Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

About Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, located in San Antonio, Socorro County, New Mexico, is one of over 560 units within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east, the 57,331 acre Bosque del Apache was established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl. The refuge is well known for the tens of thousands of cranes, geese, and ducks who winter here each year. Over 30,000 acres of Bosque del Apache are designated wilderness. The Rio Grande may seem tame now, but for thousands of years it was a wild and unpredictable river. Every spring, melting snow from the mountains filled the river with water until it overflowed its banks – flooding the land around it. In the summer, heavy rains swelled the river even more. At times, the overflowing water was so powerful that the entire path of the river changed, forming new ponds and marshes in the old riverbed. In these fertile river floodplains, all kinds of lush vegetation grew – providing plentiful food sources for wildlife. Majestic birds like sandhill cranes migrated here to spend the winter feasting on nutritious grasses like chufa and millet while other animals thrived amid the cottonwood forests and shrublands. The big river attracted humans too. More than 700 years ago, Piro Indians built settlements of mud and stone houses along the river. They hunted and gathered food along the riverbanks, and they learned to farm the bottomlands. In the late 16th century, Spanish colonists arrived following the river northward. Their horses, wagons, cattle, and sheep trampled a rutted, dusty road. As more people moved in, they created ranches, farms, and towns that replaced the Piro Indians and their pueblos. The new settlers started to change the Rio Grande. A river that overflowed and dug new routes every season was seen as a problem – especially if your house got flooded or your crops washed away. So, people

How to Get There

The Visitor Center is located at 1001 NM-1, San Antonio, New Mexico; the coordinates for the Visitor Center are 33.804777, -106.890917 From points north (Socorro, Albuquerque, Santa Fe): drive south on Interstate 25 to exit 139 (San Antonio), go east 0.25 miles on US 380 to the flashing signal at the village of San Antonio, turn south (right) onto Highway 1, and drive south to the Visitor Center (on right). From points south (Truth or Consequences, Las Cruces): drive north on Interstate 25 to exit 115, then north on Highway 1 to the Visitor Center (on left). From points east (Carrizozo, Roswell): drive west on US 380 to the town of San Antonio. At the flashing signal at the village of San Antonio, turn south (left) onto Highway 1, and drive south to the Visitor Center (on right). From points west (Quemado, Springerville): drive east on Highway 60 to the town of Socorro, then right on Main Street toward Interstate 25. Merge onto south-bound Interstate 25 to exit 139 (San Antonio), go east 0.25 miles on US 380 to the flashing signal at the village of San Antonio, turn south (right) onto Highway 1, and drive south to the Visitor Center (on right).

Plan Your Visit to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)