USFWS · New Mexico

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in southern New Mexico. It was founded in 1939 and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a favorite spot to observe sandhill cranes, which spend the fall and winter in the area. The reserve is open year-round and provides safe harbor for its varied wildlife. Visitors to the refuge also enjoy partaking in activities such as hiking, cycling, driving tours on the 12-mile scenic auto route, and participating in educational programs offered on site.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge57,268 acresUSFWSNM
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateNew Mexico
Size57,268 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 2
Center point33.8005, -106.8740
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 26)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.38 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowFebruary: 0.43 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMarch: 0.40 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowApril: 0.33 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 0.90 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 0.59 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowDecember: 0.75 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 38.6°F averageFebruary: 43.5°F averageMarch: 50.7°F averageApril: 57.7°F averageMay: 66.0°F averageJune: 75.3°F averageJuly: 79.1°F averageAugust: 76.6°F averageSeptember: 69.9°F averageOctober: 58.5°F averageNovember: 47.0°F averageDecember: 38.0°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Bosque Del Apache, 1 mile from the center point at 4,512 feet, station USC00291138 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 10 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 2 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Historic Trail · Adjacent
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
National Register listings within 15 miles · 18 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

57,268 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in?

New Mexico.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 33.800, -106.874. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 26 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (adjacent). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge?

18 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Hilton, August Holver, House and Vigil, Rufina, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.