Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Courtesy photo: Wildlife photographers have plenty to see at the Bosque Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
link Courtesy photo Wildlife photographers have plenty to see at the Bosque Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
At the Bosque Apache National Wildlife Refuge, sometimes it’s hard to tell which makes the greater flock — sandhill cranes, geese and other birds, or the long-lens photographers who gather to click photos of the flocks with wings.
The details: The refuge encompasses 57,331 acres along a wild stretch of the Rio Grande near Socorro off of Interstate 25. It offers visitors wildlife watching, hiking, hunting, fishing, wildlife photography and more. The refuge’s nature trails and the auto tour loop are accessible all year.
Visitor’s need to know: The refuge’s visitors center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July.
Maps, brochures, checklists, a bookstore and restroom are available there.
Staff and volunteers will have information about what is happening on the refuge.
The visitors center is at 1001 Highway 1, San Antonio.
Motor homes welcome: The visitor center parking lot can accommodate motor homes as well as cars. Visitors may unhitch tow vehicles for the Auto Tour Loop, but it is not required.
The center will open an “intermittent tour road” to the public from noon Friday until noon Monday on the following weekends: today through Monday; Dec. 26-29 and Jan. 16-19.
How long does it take to get there? The refuge is about four hours away from Clovis and Portales via U.S. 70 and U.S. 380. It’s a three hour, 50 minute drive from Tucumcari on Interstate 40 and I-25.
More information: Call the refuge at (575) 835-1828. Internet: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Bosque_del_Apache
— Compiled by Steve Hansen
