Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) sits along the Pecos River on the north side of Roswell, NM — an easy 15-minute drive from Main Street lodging, restaurants, and attractions. For families wanting easy access to nature to help their children discover the world beyond video games, Bitter Lake NWR is an outstanding option.
For most visitors, birds are the main wildlife attraction, although plenty of mammals, fish, amphibians, and reptiles call the refuge home. Patrick Collins, a member of the United Field Ornithologists of Roswell (UFO-Roswell), knows the birds of Bitter Lake NWR as well as anyone, and says fall and winter are especially good times to bring kids to the refuge for wildlife watching.
“The ponds are full of large numbers of waterfowl, especially cranes and geese, which are much easier to see because they are big birds,” he said.
Throughout fall and winter, 10,000+ Lesser Sandhill Cranes and 20,000+ Ross’s and Snow Geese grace the refuge as part of their annual migration. Get acquainted with these birds at Cranes and Cocoa, a free annual event hosted by refuge staff and the Friends of Bitter Lake NWR on Saturday, November 9 at 3 p.m at the refuge visitor center. Attendees will enjoy cookies, cocoa, and spiced tea while listening to passionate crane expert Dr. Jim Montgomery.
The group will head onto the refuge at 4 p.m. to watch the cranes return to the safety of the ponds after spending the day feeding in the fields. Friends of Bitter Lake NWR President Merideth Hildreth notes that volunteers will have spotting scopes so that you can view the birds up close.
Prefer to visit on your own? Wildlife is most active (very) early in the morning and late afternoon, so try to get to the refuge around sunrise or slightly earlier. Maps are located at the kiosk outside the visitor center — grab one and head to the eight-mile auto tour loop for a slow drive. (Pro tip: In the morning, drive clockwise so that the sun is behind you as you look out onto the ponds.) After about a mile, you’ll find a wheelchair-accessible bird blind alongside one of the big ponds where you might see cranes, egrets, and ducks in the pond, plovers and Killdeer on the mud flats, and Red-winged Blackbirds snacking on sunflower seeds.
When you reach the Oxbow Loop trail, get your kids out of the car and take a walk along the oxbow through the desert greenery. (Note that from October 15 through the end of February, the Oxbow Trail is closed until 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays to accommodate hunting.) You might see Long-billed Dowitchers foraging in a puddle, stealthy Great Blue Herons, or a Belted Kingfisher diving for fish.
Ready for a break? Head back to the visitor center, open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Look around the parking area for comical Scaled Quail and listen for meadowlarks. Inside, check out the displays, the nature store (lots of kid-friendly books), pick up a Watchable Wildlife brochure, and ask Park Ranger and Public Use Specialist Steve Alvarez to show the outstanding Oasis in the Desert and dragonfly videos, about 20 minutes total.
Bitter Lake NWR is located at 4200 East Pine Lodge Road in Roswell, NM, 88201, and the auto loop is open during daylight hours. Call 575.244.6256 for more information about Cranes and Cocoa or for other questions. When you visit the refuge, as with any outdoor activity, bring sunscreen, a broad-brim hat, water (available in the visitor center during hours of operation), bug repellant, sturdy shoes, and, as always, watch for snakes during warm weather.
Learn more about Bitter Lake NWR at https://www.fws.gov/refuge/bitter-lake and the Friends of Bitter Lake NWR at https://www.friendsofbitterlakenwr.org.
