The word "bosque" (BOS-kay) means "forest" or "woods", and in this case it refers to the strip of cottonwood trees that grows along the Rio Grande. From its origins in southern Colorado, the Rio covers nearly 1900 miles before finally ending at the Gulf. The river starts out as a series of streams in the Rocky Mountains, flowing southeastward to the Colorado/New Mexico border. From there, it bisects New Mexico as it flows nearly straight south through the state. Along the way, it creates or flows through a wide variety of environments: the deep Taos Gorge canyon; the wide White Rock Canyon; the man-made Cochiti Lake; the bosque in Albuquerque; Elephant Butte Reservoir; and the desert south of El Paso, Texas.
Within the city of Albuquerque, the Paseo del Bosque trail is a 16 mile paved trail that follows the eastern shore of the Rio Grande. Like its sister trails that follow Albuquerque's arroyos, the Paseo del Bosque has no road crossings and is a great way to get between the northern and southern edges of town. It's also a pleasant trail to just meander along, looking at the trees and wildlife that live along the river. A good place to start exploring the trail is at its northern trailhead on Alameda Boulevard, which has a large parking area that is right next to the trail. You can also join the trail further south where it links up with the I-40 trail and several smaller trails for shorter out-and-back trips. While on the trail, you can expect to meet all manor of trail users: bikers, runners, strollers, and more. Be courteous on the trail!
Albuquerque's city web pages have more information about the trail, and you can follow its full length along the river with the Wireless Bike Map.
No comments:
Post a Comment