Place to see: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, New Mexico, United States

About this place:

Bosque is rightfully famous for the amazing amount of birds that arrive in the early fall and spend the winter. Up to 3/4 of the Rocky Mountain population of Sandhill Cranes come here along with tens of thousands of Snow Geese and other waterfowl. Add in the gorgeous surrounding scenery and it's a sure to please destination for any fan of nature. When you arrive be sure to check in at refuge headquarters to get information on where best viewing is as it varies from year to year.

One of nature's great spectacles are the Snow Geese flyouts where at times 50,000 or more birds all take flight at once. Arriving just before sunrise at one of the pools with a still sleeping large flock is your best bet to catch flyout, it's truly worth getting up early! If you are a wildlife photographer, Bosque is absolutely one of the best locations in the world for bird photography. Whether its the inherent grace of a Sandhill Crane running on the water to take flight, or the awesome power of thousands of geese taking flight at once, Bosque is sure to offer memories that will last a lifetime.

A great place to help plan your visit, check current conditions and get recent bird counts is the website for the nonprofit Friends of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Lodging is available in Socorro, one half hour to the north.