Rio Mora

National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area

There is no charge to visit.

30 minutes before Sunrise - 30 minutes after Sunset

1611 NM Highway 161
Watrous, NM 87753

Plan Your Visit

Located in the transitional zone of the Great Plains and the Southern Rocky Mountains Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge is a unique 4,224-acre refuge surrounding a portion of the Mora River. Containing short grass prairies, riparian wetlands, piñon/juniper, oak and coniferous forests supporting a wide range of plant and animal life, including endangered species. Established due to a generous land donation in 2012, the refuge prioritizes research, restoration, and education and allows visitors to hike on the Juniper Nature Trail or participate in educational programming.

Trails

Juniper Trail: 2.25 miles; accessible year-round; natural surface with moderate difficulty.

Visitor Tips:

Temperatures and weather close to the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains can change quickly. Visitors are encouraged to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and insect repellant, binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, telephoto lens, field guides (especially for birds), and snacks. The best time to see wildlife on the refuge is around sunrise and sunset.

Check local weather to ensure you have dressed properly for the current season. It is recommended to always wear layered clothing, sturdy hiking shoes and a hat.

Interactive Map Get Directions

Hours

Opens: 30 minutes before Sunrise

Closes: 30 minutes after Sunset

Detailed hours

Safety Policies

Federal Wildlife Officers: 505-425-3581

For emergencies: 911

Rules and Policies

Passes

Onsite:

There is no charge to visit.

Detailed Directions

From Interstate 25:
To get to the Rio Mora Administrative Office: Take exit 364 and turn west onto Highway 161. Go about 5 miles west on Hwy 161. Near mile marker 16 there is the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Main Welcome Area.
To get to the Juniper Trail parking area: continue on the NM 161 road 5.5 miles until you see a gravel road going north (County Road 016-Loma Parda County Road). Cross the cattle guard and continue down Loma Parda County Road approximately 1 mile until you get to the Juniper Trail parking lot. (N 35.834030° W 105.078270°)

From Highway 518:
To get to the** Rio Mora Administrative Office**: Take Highway 161 west from Buena Vista. Go about 16 miles east on Hwy 161. Continue on the NM 161 road 16 miles until you see a double cattle guard and gravel road going north, this is the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area Main Welcome Area.
To get to the Juniper Trail parking area: Take Highway 161 west from Buena Vista. Continue on the NM 161 road 14.5 miles until you see a gravel road going north (County Road 016-Loma Parda County Road. Cross the cattle guard and continue down Loma Parda County Road approximately 1 mile until you get to the Juniper Trail parking lot. (N 35.834030° W 105.078270°)

Activities

Get Involved

While National Wildlife Refuges are here for wildlife and the American people, there are things you can do to help!

More than 42,000 people volunteer with National Wildlife Refuges across the nation and its territories to give contribution to the conservation and opportunities the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides. On Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, we have opportunities for local or resident volunteers to contribute to our work by working on the land, in the visitor center, or with youth. On refuge volunteers are chosen based on current refuge needs and the skills and interests of the prospective volunteer. If you would like more information about the refuge's volunteer opportunities, please contact the Visitor Services Manager at (505) 398-6481, alyssa_lu@fws.gov, or visit volunteer.gov.

Volunteers on National Wildlife Refuges provide essential assistance to refuge staff by helping or leading programs like:
•    Waterbird Surveys
•    Educational Programming
•    Elk Surveys
•    Guided Hikes
•    Visitor Center Operation
•    Large Event Help
•    And more!

Become a volunteer and contribute your strength on behalf of America’s natural resources.

Open the door to a potentially life-changing experience. If you land a student internship, a fellowship or a volunteer opportunity at a national wildlife refuge, fish hatchery or other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service site, you’re bound to come away with new insights and excitement about conservation.
National Wildlife Refuges annually recruit interns to assist with projects on the refuge. Check out a few of our current internship opportunities!

To conserve our natural and cultural resources effectively, we must work with others to bridge these boundaries. Partnerships foster creative solutions to challenging situations and often the results are greater than the sum of the parts. Learn more about our local partners: NRCS, Hermits Peak Watershed Alliance, Friends of The Northern NM National Wildlife Refuge, United World College, NM Highlands University, Luna Community College, High Prairie Grasslands Society, and many more.

Volunteer Opportunities

Working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

View volunteer opportunities

Services

Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area offer educational facilities for groups to learn about the refuge, its history, and sciences from within our educational area in the canyon of the refuge. If this is something your group is interested in reserving for an event or program, please contact us at 505-398-6481.

Educational Programming and Outreach:

Our team would love to be a part of your event or host you at the refuge. Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area offer educational facilities for groups to learn about the refuge, its history, and sciences from within our educational area in the canyon of the refuge. Our staff can also provide field trips and curriculum-based lessons for all students alike. For event inquiries please email: alyssa_lu@fws.gov.

Projects and Research:

National Wildlife Refuges use a wide range of land management tools based on the best science available. Some refuges use prescribed fires to mimic natural fires that would have cleared old vegetation from the land helping native plants regenerate and local wildlife to thrive. Other refuges contain Wilderness areas where land is largely managed passively and exclude modern technologies. The management tools used are aimed at ensuring a balanced conservation approach where both wildlife and people will benefit.

View All Projects

About

Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area, established in 2012 through a land donation, is located in the transition zone between the Great Plains and the Southern Rocky Mountains. The refuge contains 4,224 acres of shortgrass prairie, riparian wetlands, piñon/juniper, oak, and coniferous forests all surrounding a meandering five miles of the Mora River. This variety of habitat supports a wide range of animal and plant life, including endangered species. The refuge partners with many local and state organizations to facilitates research, restoration and education.

Every national wildlife refuge was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. Refuges are special places where wildlife comes first. All activities allowed on a National Wildlife Refuge must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.

The purpose of Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge is for the conservation, management and restoration of the fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans while facilitating restoration, research, and education.

The Rio Mora Conservation Area was established in 2012 in connection with the establishment of Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge. A conservation area is part of a larger landscape conservation strategy to protect a unique, highly diverse ecosystem. Within the conservation area, we hope to facilitate partnerships to provide protection and management for a number of priority species and ecosystems in the larger landscape. This will contribute to maintaining the biological integrity and sustainable human use of the area, maintaining both rare and common species, and supporting the ecological function and resiliency within the larger landscape. The Rio Mora Conservation Area is the 952,000-acre Mora River watershed. As the name suggests, the Mora River is the center and from it are tributaries such as the Sapello River, Coyote Creek, and many others. This landscape is important for migrating birds like the long-billed curlew and endangered species like the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.

Rules and Policies

A medium-size bird with black and white feathers and a long tail standing on a rock in a field

Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area

1611 NM Highway 161
Watrous, NM 87753

Get directions

(505) 425-3581

NNMNWRC@fws.gov