This is my favorite place ever, In all of New Mexico -…read moreBirds Water Dog friendly And the Rio, Rio, Rio

I spent a week in New Mexico recently and I took a couple of hours to hike the Mesa View Trail…read more While the Visitor Center was closed, it was still staffed and a magenta-coiffed young woman was very helpful. The hummingbird feeders at the Visitor Center attracted numerous colorful hummingbirds. The Mesa View Trail was a moderate hike for me, but there are a couple steep inclines, including one with steps recently charred by a "controlled" burn. The views are spectacular. A recent rain had the wildflowers blooming. I highly recommend visiting Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge and hiking the Mesa View Trail.

The whole area is lovely. The plaza itself is a green oasis. A nice shady place to while away an…read moreafternoon. It is well cared for and the flowering plants are so welcome. The farmers market on Saturday is well attended and a great resource for fresh fruits and veggies. Often, there are ceramic and other crafts available. Socorrofest is held here in the fall. That is a great party! And adjacent to the plaza is the Heritage wheel and park. Lovely and informative!

It's a cute little closet full of good information nice place to take the kids to play and spend a…read morelittle bit a time. I wouldn't let the kids be there by themselves some sketchy character for in the area. But with proper adult supervision I don't really see an issue. On our furniture sketchy characters someone had pulled up and was watching my kids play I didn't appreciate that I don't even know who this person was when I started staring back at them they proceeded to drive off.

So so sad , the county obviously has forgotten , trash , beer cans , weeds, just disgusting. The…read moreriver is a sand bed .

A Current Affair…read more Otero Park is one of fourteen "riverine" parks located along the Río Grande here in Socorro County. Essentially, locations along the river trail that have a few amenities like BBQ pits and picnic tables, and not much else. Road getting here is a bit sketchy, and there's few signs that let you know you're going the right direction until you get to the end. Free parking and a nice long trail that hugs the Río.

in New Mexico i've visited the site on February twenty first and twenty second of this year , 2026…read more Established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico was created to protect, restore, and provide a vital migratory stopover for sandhill cranes, geese, and ducks. Spanning 57,331 acres (30 000 are wilderness), the area has a deep history, having been a home to the Piro people and later named for the Apache tribes that used the riverside forest. The name means "woodland of the Apache" in Spanish, acknowledging the region's historical use by Prior to the 1600s, the Piro people lived in the area, with archeological sites like Qualu indicating substantial early settlements. The area was part of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior Land), with Spanish caravans passing through the vicinity. It's not too far from the Salinas missions. The refuge was officially established in 1939 to conserve migratory birds, particularly after populations had dwindled due to habitat loss. It is famous for playing a critical role in the recovery of the sandhill crane population and serves as a winter home for thousands of waterfowl. It has become an income producer for the hotels. RV's parks and restaurants in the area. It helps rural New Mexico, like many parks in the country, help rural areas. Rep. Vasquez, a New Mexico Congressman stated the consequences of the cancellation of the annual Festival of the Cranes, a major cultural and economic event that typically brings $2 to $3 million in revenue to Socorro County and contributes to the refuge's broader $15.8 to $17 million annual economic impact to the rural area. Like most parks , it's hanging on having had its funding gutted by the recent federal government. Sadly , it's going from forty five staff to ten , which includes several volunteers. There's only two staff assigned to the water management of the wetlands now. They've been able to keep the Visitor Center open with volunteers and a staff member. as it helps provide information and some income from souvenirs. Quite frankly , it almost makes me weep with the amount of intentional destruction that the federal government caused. That's my opinion and I hope and pray that they'll survive to have some funding restored.

The park can see lot of snow geese and sandhill cranes. But at 7am, the temperature only 21degree…read more If you like to watching or taking pictures, you will not be disappointed in here. It is a good place to watch migration. Birds in February.

Grindstone Lake was one of our favorite parts of visiting Ruidoso! I know there are other lakes…read morenearby, but this one is definitely a must-see. You pay per vehicle, and you can bring your own chairs, food, fishing gear, kayaks, or anything else you want for a fun day by the water. There are a few benches, but they fill up quickly, so I'd recommend bringing your own chairs. The inflatable water park was the highlight for our kids! Life jackets are provided, and they had an absolute blast. They couldn't stop talking about all the fun they had. There's also a restroom on-site, which made our visit even more convenient. We had such a great time and would absolutely come back!

We came out yesterday, and had a wonderful time. So much so, that we came out again today! ‍…read more Bring shade! A tent, umbrella, some type of protection from the hot sun, because it is !! Parking is $10, by reservation only, on the weekends, and Monday-Thursday is first come first served, but also $10. If you have an established residence, second home, it's $10 for the entire season. Ignore the ticket taker's attitude as you drive in. We have been here three times, morning, and evening, and she's always here! Lol! She is extremely rude! She evidently hates her job because she is unfriendly and grills everyone to the third degree! Like I said, ignore her, and have fun! Registration is online at the Ruidoso Parks and Recreation website. The water park, known as The Wibit, is $20. This is a main attraction for family-fun. Life vests are required at all times while swimming, and using the water park, but they rent you one as part of the $20. Food and drinks are allowed, but of course, no alcohol is ever permitted. We most definitely will be returning, and highly recommend it!

I went camping here years ago with friends. We weren't smart and got in after dark and had a heck…read moreof a time trying to put tents up. There are some nice hiking areas around here.

We have been coming here for years and never have we ever been treated like we did this past…read moreweekend by the camp hosts. We had called and spoke to the owner to see if we could check in a bit early and be was completely ok with it. When we got there the camp host was extremely rude saying we were there too early being that no one was in our spot and there were so many other empty spots available. we then had our campfire on and eight at 10 she came and advised it was quiet time and the fire needed to be turned off due to "county law" which is complete BS mind you we were not even loud we were just hanging out and there are zero rules staring that fires need to be out at 10. The next night she again came rudely 3 minutes past 10 when we were already putting our fire out stating "REALLY 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW!!" we said we are putting our fire out and she said "well get your clocks fixed to be on time". we pay a lot of money to enjoy our time there. I feel the owner needs to look into this because the campground was not as full as it usually is and they may be running people out with that unnecessary attitude and rudeness.

We were visiting for the week and discovered this park. Far enough off the main road and completely…read morefenced in, clean and well maintained. It had two separate areas for the older kiddos and the littles. A bathroom nearby was handy. The elk roaming nearby was an added bonus. The munchkins all had a blast while their parents shopped in town. Just don't end up trying to enter from the wrong direction if it's time for the neighboring school to let out.

Great park for kids of all ages. Hidden gem. Elk grazing the area too. Easy to accessread more

What a blast walking on this cute little trail! We came mid week so there wasn't as many people as…read moresome say there is on the weekend. Cute kids looking for the doors everywhere. Lots of wildlife out when we were out. We went as far on the trail as we could before it ended, if it was a little longer would be ideal but we lived it none the less!

THIS is THEEEE BEST PARK I've ever been too !! We've been traveling in our RV & New Mexico is our…read more8th state so far and we have done so many parks. This has got to be THEE cutest park ever!! (Yes, I'm shouting ) We stayed near town to hit up White Sands & we loved it there too & wanted a park to eat, take a hike & relax. First off we parked in the wrong section ‍. We parked by the first bridge (Tom's bridge). So first you want to find the main entrance. There you will see a wonderful map of the adorable park & the fairy homes. I'll give you a clue, don't use the map, it's not that great BUT is adorable for pictures! Look on the ground for a white fairy wand & you are close to a fairy house. If you find a T, then look for a Troll home. I saw online ONE cute fairy home & thought I would surprise our teens with one cute fairy home. Boy, was I wrong! There's 10 !! We did 9/10. It starts to get into a residential area & maybe it was us buuuut a little old lady didn't look to please that we were there looking for the 10th one. Sorry Lady! They have great picnic spots, benches to sit everywhere! I'm a big big girl and I walked one way the whole thing than my wonderful husband ran back to get our car for me & the kids. We had packed a picnic & parked by the big picnic area. There's about 2 parking spots. All & all, we had a blast ! Greatest Park Ever !!

Beautiful views! The city really works hard to keep it clean. They even have fireplaces available…read morefor use. Plenty of parking and they even have an ice skating rink.

Wingfield Park in Ruidoso is a great place to bring your entire family to enjoy the seasonal ice…read moreskate rink! The trees are all decorated for the Christmas season and will delight all! Highly recommended, and most staff follow safety procedures and protocols. Pets are allowed, but must be leashed at all times.