"Cedar Crest, New Mexico" a Cedar Crest Travel Page by MarkJochim

Cedar Crest is the largest of the so-called East Mountain communities, lying on the eastern slopes of the Sandia Mountains - a fifteen-minute drive from Albuquerque. There are several good places to eat on either side of the town's "main drag" - NM Highway 14 (also known as "The Turquoise Trail") - including a fabulous ice cream shop.

Places to stay include several bed-and-breakfasts, a youth hostel, and a private campground that includes several cabins and its own on-site archaeological museum. Note that the adjacent Cibola National Forest is a day-use only area and camping is prohibited in the Sandias (the only other campgrounds near Albuquerque are several Forest Service-run facilities and a State Park in the Manzano Mountains to the south).

When I first moved to Albuquerque almost nine years ago, I fell in love with the Cedar Crest area. It's known as the "green side" of the mountain and Albuquerque as the "brown side". There can be huge weather differences between the two communities.

I even maintain a post office box in Cedar Crest with the plan of one day becoming an East Mountain resident. One of the few reasons keeping me from such a move is the uncertainty of trying to make the commute through often treacherous winter weather in Tijeras Canyon. But someday....