FunKidsActivities

Alameda / Rio Grande Open Space

Alameda Blvd NW, Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA

Overview

Category:Hiking with Kids
Location:Albuquerque, NM

Expert Summary

Detailed Insights

Alameda / Rio Grande Open Space offers a picturesque and well-maintained outdoor experience as part of the larger Bosque trail system. It's ideal for families seeking scenic nature walks, photography backdrops, and river access for cooling off during hot summers. Visitors can explore extensive walking paths, enjoy beautiful trees (even in late fall), find benches for resting, and observe local wildlife. The area is versatile, accommodating activities from leisurely strolls to jogging, bicycling, and even horseback riding.

Key Highlights

  • Integrated with the extensive Bosque trail system, allowing for broader exploration.
  • Features beautiful scenery and a pleasant ambiance, perfect for photography and enjoying nature.
  • Well-kept trails and open spaces, maintaining a high standard of natural beauty.
  • Offers direct access to the Rio Grande river, providing a refreshing escape during hot summer days.
  • Contains a bridge for crossing, enhancing exploration and scenic views.
  • Abundant walking paths suitable for various activity levels and benches for resting.
  • Opportunities to observe local wildlife, adding an educational element to visits.

Standout Features

  • Connectivity to the larger Bosque trail system for extended outdoor activities.
  • Scenic beauty, magnificent trees, and a calming ambiance.
  • Well-maintained trails and open space conditions.
  • Direct access to the Rio Grande river for water activities.
  • Presence of walking trails, benches, and a notable bridge.
  • Opportunities for wildlife viewing.
  • Versatility for multiple activities: walking, jogging, bicycling, dog walking, horseback riding, and photography.

Perfect For

Suitable for families with 'little ones of all ages,' implying toddlers, young children, and older kids for walking and gentle exploration.
Older children and teens will find it suitable for longer walks, jogging, bicycling, and potentially horseback riding.

Ideal For

Leisurely nature walks and exploration with families of all ages.
Family photoshoots, leveraging the scenic beauty and natural ambiance.
Cooling off by the river during hot summer days, with adherence to safety guidelines.
Dog walking, jogging, bicycling, and horseback riding enthusiasts.
Experiencing and photographing seasonal changes in nature, such as vibrant fall foliage.

💡Pro Tips from Reviews

  • If planning to engage with the river, bring or wear water-appropriate shoes (e.g., sandals, water shoes) due to the sandy or rocky river bed.
  • Exercise extreme caution near the Rio Grande river due to strong currents, as it poses a danger to non-strong swimmers.
  • Be vigilant about the presence of coyotes in the area; keep small children and dogs close and supervised.
  • Prepare for muddy conditions on trails, especially after rainfall or during specific seasons like mid-November, by wearing appropriate footwear.
  • To access the bridge off Coors, specific driving directions are needed: head north for the turn-off, or execute a safe U-turn if approaching from the south.

Things to Consider

  • The Rio Grande river has strong currents and can be dangerous, especially for individuals who are not strong swimmers.
  • The river bed is inconsistently sandy or very rocky, requiring specific footwear if planning to enter the water.
  • Coyotes are known to prowl the area, necessitating awareness and caution, particularly with small children and pets.
  • Trails can become muddy, especially after storms or during certain seasons (e.g., mid-November), which might soil shoes.

Price & Value

No pricing information is mentioned in the reviews, suggesting free public access to the open space and trails, providing excellent value for an outdoor family activity.

Accessibility & Special Needs

  • The open space and walking trails are generally accessible for various activities, but no specific accommodations like paved wheelchair-friendly paths are mentioned.
  • The river bed's description (sandy/rocky) indicates it is not suitable for wheelchair access.

🍎Food & Drink Policy

  • No specific food and drink rules are mentioned, implying visitors are likely permitted to bring their own snacks and water as is common for public open spaces.

🚗Parking Info

  • Parking is implied through specific driving directions to access the bridge (turn-off from Coors, u-turn for southbound traffic), but no details on number of spots, cost, or ease of parking are provided.

👥Crowd Levels

  • No specific crowd level information is provided, but descriptions of activities like walking, jogging, and bicycling suggest it is generally pleasant and not overwhelmingly crowded, though peak times are not specified.

🛡️Safety Features

  • Explicit warnings about strong currents in the Rio Grande river and the danger they pose to non-strong swimmers.
  • Explicit warnings about the presence of coyotes, implying the need for vigilance, especially concerning small children and pets.

When to Avoid

  • Allowing non-strong swimmers or unsupervised children to enter the strong currents of the Rio Grande river.
  • Letting small dogs roam off-leash or unsupervised due to the documented presence of coyotes.
  • Wearing new or easily stained footwear if visiting after a storm or during potentially muddy seasons.

Pricing/Package/Events

Events & Schedule

Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)

Reopening of ADA sensory trail

Saturday, September 13th

Not specified

Reopening of the new ADA sensory trail at the Tijeras Arroyo Bio-Zone.

🛡️Safety Policy

  • General rules, regulations, and etiquette apply to Open Space areas (specific details not provided).

📅Booking Policy

  • Facilities and areas within Open Space can be reserved (specific details not provided).
Information extracted from official website • Last updated: Sep 29, 2025

What People Say

What's Great

  • Spacious play areas (mentioned in 4 reviews)

Recent Reviews

Mr Happy

Mr Happy

5 months ago

Alameda Rio Grande O.S is in conjunction with the Bosque trail system and other open spaces in between. What a nice area, good to get your shoes muddy in, be it mid November now and after the storm. Yet there are still some bright colors in the magnificent trees.

Diana Owen

Diana Owen

8 months ago

Love the scenery and the ambiance of this place. We love doing photo shoots here with our favorite photographer, Taylor Farinelli. It's well kept and so much to be explored here. Great for families with little ones of all ages. Great for couples, friends, walks, jogs, bicycling, and more!

MrAcarr4

MrAcarr4

3 months ago

A nice open space with walking trails, benches and wildlife. Coyotes do prowl the area be aware if you have smaller dogs .

Joe Trujillo

Joe Trujillo

a year ago

Such a nice place to walk and to get close to the water! There’s a bridge to cross off of Coors you have to go north to take the turn off, if you’re coming south simply do a u turn where it’s safe. Perfect for walking, hiking, dog walking, bring, horseback.

Kristi Rhinehart

Kristi Rhinehart

2 years ago

Fun day at the river with the dogs. This is a great way to cool off during the hot ABQ summer. I recommend bringing or wearing shoes that are good for water and "river walking". The river bed is wither very sandy or very rocky. Watch out for the strong current though. The river can be very dangerous if you are not a strong swimmer. The trees are beautiful and there are plenty of great walking paths to explore. If you liked this post please let me know and click "helpful" Thanks!

Contact Information

Alameda Blvd NW, Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA

View on Google Maps

Opening Hours

Monday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Quick Stats

Overall Rating
4.7
Total Reviews551
Recent Reviews5