Parks and the outdoors in Albuquerque

206 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Albuquerque.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 206.

Photo: PerryPlanet at English Wikipedia, Public domain

SeeMuseum
Albuquerque Museum of Art and History
Guided walking tours of Old Town start here. An excellent example of a city-specific museum, with a large permanent collection of Southwestern art, changing art exhibitions, artifacts from the history of colonial New Mexico and Albuquerque through the years (with some pretty neat items, like conquistador armor and antique cars), and an outdoor sculpture garden. The Albuquerque Museum also operates tours of the historic home of Casa San Ysidro in the nearby village of Corrales, which offers a glimpse into Spanish colonial life in the valley.
Tue–Sun 9AM–5PM except major holidays$4, $2 seniors, $3 teens, $1 children, under age 4 free (admission free first Wednesday of the month and every Sunday 9AM–1PM)
See
ABQ BioPark Aquarium
Albuquerque's small but pleasant aquarium is well-curated, with exhibits designed to simulate the Rio Grande and the saltwater marshes of the Gulf of Mexico before moving on to ocean species. Among the sea creatures on display are jellyfish, seahorses, eels, and plenty of colorful reef fish, with the highlight being a huge tank at the end with sharks, sea turtles, and rays. Divers enter the big tank every day from 2–3PM to feed the fish.
9AM–5PM daily, except major holidays$12.50, $5.50 seniors, $4 children, under age 3 free (includes admission to Botanic Garden; train rides require separate admission, unless you have a combo ticket)
See
ABQ BioPark Zoo
It may not be as big as your average big city zoo, but this zoo is surprisingly comprehensive for its size, with most of the popular species you can expect to find at any good zoo: polar bears, lions, zebras, tigers, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, etc. And like any good zoo, the animals are in nice, naturalistic exhibits. The highlight exhibit areas are the seals, the polar bears, a large Africa area, and a large elephant enclosure. Every day there are scheduled feedings of the seals and the polar bears; during the warmer months more feeding times, activities, and outdoor concerts are scheduled. A small narrow-gauge train runs through the zoo (Tu–Su 10AM–3:30PM at 20-min intervals), with a conductor pointing out some of the animals and explaining what goes on behind-the-scenes. A separate train line runs to the Aquarium/Botanic Garden.
9AM–5PM daily, except major holidays$12.50, $5.50 seniors, $4 children, under age 3 free (train rides require separate admission, unless you have a combo ticket) · Entry 20 USD;
Do
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, play baseball in a beautiful stadium. Seats in the park are both good and cheap—$16 can get you a seat behind home plate. All the concessions and restrooms are along a big concourse behind the seats which is open to the field, so you don't miss any of the action. For $9 a ticket, you can bring a picnic blanket and find a spot in the grassy "Berm" behind right field that's perfect for kids—they can enjoy the grass and play on the playground on top of the Berm. Beware of foul balls—the park is a notorious "launching pad" for hitters that drives pitchers nuts. The park also hosts the new men's soccer team New Mexico United (below).
Season runs from April–September$9–36
Do
Petroglyph National Monument
On the west side of town, Petroglyph is a unit of the United States National Park System and preserves a significant archaeological site with an impressive number of petroglyphs. Despite their proximity to an urban center, the petroglyphs are in good condition with very little vandalism or theft. The monument has a visitor center with some interpretive exhibits and a few short trails that lead past numerous petroglyphs. Also within the monument are a series of volcanic cinder cones overlooking the city, accessible by hiking trails from Atrisco Vista Blvd along the backside of the monument.
Daily 8AM–5PMFree, parking at Boca Negra Canyon trailhead $1 weekdays/$2 weekends
DoTheme park
Cliff's Amusement Park
This is just about the only amusement park in New Mexico. Fairly small, but with a good number of rides. Thrill rides (including two roller coasters), family rides, kiddy rides, and a water play area.
Open Tue–Sun May–August, plus weekends in April and September; hours vary, may be closed for weatherDay pass (includes general admission and all rides) is $28, children/seniors $25 (parking is free)
SeeGarden
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
Next door to the Aquarium, this expansive botanical garden is one of Albuquerque's real gems. The place is an oasis with a variety of gardens to explore, with an emphasis on high desert plants but also with many highlight exhibits that are great for children: an indoor conservatory with lush Mediterranean plants, an insectarium with plenty of creepy-crawlies, an indoor butterfly pavilion that's open in the summer, a large Japanese garden with a koi pond and a waterfall, a recreation of an early 20th-century farm with a barnyard petting zoo, a model railroad, and a fantastic children's "Fantasy Garden" made to look as if you've shrunk down to a bug's size, with giant pretend vegetables, garden tools and bugs.
9AM–5PM daily, except major holidays$12.50, $5.50 seniors, $4 children, under age 3 free (includes admission to Aquarium; train rides require separate admission, unless you have a combo ticket)
Do
New Mexico United
Pro soccer has arrived! United began play in the second tier of US men's soccer, the USL Championship, in 2019, with home games at Isotopes Park.
Walk-up prices $16–42
DoPark
Rio Grande Nature Center
The bosque provides a tranquil setting for this small but delightful nature center, with its wildlife pond and exhibits on the native wildlife. Nature lovers will particularly enjoy the enclosed views of the pond behind the visitor center. Two short trails head into the bosque from the visitor center.
10AM–5PM dailyFree, parking $3
See
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
The Nature Center
Visitors can walk the paths through cottonwood forest and next to managed ponds and wetlands, or avoid the elements at the Visitor Center. Beautiful tile installments throughout the park educate visitors on local ecology and conservation efforts. Birdwatchers find this site an especially rewarding urban location.
Park 8AM-5PM; Visitor Center 10AM–5PM; Nature Shop Mon–Fri 11AM–3PM, Sat Sun 10AM–4PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day$5.00 per vehicle
SeeAttraction
Albuquerque Biological Park
Includes the city's aquarium, botanical garden, zoo, and Tingley Beach (see below under Do). Combo tickets for the Biological Park can be purchased and include the price of train rides on a small narrow-gauge train running between the Aquarium/Botanic Garden and the Zoo. The train runs Tu–Su from around 10AM–4PM at 30-min intervals.
Limited wheelchair access
DrinkPub
La Cumbre
A microbrewery opened by a former brewer from Chama River Brewing Co.
Daily noon-closing timeBrews its own beer
DoPark
Rio Grande Valley State Park
A very pleasant state park running along the banks of the Rio Grande through Albuquerque. The park encompasses almost the entirety of the bosque (cottonwood forest) in the city, which is home to much wildlife, such as geese, roadrunners, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, and numerous other species. Numerous trails criss-cross the park, most notably the Paseo del Bosque paved bike/walk trail which runs the length of the park and offers a scenic walk or bike ride. The park's trails are also utilized by an active equestrian community in the area. There are also several picnic areas and wetland areas, with the two most prominent listed below.
Free
DoZoo
Tingley Beach
A facility of the Albuquerque Biological Park, this park along the Rio Grande has fishing ponds for adults and children, a model boating pond, a cafe, and a gift shop where you can buy fishing licenses, fishing gear, or rent a pedal boat for a ride on the central pond. Trails lead into the bosque to the edge of the river and to a pair of restored wetland ponds. A narrow-gauge train links Tingley Beach to the Albuquerque Aquarium/Botanical Gardens and the Rio Grande Zoo (listed above under See).
Daily, sunrise to sunsetFree (separate fee required for train rides)
Eat
Bob's Burgers
A home-grown chain of burger stands with a New Mexican flair. The ones west of the river are owned by Bob, the ones east of the river by his son-in-law Clifford. Bob makes some of the hottest green chile sauce in the state; Clifford flat out tries to kill you. A "chile-head"'s paradise. Try a long chile-cheese dog with green sauce instead of traditional red.
10:30AM–9PM daily
Do
Rainbow Ryders
The only one which operates directly from Balloon Fiesta Park during the Balloon Fiesta.
DoPark
Tingley Field
Tingley Field (originally named Rio Grande Park) was a baseball stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which served as the home of professional baseball in Albuquerque from 1932 to 1968. It could accommodate 5000 fans, with seating for 3000. The stadium was located on the northeast corner of 10th Street and Atlantic Avenue, across the street from the Rio Grande Zoo.
sunrise-sunset
DoPark
Roosevelt Park
Roosevelt Park is a historic park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and the National Register of Historic Places, and is a protected Albuquerque Historic Landmark. The park was built between 1933 and 1935 by manual laborers employed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, turning a sandy arroyo filled with garbage into a rolling, grassy landscape planted with over 2,000 trees and bushes.
DoPark
Valle del Bosque Park
A Bernalillo County park with a playground, zipline, baseball diamonds, and access to the Rio Grande Bosque.
DoPark
Ross Park
4801 Crest Ave SE
Open now · closes 10 pm
DoPark
Graves Park
820 Cutler Avenue Northwest
DoPark
Grecian Park
Camino Floretta NW
DoPark
Highland Park
825 Silver Avenue Southeast
DoPark
Hyder Park
700 Pershing Ave SE
DoPark
Tiguex Park
1800 Mountain Road Northwest
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Forest Park
210 16th Street Southwest
DoPark
Ridgecrest Park
820 Ridgecrest Drive Southeast
DoPark
Rio Grande Park
Alcalde Place Southwest
DoPark
Burton Park
901 Carlisle Blvd SE
DoPark
Cardwell Park
3714 Comanche Rd NE
DoPark
Fred Calkins Park
1318 Edith Blvd SE
DoPark
Grisham Park
3119 Tiley Dr NE
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Los Duranes Park
2920 Leopoldo Rd NW
DoPark
Mariposa Basin Park
6701 Taylor Ranch Rd NW
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Robinson Park
810 Copper Avenue Northwest
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Summit Park
3000 Constitution Ave NE
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Bataan Park
748 Tulane Dr NE
DoPark
Garfield Park
907 Matthew Ave
DoPark
Matthew Meadows Park
3300 Mateo Prado Northwest
DoPark
McDuffie Park
3708 Mackland Ave NE

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Albuquerque (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps. Some descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).