Albuquerque’s Wild Side: A 72-Hour Family Reset (November 2025)

We had seventy-two hours to tackle Albuquerque’s nature scene—which, it turns out, wasn’t quite enough. Even with kids who aren't exactly “plant people,” the high-desert magic won us over.

My new favorite "walk in the woods" is the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. We looped through the Bosque trails, binoculars in hand to spot some of the 250 local bird species—roadrunners included. For an adventurous history lesson, we hit Petroglyph National Monument. (Tip: For time-crunched travelers, the Boca Negra Canyon Trail is a quick, family-friendly route that passes over 100 ancient carvings.)

 While I expected my kids to hurry through the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden, we spent well over an hour exploring the 32-acre grounds, which feature an impressive and eclectic mix of exhibits. Since the ticket also covers the adjacent ABQ BioPark Aquarium, that became our go-to "weather-proof" retreat for chilly November mornings. Between a guided hike at the Open Space Visitor Center and the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History (reopening fully in Spring 2026), our schedule was packed—but in a good way.

 Our hotel, El Chaco, served as the perfect home base, and I’ll never forget the receptionist who, seeing me roaming the lobby when I couldn’t sleep at 4 a.m., quietly brought me a fresh cup of coffee before the rest of the hotel’s guests woke up.

 We ended each day in Old Town’s historic plaza. It’s a bit touristy, sure, but the kids loved the energy so much that this became a daily ritual. We returned to our clean, well-appointed suite tired and happy.

When you’re traveling with three kids, somebody’s usually grouchy about something. But every single one of us was perpetually happy in ABQ. New Mexico really is the Land of Enchantment for us! Use the map (left) to explore my family’s favorite ABQ nature offerings!