Outdoor Recreation

Hiking the Sandia Crest trail.With its scenic beauty and more than 78 million acres of public lands, New Mexico is an outdoor recreation paradise. Residents and tourists are able to observe spectacular events and participate in an endless number of outdoor activities year-round.

Activities can range from physically strenuous, to a walk in the park, to watching the birds. A small sample of activities that residents and tourists can enjoy are:

• Parks - Albuquerque's 800 parks providing green space throughout the city.
• Winter Sports - Skiing and other winter sports are available at more than 12 easy-to-reach ski areas. Two of the locations, Sandia Peak and Ski Santa Fe, are just minutes away from Albuquerque and Santa Fe respectively. World-class skiing is available in Taos, just north of Santa Fe and Los Alamos has its own local run at Pajarito Mountain.
• Warm Weather Activities - In the warmer seasons, the mountains offer hiking, camping, mountain biking, hang gliding and horseback riding. Other outdoor activities include tennis, bicycling, and in-line skating. Miles and miles of paved bike trails present unparalleled in-town recreation opportunities.
• Hunting & Fishing - With a variety of terrain and abundant wildlife, New Mexico is a hunting and fishing enthusiasts' dream.
• Hiking the Mountains - Hike the many trails of the numerous mountain ranges in New Mexico.
• Water-Based Activities - Swim, waterski, boat and fish in over 20 scenic lakes and reservoirs across the state. Whitewater river experiences await the more adventurous.

Outdoor Recreation Resources

Albuquerque's Biopark is open year round.

• Albuquerque Biological Park - Explore plants and animals from around the world at the BioPark. Located minutes from downtown Albuquerque, this oasis in the city includes a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden.
• Albuquerque Journal - List of area trails and hikes, weekly spotlighted trail
• Albuquerque Neighborhoods on Walk Score – Walkscore.com offers rated walking routes for Albuquerque neighborhoods.
• Bandelier National Monument - Take a trip to the past with a visit to the ancestral Pueblo dwellings near Santa Fe.
• Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - Witness the graceful flight of thousands of migratory snow geese, ducks and sandhill cranes at this peaceful refuge. At its annual Festival of the Cranes, bird watchers celebrate the return of the endangered whooping crane.
• Great Outdoor Recreation Pages - Parks, forests, activities, locations, books/media, tours, lodging; state map of national forests, monuments, sites
• New Mexico Game and Fish - Area offices, hunting (forecasts, licenses), wildlife (restoration, education, accounts, management), fishing
• New Mexico State Parks - Online tours of New Mexico's 31 state parks, information, events, fees
• New Mexico Wilderness Areas - Links to wilderness areas in New Mexico
• New Mexico Wildlife Areas - Links to wildlife areas in New Mexico
• Petroglyph National Monument - Wonder at the 15,000 ancient rock carvings at this national monument near Rio Rancho.
• Rio Grande Nature Center - Events and programs, photos, directions and links
• Rio Grande Valley State Park - Stroll along miles of the Rio Grande bosque (river woodlands) beneath the cottonwoods in a state park that wind through miles of the Metro area, with an educational stop at the Rio Grande Nature Center.
• Sandia Peak Tramway - Ride the world's longest Tram to the top of Sandia Peak and enjoy majestic views hundreds of miles in all directions. Ski, hike, or mountain bike at the top.

Spectacular Events

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

• Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: Held from the first through the second weekends each October, it is the largest ballooning event in the world. The Fiesta has a permanent 21-acre home with museums and other recreational amenities in Albuquerque's North I-25 corridor. Featuring more than 700 balloons with many special shapes, this extravaganza attracts balloonists and hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. Each morning crowds gather at dawn to witness the mass ascension as balloons fill the air. After dark, hundreds of tethered balloons light up the sky in the popular 'balloon glow' event.
• The Lightning Field – If you’ve ever wanted to experience lightening up close, this is the place. The season runs March to October, and requires an overnight reservation well in advance. Near Quemada, New Mexico.
• New Mexico Farmer’s Markets: Locally grown foods, such as apples, raspberries, pecans and our world-famous chile, are featured at many festivals, and at more then a dozen growers' markets every Saturday (except in winter) in Metro New Mexico.
• New Mexico State Fair: September brings the State Fair to Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. The two-week event, one of the largest state fairs in the United States, appeals to young and old alike.
• Downs of Albuquerque: Horse racing fans can enjoy thoroughbred and quarterhorse racing.
• New Mexico Wine Festival: Sample our state's fruit of the vine at the annual Festival near Rio Rancho.
• Santa Fe Fiesta: Each of Metro New Mexico's original Spanish settlements celebrates its own Fiesta throughout the year.
• Will Shuster’s Zozobra: Burn away your cares at Santa Fe Fiesta with the burning of Zozobra during the kickoff of Santa Fe Fiesta.