One of the great things about Coronado Campground is the view of the Sandia Mountains. The Sandia Mountains are one of the mountain ranges in the central part of New Mexico, just northeast of the city of Albuquerque. The range located in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties has as its tallest peak in the range, the Sandia Crest which is 10,679 feet in elevation.
When we visit this area we always pick one of the warmest days to drive up to the Sandia Crest. A road winds all the way to the top and it is a very scenic drive. The day we picked had high temperatures in the mid-80’s and when we arrived at the crest the temperatures were in the low 60’s making for quite a contrast.
When making the drive up the mountain we often stop at many of the pullouts. This allows us the opportunity to do a little hiking and a little birding. It is also fun to see the gradual changes in what plants and birds we see as we gained elevation.
When we returned we visited one of the many great breweries in Albuquerque. One of our favorites is the Alien Brewery which was conveniently on our way home.
Another day we visited the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. It is a 570-acre protected area in New Mexico just 7 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
When we pulled into the refuge the first thing we noticed was that it looked brand new and didn’t look to be open. I later read that on September 27, 2012 the establishment of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge occurred with a Grand opening planned for 2022. The website had conflicting information with one page stating it was open and another page said the grand opening was to be determined. In any event it wasn’t open when we visited.
Even though the refuge looked a bit barren we elected to walk the 2.5 mile Bosque Loop Trail which was open providing a walking access to the Rio Grande Bosque. The trail didn’t have a lot to see except for a few art pieces and even the trail near the Rio Grande didn’t get close enough to the river in our opinion. We still enjoyed the walk nonetheless.
This park is a designated Urban National Wildlife Refuge and was a former dairy farm. Most of it is still currently in agricultural fields however, long-term plans are to transform it into a mosaic of native Middle Rio Grande Valley habitats. We will certainly have to revisit it someday in the future…
Our only regret during our stay this year in Albuquerque was not being able to spend more time with friends but that too can be remedied with a future visit.
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