Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Nice mixture of botanical landscapes depicted in the Botanic Gardens. An Amazingly old, established wisteria archway /canopy hidden away shades you on a hot summer day. An atrium offering desert scapes, and Mediterranean to temperate rainforest recreations. The Aquarium is small yet well planned and kept. The Atlantic reef system tank was Amazing and unique to the Rio Grande /Gulf ecosystems; offering something quite equal in caliber to the Monterrey, Steinbeck in SF, British Columbia and Chattanooga aquariums. Definitely give a visit.

This is a very nice park and it's accessible with lots of parking. There's a very nice trail to the river and plenty of tree cover for both shade and leaf peeping.  There is pond that you can see some ducks and geese and some other bird's. Its a reasonable cost of $3 a day and has plenty of trails for families and people of a certain age. The visitors center has knowledge volunteers where you can get a wide range of information. Its well worth a few hours visit the next time you're in Albuquerque.

A fun (less-than-two-hours-long) outdoor experience when visiting Albuquerque. For three American Dollars you can park and hike the Nature Center's various short trails. Ultimately you'll make you're way through the thick bosque to peek at the Rio Grande River. Don't be surprised that this mighty river is upstaged by the short trails and the very cool visitor center. I think the entire experience at this park will make it worth your time. We were here around sunset and enjoyed the hearing the calls of the water fowl. There was lots of animal activity going at this time including a massive bird swam ( Starlings?) dancing around the orange sky. - Family-Friendly- Be sure to spend some time sitting in the Visitor Center's observation deck.. They have a clear Plexiglas wall where you can observer ducks right in front of you.

This is a great spot for a little easy hike! You can walk around the nature center or walk through it and go down to the river! Inside the nature center you might spot a roadrunner, ducks or even some turtles! The information center is also a spot to see and get more information on Albuquerque nature, but currently it is closed due to COVID. It's a nice relaxing place to stroll around and see nature.

We had a lovely visit today with some of the amazing rescue birds and their caretakers. This is the second time I've taken my son to visit some of the rescued birds. Today they had four birds out to help educate the public. They have a beautiful red tailed hawk which has been shot twice in the wing and isn't able to be rehabilitated so he or she is now deemed an education bird. We also saw a barn owl and a screech owl. All of their education birds are not able to be rehabilitated. They will be having an open house in November where they will have face painting and activities for children. Don't forget to donate some funding when you come to visit. Every dollar counts. We can't wait to go back in November! Cheers!

Accesible from the 36 or 37 bus this is a gem of a state park. Walk along the river, watch butterflies twirl about, and enjoy the shade of the trees. Keep an eye out for bikers; share the path. It also has a wonderful Visitors center with a bathroom.

What a great little getaway! Nice little parking area leads to wildlife areas and serene nature trail. Nice wide walking paths with seating areas and easy bike paths that lead to the Rio Grande River. Visitor center is definitely worth a look and is unusual architecture. Great place to photograph wildlife.

Been taking our kids here for the last decade or so. Nice park to explore on our way to the hiking trails along the Rio Grande with a small informative visitor center. Only $3 to park for the entire day and worth it for the easy access to the surrounding area.

Beautiful well maintained trails along the river and lots of marked plants and garden decor throughout the premise. Benches along the pathways as well as a small nature center with kids activity room (my 3 yr old was almost completely happy with just playing in there) and bathrooms. Surrounded by lots of trees (yes, trees! In NM) and serenaded by various birds is not a ad way to spend the day out. The pond has a bunch of ducks and turtles you can see through the glass terrace area in the nature center. I saw a bunch of bicyclists so it must be a popular biking trail too. For $3 per car, this is a great spot to bring your family or get lost in the trails soul searching.

"I learned about scat today, daddy!"That's what my kid said after she toured the Rio Grande Nature Center. She learned about poop. Coyote poop, rabbit poop, owl poop (which is furry, BTW), the whole poop and shebang. She also learned to identify the tracks of the animals that graciously pooped on the grounds. She saw lizards, turtles, frogs, birds, one snake and native flowers and plants. Not bad for a morning stroll.When the bomb is headed for Burque, I'm headed to this silo. A photo on this biz page captures the ominous cement and metallic tunnel that invites the wanderer within. I'm not sure why this place was constructed to resemble a bunker, but hey, it works. Inside you'll find an outdated, poorly financed but carefully notated living diorama of the Bosque, a term specific to our Cottonwood groves by the river. There's a small gift shop, an under-funded activity room, and quite possibly the best sitting room in the city, overlooking the man-made marsh to the north. Do yourself a big favor: shut off your electronic distractions, pull out a blank sheet of paper and journal as you watch the landscape come alive. During the last visit we saw a swan nest, a billion happy hummingbirds and turtles of all political persuasions equally sharing space on a raft of tree branches. Sanity replenished.If you visit on foot or via the bike path, it's free. You'll pay the under-funded park and recreation department a smidge to park your car. If you're looking for children's summer activities, this place offers the most educational, worldly-centered and dirt cheap courses in the 505. The grounds offer hiking, picnicking, a small outdoor amphitheater and in winter, often good sandhill crane viewing. And you can't beat the scenery. Nor the scat.