Parks & Recreation - Parks And Recreation
Studies by the Trust for Public Land have ranked Albuquerque high for its land area dedicated to parks and preserves. Albuquerque’s Open Space program protects and manages over 28,000 acres of lands in and around the city, and many of these areas of natural and cultural significance are open to the public. Open Space areas include the Rio Grande Valley State Park, the Sandia Foothills Open Space, Elena Gallegos Picnic Area and Albert G. Simms Park, Petroglyph National Monument, West Mesa Open Space, East Mountain Open Space, and Open Space Farmlands. Highlights for visitors in the Open Space areas are detailed in this chapter, and the Open Space Visitor Center is well worth a stop, as it tells you more about the areas included in the program and is a lovely destination in itself, with trails, wildlife watching, and gardens. There are plenty of recreation opportunities on the Open Space areas, which cover a diversity of environments, from the volcanic escarpment to the cottonwood bosque to the lower elevations of the Sandia Mountains. Trails within the lands vary from the easiest stroll to the highly challenging trek. One easy (if long!) trail in the heart of the city is the 16-mile Paseo del Bosque trail, which you can join at several places or just access by a short stroll from the Rio Grande Nature Center. Hiking, bicycling, mountain biking, horse riding, and in-line skating are permitted in most Open Space areas but not all, so look out for signs. High-impact recreation, such as playing Frisbee or softball, are not allowed on Open Space lands. Open Space area information and trail maps are available by calling the City of Albuquerque Open Space Division at (505) 452-5200 or from the Web site www.cabq.gov/openspace, or you can call the Open Space Visitor Center for information at (505) 897-8831.
Other recreation opportunities in Albuquerque range from its world-famous ballooning to ice skating and skiing. The temperate climate and stunning geography ensure the city’s popularity for all kinds of outdoor adventures, but there is also a good range of indoor leisure activities, including bowling and karting. Even if you’re not an angler, it’s worth checking out the fishing section, as these attractive waterside areas offer a cool escape from summer in the city, either for family picnics or for artists seeking to paint en plein air!
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 6500 Coors Boulevard NW
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 2901 Candelaria Road NW
6. RIO GRANDE VALLEY STATE PARK
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (505) 897-8831
Description: Stretching over 4,300 acres from Sandia Pueblo to Isleta Pueblo, and part of the Open Space lands, this park contains several areas of interest along the Rio Grande and bosque. The bosque is a riverside forest of towering cottonwoods, and you’ll also see coyote willow and New Mexico olive. Wildlife in park areas includes many species of birds and waterfowl, turtles, beaver, coyote, raccoons, lizards, and snakes. The park’s daily operating hours are April to October from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m; November to March from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
7. Alameda / Rio Grande Open Space
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: The constructed Alameda Wetland reproduces natural wetlands that once occurred on the Rio Grande’s floodplains. The Paseo del Bosque trail passes through here, and the area features cottonwoods and wildlife, including ducks and geese. Two picnic areas under the trees are on the northeast corner of the Alameda Boulevard bridge. Parking and access are on the southeast side of the Alameda bridge.
8. Pueblo Montano Picnic Area and Trailhead
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: The picnic area is ADA-accessible in this Open Space recreational area. Note the wood carvings by artist and firefighter Joseph Mark Chavez. After bosque forest fires in 2003 caused severe damage, Chavez carved animals, birds, and figures of people into the remaining cottonwood tree stumps. You can also access the Paseo del Bosque trail here. Parking and access to Pueblo Montano Picnic Area and Trailhead is south of Montano Road, between Coors Boulevard and the Rio Grande.
9. Rio Bravo Riverside
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: Here there is a quarter-mile nature trail loop through the shady cottonwoods beside the river, plus three picnic areas and a fishing pier. The Paseo del Bosque trail also leads from the parking lot. On Rio Bravo Boulevard turn north on Poco Loco Street, west of 2nd Street, before the bridge over the river.
10. Rio del Norte Picnic Area
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: The trail loop here has super views of the river and wildlife such as ducks and geese as you amble beneath the cottonwoods. There are plenty of shady picnic tables en route, and the trail loop is fully accessible. This area is on the east side of the river and can be reached from the Paseo del Bosque Trail. There is limited parking near the Albuquerque Biological Park, north of Central Avenue and west of Tingley Drive.
11. MARIPOSA BASIN PARK
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 6701 Taylor Ranch Road NW
Description: Mariposa is a 47-acre park west of the Rio Grande, with a pond, playgrounds, picnic tables, soccer fields, courts for basketball and volleyball, and 12 horseshoe pits. This is a good spot for bird-watching. There are three trail loops of between half a mile and a mile, and on-site parking. The park is bordered by Taylor Ranch Road and Kachina Street NW.
12. ROOSEVELT PARK
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Description: A pretty and popular park in the Downtown area, famous for its gently rolling hills and old trees. The 11 acres offer plenty of space for letting off steam, walking in the shady grass, playing Frisbee golf, or just pausing for a picnic at one of the tables. A perimeter trail is .65 of a mile long, a mix of concrete and packed gravel. The trail is flat at the northern end, but steeper and not fully accessible at the southern. Dogs are allowed off leash here. The park is three blocks east of I-25 on Coal Avenue, between Spruce and Sycamore. Parking is near Hazeldine and Sycamore SE.
13. Tricentennial Tiguex Park
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Address: 1800 Mountain Road NW
Description: This Old Town park (pronounced TIG-oo-ay) is right beside the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, and Explora museum. There are two easy loop paths, which also intersect. Both are flat, paved, and wheelchair accessible. The outer loop is half a mile, the inner loop just under a third of a mile. You’ll find exercise stations along the paths, a children’s playground area, basketball courts, grassy areas, and picnic tables. Also note the striking Patrick Alo sculpture celebrating Albuquerque’s tricentennial. Parking is on the street or in the Old Town parking lot by the Albuquerque Museum.
14. LEISURE BOWL
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (505) 268-4371
Address: 7400 Lomas Boulevard NE
Description: You’ll find good old-school bowling here in a fun atmosphere on 32 lanes with automatic scoring. This is not the place to find laser shows, but there’s nightly karaoke in the lounge and a deli and pizzeria for when you get hungry. Open seven days.
15. LUCKY 66 BOWL
City: Albuquerque, NM
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (505) 345-2506
Description: The Lucky 66 Bowl has bowling, billiards, video games, and a pro shop, and on several evenings a week you’ll hear (and perhaps join in with) karaoke and live bands in Dewar’s Pub. The Ezra’s Place restaurant, tucked around the side of the bowling alley, overlooks the action. Open seven days.