BOSQUE BIRDWATCHERS RV PARK
INTERESTING NEARBY PLACES TO VISIT
The Bosque National Wildlife Refuge offers many large ponds & wetlands that can be viewed either from cars, raised platforms, boardwalks, or trails. Side trails meander through and around both mesquite & sagebrush thickets and cottonwood & willow woodland forests . Check out the Spirit of the West Magazine. The Bosque Del Apache visitor center and outdoor Chihuahuan Desert Garden are wonderfully informative aspects of the refuge. Many of the flora seen in the Refuge and surrounding area are identified the garden, and many of the fauna species are identified in the visitor center displays. Also in the visiter center is a running list of different species (both flora & fauna) kept by staff & visitors. A well stocked bird feeding station is outside of a large window for your viewing pleasure. See what birds have been reported recently from the Flight Deck in the Northwestern sector of the refuge.
The Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge has some areas set aside for scientific research, and permits to conduct research are available. The refuge currently hosts the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program, conducted by the University of New Mexico. This program has produced a number of studies documenting and characterizing the ecology and microbiota of the refuge. Most, but not all, of the refuge is off limits to the public and its development is left to nature. Use such as hiking and photography are permitted in some areas. There are over seven miles of trails open sunrise to sunset. Picnicking and camping are not permitted anywhere in the refuge. The refuge is the one of the fragile breeding habitats for the endangered Willow Flycatcher found here from May to September. The refuge also has fostered mexican wolves for the last seven years.
The original San Miguel Catholic Church, built by two priest and a few Indians, was completed circa 1626. From the RV Park it is only a 14 mile drive to the town of Socorro. The church's nearly 400 year history is both interesting and intriguing. 400 years speaks for itself, but intriguing as well due to the never found buried treasure.
Perhaps the most remarkable is that the church is still has a vibrant congregation and weekly services.
Perhaps the most remarkable is that the church is still has a vibrant congregation and weekly services.
The Rio Grande is the 5th longest in the United States. The river itsel plus its many tributaries provide water for many American and Mexican citizens. Once escaping the highlands of the Rocky mountains in Southwest Colorado, it meanders through mostly shrubland, pinyon-pine, and Chihuahuan desert habitats, benefiting both agricultural and residential endeavors.
One can access the river from Bosque Del Apache Refuge from the River Trail trailhead. Just follow the road east from the Pay Station past the pond on the left.
One can access the river from Bosque Del Apache Refuge from the River Trail trailhead. Just follow the road east from the Pay Station past the pond on the left.
The Very Large Array is just 4 miles to the west of Socorro. "Astronomers around the world use radio telescopes to observe the naturally occurring radiowaves that come from stars, planets, galaxies, clouds of dust, and molecules of gas. Most of us are familiar with visible-light astronomy and what it reveals about these objects. Visible ” light — also known as optical light — is what we see with our eyes, however, visible light doesn’t tell the whole story about an object. To get a complete understanding of a distant quasar or a planet, for example, astronomers study it in as many wavelengths as possible, including the radio range". For more about visitor hours and radio telescopes...Click on their NRAO Website.m a paragraph.
The NM Bureau of Geology Mineral Museum is in Socorro on 801 Leroy Place. There you will find New Mexico minerals on display, with chemical formulas & locality information on display cards.The Mineral Museum has formally existed at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology since 1927, although the New Mexico College of Mines has actually maintained a mineral collection since its beginnings in 1889.