This guide to New Mexico's mountains provides information such as location, elevation and relief, ecosystems, archaeology, Native American presence, mining history, ghost towns, recreation, geology, ecology, and plants and animals.

This unusual book is a complete account of the closely linked natural and human history of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, a region unique in its rich combination of ecological and cultural diversity.

Visually attractive with full color throughout, including dozens of large, vivid photographs, the book is intuitively designed to allow many different points of access, and appeal to a broad range of readers.

This portrait of Sandia, the mountain backdrop that dwarfs Albuquerque's sprawl, offers a sense of place through the eyes of a photographer and the words of a writer. Fascinated by Sandia, by the light of its dawns and sunsets, by its seasons, by the power of its altitude, photographer David Muench shows us a brilliant autumn, the sparkle of snow, an April explosion of cactus blooms, a summer summit garden of wildflowers, the marvel of the mountain's rock forms.

This unique reference work describes over 350 wildflowers and flowering shrubs that grow in New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia, and Manzano Mountains, as well as neighboring ranges, including the Manzanita, San Pedro, Ortiz, and other lower-elevation mountains in central portions of the state. With more than a thousand color photographs accompanied by visual descriptions, the easy-to-use guide organizes plants first by flower color, then alphabetically by family common name, then by scientific name. The authors also include information on traditional uses of the plants by indigenous peoples and an extensive glossary and bibliography. A brief geological history and description of the ranges examines the different life zones and ecosystems and how these relate to elevation and microclimates. Wildflower enthusiasts and hikers will welcome this useful book.

A celebration--in words and pictures--of one of the most beautiful areas of the United States: the Taos Valley of northern New Mexico.