Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Take a breather from the crowds and explore the desert landscape.

The Rio Grande Nature Center State Park offers picnic tables, trails, and opportunities for wildlife observation. Stop by the visitor center to learn more about the Middle Rio Grande Bosque ecosystem. You can also come here for a loaner pair of binoculars and printed trail guides. Children will enjoy the discovery room inside the visitor center. This is where they are free to participate in hands-on activities at the sand table and magnifying table. You can look at the pond in the observation room and watch the ducks, geese, and turtles roaming around. Stop by the nature shop for neat merchandise, including books, clothes, jewelry, pottery, and art. 

To ensure the wildlife's safety, leashed pets can walk on the urban paved trails (accessible via the Candelaria access path), not the dirt nature trails. The Native Plants Garden outside is the perfect place to relax among the beautiful landscape. It is a 1.5-acre area filled with hundreds of different plants, water features, and bird feeding stations.