The Mano Trail traverses a section of the South Sandias that is much less frequently used, but not devoid of fellow hikers. It oftentimes has steep ascents and descents as it ventures into the foothills. It begins by following the same trail section utilized by the Embudo Trail, then branches southward.

The trail proceeds slightly uphill following the power lines. All along the way, there are great views of the Albuquerque Valley and points north and south. After scaling a steep section, the trail levels out and affords a serene, scenic view in a 'backwater' area of the foothills, nestled alongside the mountain. Later, before heading west, one option is to continue southeast up to a 'saddle' between the foothills where the views can be extended eastward, and parts of I-40 can be seen though the pass. Continuing on this path (check the 'Saddle' checkbox in the 'Tracks' box located in the upper right corner of the interactive map), would lead to the 'other side' of the Eye of the Sandia (see Eye of the Sandia Hike). All in all, though sometimes a bit of a workout, the hike is a worthwhile scenic venture into the southern portions of the Sandias. For a nice alternate trail, see the Embudo-UMound Trail listed in the GPS Data section.