New Mexico Road Trip - Cloudcroft to Albuquerque (Day 6)

A breeze provided a slight ripple to the mirror-like surface of one of the lakes at Bosque del Apache

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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Another lake at Bosque del Apache. Where does the world end and the reflection begin?

Day 6: Exploring Bosque del Apache en route from Cloudcroft to Albuquerque

We covered a fairly sizeable middle chunk of New Mexico in about three and a half hours of driving time as we traveled from Cloudcroft to Albuquerque. We broke up the trip with a stop at the amazing and picturesque Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Our route for the day:

route from cloudcroft to bosque del apache

We drove for about two and a half hours to reach Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The first twenty minutes or so of the drive, down from the heights of Lincoln National Forest, were pretty and filled with trees. For the next two hours, our route took us along the east and then north sides of the Tularosa Basin, home of the White Sands Missile Range. The route was, in a word, desolate. Driving for two hours with basically nothing in any direction left me feeling isolated, as if our car’s interior was the entire world.

I read that the Tularosa Basin is larger than the state of Connecticut. After driving this route, this is very believable. It is important to ensure your gas tank is filled and you have whatever food or water you may need since finding any supplies along this route will be impossible or next to it.

Walk over the marshes on bridges and then hike along paths leading around the refuge.

Above the marshy areas of the refuge are dry and dusty mountains.

bosque del apache overview

Our eyes had adjusted to the color beige. Other than the dusty black-ish road, we were surrounded by colors that would have names like desert sand, generic khaki, or tan pebbles on a sample paint card. Appearing before us like an oasis: Bosque del Apache, replete with a much more expansive color wheel, splattered across the landscape with picturesque scenery.

Bosque del Apache - Spanish for ‘woods of the Apache’ (a Native American tribe) - has a reputation as one of the must-see national wildlife refuges in the United States. Thousands of birds winter here, enjoying the warmer climate while their northern haunts sit cold and icy. Arctic geese, sandhill cranes, and ducks are some of the birds that pitch their figurative bird tents here. During our trip, in early April, we enjoyed seeing the lazy birds - the stragglers who had not yet started their journeys home - as well as local wildlife that remains year-round. Located at the edge of the Chihuahuan desert and scaling the nearby Chupadera peak, this area attracts diverse plant and animal life.

The refuge has been in existence since 1939 and is actively looking to re-establish cottonwood and willow trees that used to thrive in the region as well as to create a healthy environment for its native and seasonal inhabitants.

Tired from your walk? Relax and enjoy nature sitting on a convenient bench.

what to do at bosque del apache national wildlife refuge

The best first stop is at the visitor’s center. There, you can learn more about the wildlife and plants of the area, local environmental concerns, and engage in some hands-on activities.

Drive the 12-mile long auto-loop trail, which has both a north and south loop. While 12 miles doesn’t sound like a long route, it is essential to drive very, very slowly through the refuge so as to not startle wildlife and to allow yourself ample time to take in the scenery and to even get out and explore a bit. Consider packing a picnic lunch to enjoy along the way.

Go for a hike! Most or all of the hikes connect to the auto-loop trail, making them easy to locate. With one exception (the 9.5 mile Chupadera trail), the hikes are short to moderate lengths that span from half a mile to just over two miles. You can find a map of the auto trail and hikes, along with trail lengths on the refuge’s site here (scroll down to ‘additional maps’ and click on the PDF link).

Early spring leaves were just beginning to sprout on the trees and bushes of Bosque del Apache.

We did the Boardwalk (1/2 mile), and Marsh Overlook (1.5 miles) trails.

The Boardwalk trail was in fact a boardwalk and meandered through a marshy area filled with tall grasses.
On the Marsh Overlook trail, which is situated right next to it, the path wound through and around some brushland and near some hills and rocky outcrops. Sitting in a hole of the rock face was a great horned owl (pictured below), watching us watching him. From that point of the trail, we found ourselves in a marshy area again and met our match in swarms of mosquitoes. We are used to mosquitoes and dislike them. But I had never known them to travel in clouds and to literally follow people. These Tracking Mosquitoes (my name) literally swarmed us for the last section of the hike. They were adamant to the point that I finally just started running to throw them off the scent. This worked as long as I kept running. Getting into the car, we found mosquitoes sneaking in with us, too, so that was unpleasant! Mosquitoes aside, though, we really enjoyed this trail!

Bosque del Apache definitely ranks as one of my favorite wildlife refuges, and I would love to return in the winter when it is alight with all the wintering visitors.

I’m not sure if the owl is still in residence, but be sure to look for it if you go. This is a super zoomed in photo. We couldn’t really get that close (nor would we to avoid disturbing the wildlife).

albuquerque - cinnamon morning B&B

The remaining leg of the drive for the day was about 90 minutes north to Albuquerque, where we would spend the final two nights of our trip. We passed another wildlife refuge - Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge - but had no time to stop and check it out, though we had a pretty high bar by that point, and I’m unsure how it would have fared next to Bosque del Apache.

Before long, the drive showed signs of big city life as we came within the commuting circle of Albuquerque, cradled in the arms of the Sandia Mountains. We hit the city at rush hour and sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic as we curved through the outskirts on the bypass.

When we arrived at Cinnamon Morning Bed and Breakfast, we were in for an absolute treat. The entire place had its own colorful decor, there were endless considerable details for guests - including food, drinks, and snacks to eat at any time - and the patio area was like a secret garden, tucked away in the middle of the city. The breakfasts we had both mornings were delicious, and we spent the evenings relaxing over drinks on the patio, often joined by the owner, Sue, and other guests, who were all very friendly. This B&B was truly a special place. My in-laws, who joined us on the trip, even returned on subsequent trips to the area. I say it was a special place because it closed closed in 2020. I am not sure whether the property was sold and will be re-opened or what the plans are, but this B&B made quite an impression during our two night stay.

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