The Northeast Heights is abundant with parks from big to small, and here is a short list of nearby parks and what each has to offer.
Ernie Taylor Park is right next to the Bear Canyon Senior Center, and is a small lot. Referred to as a pocket park, it has newly installed exercise equipment with the adjoining senior center in mind for patrons to be able to get some exercise nearby.
La Paloma Park is a tiny space of land on Moon just south of Academy right next to the La Paloma Apartments. There is an access bridge over the arroyo, a playground and a small seating area.
Academy Hills Park is a vast park starting at where Juan Tabo and Eubank meet and stretches all the way to Layton and Hubert Humphrey Elementary.
Unless you know where to park, it can be tough to figure out how to access this space from main roads.
The park can be accessed from Layton, or there is parking by heading west on Admiral Halsey Drive from Eubank, where there is an entrance and limited parking.
Also, on Academy Hills Drive, where the park ends at Hubert Humphrey Elementary, there is ample parking.
Deemed a center for function and creativity, the park is lined with paths surrounded with trees on the outer edges sprinkled with memorialized trees and benches. In the middle, there is a soccer field, a playground and seating areas throughout this park that stretches down the arroyo with large, grassy and landscaped walkways. The park also features a public art piece called Desert Primrose by Karen Yank.
The park offers easy access for nearby residents to take a walk just feet from their front doors.
Osuna Park is a tiny field just adjacent to Osuna Elementary, making it a convenient location for school events and parents to come out. All residents are welcome to the park, and there is a small amount of parking. It is not suggested to go there when parents are picking up or dropping their children, as traffic can be heavy during those times.
Prospectors Ridge Park was being utilized by the students at Georgia O’Keeffe Elementary, as well as residents walking along the paths. Parents do also pickup and drop off from the small parking area here, so again try to avoid those times.
Arroyo Del Oso Park is nestled between Osuna and Spain just off Wyoming. There is ample parking in the lot and on Spain, which extends along the driving path that steers through the park. It stretches to the Arroyo Del Oso Golf Course property and extends along the arroyo, which also has bridge access. This park has tons of activities with nine tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground and soccer fields. There is also a greenhouse project run by the city of Albuquerque that is cared for by volunteers.
Hahn Park is tucked away just north of Montgomery and is dedicated to Little League baseball games. There are fields of different sizes, ranging from T-ball-sized mini mounds to regular Little League and softball-sized fields fully equipped with stadium bench seating. It one of the very few local parks that provides restrooms with at least one port-a-potty at each field. Outside food and drink are prohibited, and there is semi-limited parking along the street-adjacent fields.To register for or find out more about Roadrunner Little League, visit www.rrll.org or call 505-299-9702.
