Sandia Mountain Wilderness is a protected mountain area in central New Mexico east of Albuquerque, covering much of the Sandia Mountains within Cibola National Forest. Added to the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1978, it encompasses 37,877 acres and remains one of New Mexico’s most accessible and heavily used backcountry areas because it rises beside the state’s largest city. Its compact but prominent range forms Albuquerque’s eastern wall, with granite mountains, a limestone crest, extensive trails, and access by aerial tramway or scenic byway. Boundary changes in the early 1980s established its present form, while varied elevations support diverse forests, mammals, and birds.