Open spaces and parklands are at the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The city has dedicated nearly 30% of its footprint to open spaces, with a staggering 91% of its population living within a 10-minute walk of a park. Albuquerque’s Open Space Division oversees some 30,000 acres of land and manages roughly 165 miles of trails.
At West Mesa Open Space, the city recently completed a new 6.5-mile trail. But this is just the beginning. The West Mesa Trails Plan calls for a total of 25 miles of new trails in the area.
A city built around open space
Jim Sattler, Albuquerque’s Assistant Superintendent of Open Space, has worked with the city for over 30 years and has spent his entire career developing trails. We discussed the city’s offerings with him and Colleen McRoberts, Superintendent of the Open Space Division. “When people come to Albuquerque, what they probably enjoy most is the nature,” McRoberts told us.
And there’s a lot of it…