Fodor's Expert Review Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Along the banks of the Rio Grande, this 270-acre refuge in an especially tranquil portion of the bosque (about midway up on the Paseo del Bosque trail) is the nation's largest cottonwood forest. There are numerous walking and biking trails that wind into the 53-acre Aldo Leopold Forest and down to the river. Bird-watchers come to view all manner of migratory waterfowl, but especially the sandhill cranes that swoop in in late fall. Constructed half above ground and half below the edge of a pond, the park's interpretive Rio Grande Nature Center—a distinctive Antoine Predock design—has viewing windows and speakers that broadcast the sounds of the birds you're watching; frogs, ducks, and turtles may be seen (and heard) as well. On the Center's grounds, a native plant garden offers a nice meander under the cottonwoods. Active programs are available for adults and children, and the center's Nature Shop has a small but good selection of plush critters, books, and more.