Fishing is a popular activity at Villanueva State Park. The state Department of Game and Fish stocks the river in the park with trout in the winter and catfish in the summer.
Ramon Sena and his wife, Laura Sena, of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe take their kids, Azula Sena, 6, and Zuko Sena, 4, sledding at Hyde Memorial State Park on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. Sledding is one of the most popular activities at the park in winter.Â
Fishing is a popular activity at Villanueva State Park. The state Department of Game and Fish stocks the river in the park with trout in the winter and catfish in the summer.
The trails of helped Kim Davis develop a connection with New Mexico and find an active outlet after she moved to ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe from Alabama in July of 2020.
A French teacher at the Academy for Technology and the Classics, Davis said she started hiking in the park once a week to get in shape and eventually built up the strength and endurance to run the park’s 5-mile trail system.
The animals, plants and people of Cerrillos Hills also drew Davis in.
She’s found community as a board member of the that supports the park through fundraising and volunteer activities. And in contrast to her running, she also loves taking her time on the trails during what she calls “hobbit hikes†where she slows down to stop for snacks and admire the tarantulas, butterflies, snakes, hawks, flowers and expansive views.
The view of the Ortiz Mountains to the south from Cerrillos Hills State Park.
Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
On one hike, a red racer lunged at Davis but she used her ballet background to leap away just in time to avoid its strike. She said she plans to soon get a tattoo of the snake on her arm to mark the memorable encounter.
“That place is so special to me, and it’s oftentimes hard to put my finger on it. I don’t know if it’s the wide-open spaces, the gently rolling hills or the fact that in the summer there’s actually a pretty insane amount of wildflowers,†said Davis, who is also a ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe Master Gardener.
More people may be spurred to form their own connections with New Mexico’s state parks following a fee restructuring that gives New Mexicans free day-use access for seven months of the year.
From the start of October through the end of April, residents can visit state parks for free for the day. From May through September, day-use fees are $5 for residents. The cost for nonresidents is $10 year-round.
Day-use fees will be assessed per vehicle and a New Mexico license plate or ID is required to prove residency.
Meanwhile, camping fees and annual passes will see a bump in price. Primitive camping sites will be $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. Developed sites will cost $15 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.
An annual day-use pass will be $75 for residents and $150 for nonresidents, while an annual camping pass will be $300 for residents and $600 for nonresidents.
The changes went into effect Jan. 1, meaning New Mexicans will be able to visit state parks for free now through April 30.
Peter Lipscomb, park manager at Cerrillos Hills, encourages folks who aren’t into the snow and cold of the mountains to visit his park in the winter. At around 6,000 feet in elevation and 16 miles south of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe just off the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, the temperatures are more mild and the trails receive much less snow than higher elevations.
In addition to the hiking that offers views of the Sandia, Ortiz, Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, the park highlights more than 1,100 years of mining history in the area.
“The experience of the park is as individual as the people that go there,†Lipscomb said. “There are many stories to tell about a place like Cerrillos Hills. It’s a whole lot more than what people see as they blow by on Highway 14.â€
Janet McVickar, a retired archaeologist and another board member of the Amigos de Cerrillos Hills, said she appreciates the easy to moderate grade of much of the trail system and the solitude she finds at the park. She lives just a short drive away and said she has often hiked Cerrillos Hills without seeing anyone.
“The trails aren’t super long, but they’re really scenic, very beautiful†she said. “You can be up high looking at the views or you can be down in a sort of valley or canyon, or the side of a slope and suddenly the geology completely changes. To me, the geology is as interesting as anything.â€
Lipscomb has done more than 400 education programs in his years at the park, covering everything from plants, animals, geology, mining history and the night sky.
In January, he began biweekly ranger hikes on Wednesdays where he said he lets the participants steer the topics they’d like to know more about. The next hike is Feb. 5 and those interested can contact him at peter.lipscomb@emnrd.nm.gov to learn more.
Other upcoming events include a geology hike Sunday, Feb. 23, and a star party Friday, Feb. 28. The popular Turquoise Trail Pack Burro Race, the park’s signature event, is Saturday, May 3.
Lipscomb said his favorite aspect of working at Cerrillos Hills is his ability to interact with visitors and teach them things they may not have previously considered.
“That’s one of the things that’s essential to the process of interpretation — you get them to understand it, and then they value or appreciate it more,†Lipscomb said. “And once that becomes part of how they feel, now they want to protect it and they understand why the stewardship of these places is important.â€
Here are some other nearby state parks to consider visiting during the free day-use period for New Mexico residents:
Ramon Sena and his wife, Laura Sena, of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe take their kids, Azula Sena, 6, and Zuko Sena, 4, sledding at Hyde Memorial State Park on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020. Sledding is one of the most popular activities at the park in winter.Â
New Mexican file photo
Hyde Memorial State Park
New Mexico’s highest state park is a place families can flock to for winter fun.
Situated between 8,300 to 9,400 feet in elevation in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, parking lots can fill up on the weekends with folks eager to slide down the park’s popular sled hill. Park Superintendent Jason Downing said the hill used to be a ski run from the 1930s to the 1960s before it shut down and was converted into a sled hill.
The park, which is just 8 miles northeast of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe along Hyde Park Road, also has a 4.2-mile trail system that includes five primary trails. The West Circle Trail, which is the park’s longest at 2.2 miles, has a very steep section with 1,000 feet in vertical gain over 1 mile. The other four trails range from ¼ mile to 1 mile in length and can be snowshoed or hiked, depending on conditions.
Hyde Park also has camping opportunities through the winter, including electric sites and three yurts — the only yurts in the state park system.
Downing said he wasn’t sure how the new fee structure would impact visitation for the park, but he said he hopes New Mexicans who haven’t visited state parks or have been away for a while will check them out during the fee-free window.
Gary Ashcraft of Tijeras fly fishes in the Pecos River in August 2023 at Pecos Canyon State Park.
Though still a work in progress, New Mexico’s newest state park has been heavily trafficked since its establishment in 2019.
Owned by the state Department of Game and Fish and managed by New Mexico State Parks, is along one of the most popular fishing locations in the northern half of the state.
There are several day-use areas where people can fish in the 378-acre park, which is about 14 miles north of the village of Pecos on N.M. 63. Two include confluences where the Rio Mora and Willow Creek flow into the Pecos River.
While there are no designated trails in the park, Cheryl Kolls, the Central Region manager for New Mexico State Parks, said there are plans for a trail that will connect the park from north to south. Kolls said that is still years away.
The park also offers year-round camping, and campgrounds are almost always full on the weekends during peak season.
Kolls said the Mora Campground, the park’s most popular camping area, is going to close by May 1 or earlier as work begins to build a new bridge over the Rio Mora. After the bridge is completed, construction work will take place at the campground. Kolls said the site will be closed for at least a year.
The view of the Pecos River from atop the sandstone bluffs of Villanueva State Park.
Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican
Villanueva State Park
After exiting the alpine environment of the Sangre de Cristos, its place of origin, the Pecos River enters a transition zone between the mountains and the plains.
Flowing beneath sandstone bluffs and cottonwood trees, the Pecos passes through a picturesque and peaceful environment in .
There are 2.9 miles of hiking trails at the park, which is about 55 miles southeast of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe. The trail system includes paths along the river as well as on the bluffs and hills where visitors can soak in the sweeping views of the Pecos and surrounding landscape.
A big draw is the fishing. Kolls said the state Department of Game and Fish stocks the river with trout in the winter, then catfish when the weather heats up.
Tubing down the river through
the park is a popular pastime in the warmer months. Kolls said there can be hundreds of people at the park during weekends taking part in the leisurely activity. She cautions visitors to be aware that as the snow melts in the mountains to the north, the river can rise quickly in the springtime. Kolls advises people to wait until the river calms before floating.
A Canada goose leans over a pond at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in Albuquerque in early April of 2023.
Courtesy Shannon Campbell/Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park
It can come as a surprise upon first visit to find such calm and beauty in the middle of New Mexico’s largest city, but Albuquerque’s bosque offers a truly great escape from the bustle of urban life.
, located at 2901 Candelaria Road NW, provides an excellent setting to learn about the wetlands as well as the plants and animals that live within the teeming ecosystem along the Rio Grande.
The park’s visitors center, designed by renowned architect Antoine Predock, features several educational exhibits as well as an observation room with a wall of windows directly overlooking one of the ponds.
Levi Dean, the park’s superintendent, said wildlife photography, specifically of birds, is one of the park’s most popular activities. Migratory birds including sandhill cranes and Canada geese can be viewed here in the winter before the weather warms and they head north. Blinds and feeding stations give visitors a chance to get a clear look at many of the more than 300 species of birds that inhabit and pass through the area.
The small park — it’s only about 38 acres — has just 1.2 miles of trails but offers access to many more miles of paths along the bosque to the north and south of the Rio Grande Nature Center.
The park has eliminated its day-use fee and now has a year-round $5 parking fee for both New Mexico residents and nonresidents.