Tingley Beach – ABQ BioPark
Located south of Central Av. on Tingley Drive and the east side of Rio Grande Bosque, Tingley Beach is a recreational site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This beach is part of the Albuquerque Biological Park complex and it is open from sunrise to sunset all year round. Here you can find the Central Lake & Children’s pond and Catch & Release Lake, where children under 12 may fish. Visitors over the age of 12 require a New Mexico fishing license. Access to the beach is free.
The several ponds, known initially as Conservancy Beach, were built during the 1930s by diverting Rio Grande’s water and later renamed in Clyde Tingley’s honor. After the beach was closed in the 1950s to swimmers, it was primarily used for fishing. Tingley Beach was awarded by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums with the ‘2008 North American Conservation Award.’
Tingley Beach was fully renovated at the beginning of 2004 and was reopened to the public in 2005. The facility features fishing ponds for children and adults, paddle boats, a model boating pond, a gift shop, nature trails, a restaurant, Albuquerque Aquarium, a railroad connecting Tingley Beach with the Rio Grande Botanic Garden, and Rio Grande Zoo.
This place also offers paths for running and walking, wildlife-watching opportunities, grilling areas (these areas are restricted during fire season), and model boating opportunities.