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. Constructed half aboveground and half below the edge of a pond, the park's interpretive center has viewing windows and speakers that broadcast the sounds of the birds you're watching. You may see sandhill cranes, frogs, ducks, and turtles. The park has active programs for adults and children.