Ladron Peak, Mountain summit in Sierra Ladrones, New Mexico, United States.

Ladrón Peak is the only major summit of the Sierra Ladrones, a compact massif between the Rio Puerco to the east and the Rio Salado to the southwest, about 50 miles southwest of Albuquerque. Its core is Precambrian granite, an igneous intrusion rather than a volcano despite its conical shape and nearby lava flows. The summit rises almost 4,500 feet above the Rio Grande Valley, 10 miles to the east, and supports coniferous forest on its upper slopes.

The name comes from Spanish, referring to the mountain's past as a hiding place for Apache warriors and cattle thieves during the 1800s. This history shaped the peak's reputation in the region for many years.

The name Ladrón means "thief" in Spanish, and Sierra Ladrones means "thieves' mountains": Navajo and Apache raiding parties, later Hispanic and Anglo rustlers, used the range as a hideout. Prehistoric use of the area goes back over 10,000 years, with later occupation by Mogollon and Ancestral Puebloan peoples.

The hike begins from a trailhead near a highway exit and requires basic navigation skills and plenty of water. Visitors should prepare for changing weather conditions, especially at higher elevations.

Ladrón Peak is not a volcano despite its conical shape and nearby lava flows: its core is Precambrian granite, an igneous intrusion. The summit stands almost 4,500 feet above the Rio Grande Valley, 10 miles to the east, and the range is a sky island with coniferous forest on its upper slopes, home to mountain lion, bear, elk and reintroduced desert bighorn sheep.