The Rio Grande Valley State Park (RGVSP) is a

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

located in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, established in 1983. Although officially named "State Park" this open space is actually managed by various local, state and federal agencies, as well as other organizations. The Rio Grande Valley State Park is made up of of land along both sides of the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

stretching from the

Sandia Pueblo Sandia Pueblo (; Tiwa language, Tiwa: Tuf Shur Tia) is a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans in the United States, Native American Pueblo people inhabiting a Indian reservation, reservation of the same name in the eastern Rio Grande Ri ...

in the north, and south to the

Isleta Pueblo Pueblo of Isleta ( tix, Shiewhibak , kjq, Dîiw'a'ane ; nv, Naatoohó ) is an unincorporated community and Tanoan pueblo in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States, originally established in the . The Southern Tiwa name of the pueblo ...

. The

bosque A bosque ( ) is a type of gallery forest habitat found along the riparian flood plains of stream and river banks in the southwestern United States. It derives its name from the Spanish word for 'woodlands'. Setting In the predominantly ar ...

, or woods,(the local name for the

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

cottonwood ecosystem) dominates the river valley area. The RGVSP is an area used for public recreation and includes sandy, forested trails, the paved Paseo del Bosque Multi-use Trail and constructed ponds and wetlands within and adjacent to the forest. There are several access points throughout the Albuquerque and surrounding area which offer parking, designated picnic areas, vault toilets, and trash receptacles. People may enjoy the park on foot, by bicycle (non-motorized), or on horseback. Dogs on leash, under direct control of their owners are permitted: please clean up after your pet to protect the health of the ecosystem and all those who depend on it and enjoy it daily. Several agencies manage sites within and adjacent to the park that provide engagement with the local ecosystem and its resident plants and animals (paths with signage displaying interpretive photos, illustrations, and text and visitors centers which offer hands-on exhibits and activities, such as guided nature and bird walks, lectures, workshops and festivals).

Trail system

The Paseo del Bosque Trail is a 16 mile paved pedestrian/bicycle/equestrian trail parallel to the Rio Grande. Constructed in the 1970s, it runs between the north and south edges of the metro area of Albuquerque, in the bosque on the east side of the river, and connects several picnic areas, the Rio Grande Valley State Park, the

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park The is a New Mexico State Park located adjacent to the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, USA. The Rio Grande Nature Center is a 38-acre urban wildlife preserve established in 1982. About two thirds ...

, the

Albuquerque Biological Park The ABQ BioPark (or Albuquerque Biological Park) is an environmental museum located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It contains four separate facilities: * ABQ BioPark Aquarium - An aquarium with a ocean tank containing Gulf of Mexico saltwater spec ...

, and the

National Hispanic Cultural Center The National Hispanic Cultural Center is an institution in Albuquerque, New Mexico dedicated to Hispanic culture, arts and humanities. The campus spans 20 acres and is located along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Avenida César Cháv ...

. The trail has been named one of the "best bike trails in the West" by Sunset Magazine. It is also a popular equestrian trail, with trailhead parking adequate for

horse trailer A horse trailer or horse van (also called a horse float in Australia and New Zealand or horsebox in the British Isles) is used to transport horses. There are many different designs, ranging in size from small units capable of holding two or thre ...

s. In the North Valley, on the west side of the connecting Los Ranchos open space just north of Paseo del Norte, is a feed store, a rare welcome for through-travelers on horseback. The main trail is paved, and in the Corrales Bosque segment there is a parallel

ditchbank A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mode of transport w ...

dirt trail, these two trails connected by many short cross trails. Some bicycle riders like to ride very fast here, noting the fun of tight blind curves, while others note that this is not safe.mtbr.com: Corrales Bosque Trail Reviews
accessed 2008-07-09 Some plants here have thorns that will puncture bicycle tires and sometimes also hiking shoes. These are most abundant on side trails. The trail is the nucleus of the proposed

Rio Grande Trail The Rio Grande Trail is a proposed long distance trail along the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The river extends over 1,800 total miles, some of which pass through the heart of New Mexico. It is the state's primary drainage featur ...

External links

cabq.gov: Rio Grande Valley State Parkcabq.gov: Trail map

References

{{authority control Geography of Albuquerque, New Mexico Parks in Bernalillo County, New Mexico