Most urban bike paths force you to constantly stop and start. Between busy stoplights, crowded crosswalks, and hidden parking lots to dodge, it is tough to get into a real rhythm. Fortunately, Albuquerque’s Paseo del Bosque Trail completely skips the hassle for 16 incredible miles.
Running the entire length of the city through the lush cottonwood bosque along the Rio Grande, this route leaves you completely free of traffic. The only vehicles you will ever see are on the handful of elevated bridges passing safely overhead. It stands out as one of the longest, most peaceful uninterrupted urban paths anywhere in the Southwest.
What the Ride Is Like
The full trail runs about 16 to 17.7 miles depending on the source, from Alameda Boulevard on the north end to Rio Bravo Boulevard on the south, all inside Rio Grande Valley State Park. It’s fully accessible, including most stretches for wheelchairs, Trikkes, and inline skates.
Wildlife shows up more than you’d expect for a trail this central. Riders report coyotes, roadrunners, rabbits, and a long list of waterfowl along the Alameda Wetland near the north end, where a constructed wetland replicates what the Rio Grande floodplain looked like before the city grew around it…