinkertown and the ski area up to the 10K turnaround. Tinkertown Museum, at 121 Sandia Crest Road, says the closure doesn't affect it. Today is the last day of its daily Balloon Fiesta schedule, and starting tomorrow it goes back to Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum opened for the season on April 3 and hasn't posted the last day it will be open this year.
Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club runs on a shorter calendar. October 18 is the last day of its 2026 season.
Winter Changes Which Closed Trails Matter
In summer, the closure mostly cut off views and picnic spots. In winter it reaches the snow trails. The 10K Trail lists cross-country skiing and snowshoeing among its uses, but the Sandia XC Ski Loop and the Klaus segment up to King of the Mountain are both inside the closed area until at least January 15. Ordinary winter closures still apply on top of the project closure. The Forest Service's Crest Highway page warns that weather can close the road and points drivers to New Mexico Roads for current conditions. The Sandia Ranger District in Tijeras answers questions about the closure at (505) 281-3304.
Dates on the Calendar Between Now and the Order's End
- October 13: Tinkertown goes back to its Friday-through-Monday hours.
- October 15: Group shelter reservations close at Capulin Spring, Balsam Glade and Doc Long.
- October 18: Last day of Paa-Ko Ridge's 2026 season.
- October 24: The East Mountain Historical Society presents "Tijeras Canyon: 5 Miles of Road & Hundreds of Stories," a Route 66 Centennial talk at the East Mountain Public Library, 487 NM-333 in Tijeras, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- November 7: The Society's annual member meeting, with a presentation on the status of the Stone House.
- November 28: The final Centennial talk, "The KiMo Theatre: Fact and Folklore," at 11 a.m. at the library.
- December 5: The Turquoise Trail Association lists the Madrid Christmas Parade for 4 p.m. along NM-14. The listing's dates aren't consistent, so confirm before you drive.
- December 19: Sandia Peak Ski Area's listed opening day, or earlier if snow allows.
- January 15, 2027: The current closure order is set to expire. The Crest renovation is still scheduled for summer 2027.
If you own property along the Crest Highway corridor, trail access is now part of what buyers ask about. At The LUX Real Estate Group, we follow these projects closely so we can price East Mountain homes with what's open and what's still closed in mind. Request your free home valuation and we'll show you how your property compares this season.
