Summer weather means picnic season is here — and Albuquerque has so many amazing spots for picnics!
Forgo fancy lunches and dinners, and instead lay out a blanket (or claim a picnic table) and enjoy a spread at some of my favorite picnic spots in and around Albuquerque!
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
The beautiful lawn in the heart of the Botanic Garden is a great spot for groups big and small. We love spreading out on the grass and letting the kids run wild before or after bounding through the Children’s Garden and watching the trains.
Cienega Canyon
Cienega, off Sandia Crest Road, is my kids’ favorite summer haven, with a seasonal creek, shaded picnic tables and easy trails. Enjoy your picnic beneath the pines and aspen trees, walk the nature trail and splash in the creek. There are pit toilets available too.
Doc Long Picnic Area
Just up the road from La Cienega, Doc Long Picnic Area is great for large groups! Reserve group sites on recreation.gov, or spread out your blanket and enjoy the sunshine! Pit toilets are available.
Local Parks
So many beautiful Albuquerque parks are great spots for a picnic. My favorites are North Domingo Baca (7521 Carmel Ave NE), Heritage Hills Park (7015 Ventura Ave NE), Singing Arrow (12929 Piru Blvd SE), Phil Chacon (7600 Southern Ave SE) and Kit Carson (1744 Kit Carson Ave SW) for the big grassy areas and beautiful shady trees.
We also love packing a picnic lunch to A Park Above (2441 Westside Ct SE, Rio Rancho). Picnic tables are at a premium here, but the playground is unmatched, and there’s space on the grass to spread out a blanket. Don’t forget, both Phil Chacon Park and A Park Above have splash pads and are free summer meal sites, meaning kids under 18 can get a free lunch most weekdays over summer vacation!
Tingley Beach
Snag a picnic table, bench or log and watch as anglers reel in their catch. Some picnic tables have shade, and there’s a small playground and porta-potties too! Tingley Beach is magical in spring when the sun is shining and flowers are blooming. Don’t forget to stroll beneath the cottonwood trees along the Bosque before or after your picnic, and maybe skip rocks into the Rio Grande too!
Local Pools
There’s nothing better than snacking and swimming on a warm summer afternoon! Most outdoor local pools have picnic tables or grassy areas where you can eat between splashing and cannonballs. My favorite is the West Mesa Aquatic Center, which has picnic tables, shade, and grass perfect for eating between swimming in the indoor and outdoor pools. The South Valley Aquatic Center is another great choice, with a pool, an awesome splash pad, and shaded tables. Several pools around Bernalillo County will be free summer meals sites this year, too!
Jemez Falls Picnic Area
This one is a bit of a drive, but so worth it! Jemez Falls Picnic Area is about 1.5-2 hours from Albuquerque, up in the Jemez Mountains. Hike less than half a mile down to the waterfall and splash in the creek before hiking back up to enjoy a picnic lunch at the tables beneath the beautiful pine trees. There’s nothing like enjoying a cool mountain breeze and listening to rustling pines when Albuquerque is pushing 100 degrees!
What’s your favorite picnic spot in and around Albuquerque? Let us know in the comments!
