| Sandia–Manzano Mountains | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Sandia Mountains within New Mexico | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Sandia Crest |
| Elevation | 10,678 ft (3,255 m) |
| Prominence | 4,201 ft (1,280 m) (crest) |
| Coordinates | 35°12′32″N106°26′49″W / 35.20889°N 106.44694°W /35.20889; -106.44694 |
| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Parent range | Fault block of theAlbuquerque Basin |
| Borders on | Albuquerque, NM |
TheSandia–Manzano Mountains are a substantialmountain area that defines the eastern edge of the middleRio Grande Valley of centralNew Mexico. Theirelevation changes provide recreational opportunities including winterskiing and summerhiking orpicnicing, as compared to thedesertgrasslands,foothills, andRio Grande Valley below. The entire mountain chain comprises three parts, arranged north to south: theSandia Mountains, the Manzanita Mountains, and theManzano Mountains.[1] The Manzanita Mountains are a series of low-lying foothills that separate the Sandias from the Manzanos.
The Sandia–Manzano Mountains are often considered to be the easternmost major range in theBasin and Range Province.[2] A substantial distance gap of much lower elevation grasslands andsavanna exists between theSangre de Cristo Mountains and the Sandia Mountains, and climate conditions shift between both ranges.
This distinction is further made byplant,animal, andinsect species that are common in both the Sandia–Manzano Mountains and in other mountainous areas to the south, but diminish quickly in the mountains to the north. These includeQuercus turbinella,Opuntia engelmannii,Aloysia wrightii, and thewestern diamondback rattlesnake. However, at higher elevations in the Sandia–Manzano Mountains, a strong climatically driven Rocky Mountain biotic element exists.