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    Otero Park

    3.0 (1 review)

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    2 years ago

    Helpful 26
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    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - Snow geese

    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

    4.6(39 reviews)
    17.8 mi

    in New Mexico i've visited the site on February twenty first and twenty second of this year , 2026…read more Established in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico was created to protect, restore, and provide a vital migratory stopover for sandhill cranes, geese, and ducks. Spanning 57,331 acres (30 000 are wilderness), the area has a deep history, having been a home to the Piro people and later named for the Apache tribes that used the riverside forest. The name means "woodland of the Apache" in Spanish, acknowledging the region's historical use by Prior to the 1600s, the Piro people lived in the area, with archeological sites like Qualu indicating substantial early settlements. The area was part of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior Land), with Spanish caravans passing through the vicinity. It's not too far from the Salinas missions. The refuge was officially established in 1939 to conserve migratory birds, particularly after populations had dwindled due to habitat loss. It is famous for playing a critical role in the recovery of the sandhill crane population and serves as a winter home for thousands of waterfowl. It has become an income producer for the hotels. RV's parks and restaurants in the area. It helps rural New Mexico, like many parks in the country, help rural areas. Rep. Vasquez, a New Mexico Congressman stated the consequences of the cancellation of the annual Festival of the Cranes, a major cultural and economic event that typically brings $2 to $3 million in revenue to Socorro County and contributes to the refuge's broader $15.8 to $17 million annual economic impact to the rural area. Like most parks , it's hanging on having had its funding gutted by the recent federal government. Sadly , it's going from forty five staff to ten , which includes several volunteers. There's only two staff assigned to the water management of the wetlands now. They've been able to keep the Visitor Center open with volunteers and a staff member. as it helps provide information and some income from souvenirs. Quite frankly , it almost makes me weep with the amount of intentional destruction that the federal government caused. That's my opinion and I hope and pray that they'll survive to have some funding restored.

    The park can see lot of snow geese and sandhill cranes. But at 7am, the temperature only 21degree…read more If you like to watching or taking pictures, you will not be disappointed in here. It is a good place to watch migration. Birds in February.

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    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - Snow geese

    Snow geese

    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge - Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

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    Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

    Otero Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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