Oasis
Star Gazing Party Join the Clovis Astronomy Club for a night of star gazing on August 3, 2024. This will take place in the visitor center parking lot at dusk. Regular entrance fees apply for non-annual permit holders. All ages are invited to attend. No pets will be allowed at this event. Bring your binoculars, telescopes, red lens flashlights, etc. if you have them and enjoy a night of learning under the stars. **NO animals allowed at this event**
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Valerie Russ 575-356-5331

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Guided Bird Walk Join us for our Guided Bird Walks every Saturday and Sunday morning. Registration is required. Please call the RGNC Front Desk at 505-344-7240 to sign up. Walks are limited to (12) people. The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with a valid permit displayed. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, insect repellent and sunscreen, as needed. Meet at the Candelaria Viewing Area (Northeast side of the parking lot). If you are signed up and can’t attend, kindly call us so that we can open the spot to someone on the waiting list.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Front Desk (505) 344-7240

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Summer Wings BioBlitz Naturalist E. O. Wilson came up with the word “Bioblitz” to refer to a scientist-led citizen science survey of all living things found in a defined area over the course of 12 or 24 hours. This year’s RGNC “Bioblitz” is in conjunction with Summer Wings Festival with a focus more on learning how to observe and ID, rather than on finding every living thing in the park. Participate by joining local experts and master naturalists on guided walks to look for interesting plants and animals. Visit “BioBlitz Base Camp” (aka the Group Shelter) find out what’s been seen, add your sightings and chat with local naturalists. Get to know the bosque ecosystem and upload photos and potential ID’s to iNaturalist, an online citizen science database. Visit the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center website for more details rgnc.org The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240
Friends Rio Grande Nature Center

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Wildlife Track & Sign 10am - Michael Cox of Duke City Trackheads & the New Mexico Tracking Club, will discuss the basics of track and sign, and what they can tell us about the wildlife living in the area. After the talk Michael will invite folks to go and look for tracks and signs on nearby grounds. Part of Summer Wings Festival. Meet in Education Building. Day-Use Fee: Cost $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check) Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240
Friends Rio Grande Nature Center

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Wonderful World of Hummingbirds 11:30am - Kim Score will dive into the fascinating world of nature’s smallest birds. Discover more about the curious habits of hummingbirds and what makes them so unique. Explore their incredible adaptions and behavior - from mating and migration to feeding and fighting - and learn to identify the four species common to Central New Mexico. Part of Summer Wings Festival. Meet in Education Building. Day-Use Fee: Cost $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check) Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240
Friends Rio Grande Nature Center

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Dragonflies & Damselflies of NM 1:00 pm presentation by Karen Gaines. Meet in the Education Building at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. Karen will discuss the amazing species diversity and ecology of the dragonflies and damselflies found in New Mexico. Also, check out the Discovery Pond Open House 10:00 am-12:00 pm Learn about dragonflies and damselflies and see snails and other small aquatic living creatures in the pond. Chat with experts from NM Game & Fish and UNM. Part of Summer Wings Festival. Day-Use Fee: Cost $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check) Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240
Friends Rio Grande Nature Center

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Nature Walk See what's happening on the bosque trails. Please bring water, hat, sunglasses, etc. to be prepared for being outdoors. Enjoy a leisurely exploration of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque ecosystem with one of the RGNC volunteer naturalists. Search for signs of animal life and discover how the Bosque and the Rio Grande provide habitat. Registration is required. Please call the RGNC Front Desk at 505-344-7240 to sign up. Walks are limited to 12 people. The walk is about 1.5 hours long. The mostly flat, sandy trail is just under 1 mile. This walk is appropriate for adults and children. Meet the volunteer naturalist on the west side of the parking lot at the start of the trail, near the bulletin board. The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC and NM State Parks annual pass holders enter free with valid permits displayed.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Candelaria Nature Preserve Walk Learn about Candelaria Nature Preserve (adjacent to the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park) Meet at the Nature Center Group Shelter - part of the Summer Wing BioBlitz festival. Explore this special place where wildlife abounds and major restoration efforts are underway. The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: RGNC Front Desk 505-344-7240

Sugarite Canyon
Tadpole/ Frog derby Friends of Sugarite Canyon State Park is hosting its inaugural Tadpole/ frog Derby. Contestants allowable ages are 4-14, prizes awarded in 4 age groups. Contestants are allowed to catch with their own nets. 1 net/ contestant (Net mouth must be 12" or less). Swim or water shoes/ footwear are encouraged for feet protection (Participation at own risk). Contestants must register, with legal guardian present, at Lake Maloya prior to presenting their catch. Ages 4-8 registration cost = $1.00/ contestant Ages 9-14 registration cost = $2.00/ contestant Registration start time = 8:30 am Registration closed = 11:30 am Limit = 10 Tadpoles or frogs per contestant. Prizes for heaviest haul and 2nd heaviest haul per age group. Weigh out closed at 12:00 pm (noon) Prizes presented shortly after Weigh out, approx. 12:30 pm The regular Park Entrance Fee applies. Please bring exact cash or check or display a valid New Mexico State Parks annual pass.
Fees: Park and Registration Fees
Contact: Sugarite Canyon State Park 575-445-5607

Rio Grande Nature Ctr.
Guided Bird Walk Join us for our Guided Bird Walks every Saturday and Sunday morning. Registration is required. Please call the RGNC Front Desk at 505-344-7240 to sign up. Walks are limited to (12) people. The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with a valid permit displayed. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, insect repellent and sunscreen, as needed. Meet at the Candelaria Viewing Area (Northeast side of the parking lot). If you are signed up and can’t attend, kindly call us so that we can open the spot to someone on the waiting list.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Front Desk (505) 344-7240

Mesilla Valley Bosque
Monthly Bird ID Walking Tour Enjoy a guided walk and learn how to identify various resident and migratory bird species from a local expert birder and member of the Mesilla Valley Audubon Society. Plan on walking approx, 2mi round trip on easy to moderate trail. There is a $5 per vehicle DAY USE FEE required UPON ENTRY.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Alex Mares 575-523-4398

Ute Lake
Hereford Bass Hereford Bass Club is hosting a tournament on Sunday, August 18th from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Boats can launch from any of the five ramps in the park. All participants will follow the rules of the Hereford Bass Club and catch and release. The weigh-in will take place at the Ute Lake weigh-in station by the marina. All equipment to weigh and measure the fish must follow the Hereford Bass Club rules. Please bring exact cash or check for the $5 park entrance fee or display a valid New Mexico State Parks annual pass.
Fees: Regular Entrance Fee
Contact: Dan Brooks (806) 344-6823