Boca Negra Canyon is located at the westernmost extremity of Albuquerque, and you'll note below how the suburbs are relentlessly pushing their way outwards around the canyon. One hopes that all of this currently explosive population growth in Albuquerque will not end up ruining the city.

The above photo depicts what is called Mesa Point. There is a trail running up this point, and alongside this trail is a series of about 200 petroglyphs. The sign in the second photo is about halfway up the trail, and it indicates that one is at the exact elevation of a mile, 5,280 feet high. The City of Albuquerque down below is at an average elevation of 4,950 feet. In the left background you can see a part of the Sandia Mountain, which rises to 10,378 feet. More about Sandia Mountain will follow in subsequent pages.

The third photo is a different view to the right from the mile-high elevation sign.

The following two photos were taken from atop Mesa Point. In the upper center of the next photo is the ranger station at the entrance to Black Mouth Canyon, so-named because the rim or mouth of the canyon is littered with large black volcanic rocks. From the ranger station, the road curves around to the parking lot and picnic area at the base of the Mesa Point Trail.

The subsequent photo is a view to the right of the other, showing how this same road curves on around to a second parking lot and a building with restrooms and water fountains. Two short trails go out from that area, the Macaw Trail and the Cliff Base Trail. There were only few petroglyphs along those trails, mainly of parrot-like macaw birds.