Out of the 229 Google reviews, Loma del Norte Park received 4.6 stars out of five. The top three most mentioned amenities at the park are trees, walk, and soccer. One five-star reviewer, Carl Smith, writes about eating lunch at the park during COVID-19 restrictions:
“With all the eating establishments closed for dining I decided to find a park to have lunch in. Found this hidden gem in my travels. I went back 40 years. This a no frills neighborhood park, I don’t think it even had public “facilities”, just open spaces and plenty of mature trees to lounge under. Please don’t go here……
One two-star review by Reidd Maxwell reads, “Can’t see at night. Ive had VHS clock lights brighter than whatever the hell is installed.” Another reviewer complained about not finding picnic tables to eat at, and another said the grass should be cut more often, while still another complained about a neighbor who “calls the cops on everyone,” yet still gave a five-star review.
Despite the complaints and a few two-star reviews, Loma del Norte Park does not seem to have much of a bad reputation. Most Google reviews and the one Yelp review give the park five-stars, with many commenting on the large trees, the quiet neighborhood, the grass fields, and the walking trail.
According to the City of Albuquerque’s Parks & Recreation website, the 9.75-acre park has a half-mile, 4-6 foot wide concrete trail that takes about 1,050 steps to complete. The trail has a difficulty rating of grade 1 and can be easily accessed from the street. Other amenities include two tennis courts, a basketball court, trash receptacles, swings, and a playground.
There are no water fountains or restrooms at the park and the grass fields are sometimes used by soccer and other sports teams for practices and games. A sign on the entrance to the tennis courts reminds park-goers that dogs, smoking, bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, and soccer are not allowed on the tennis courts.
Per city ordinance, dogs must be kept on a leash while at city parks, unless of course it is a dog park. Nevertheless, Loma del Norte Park is a great place to walk a dog or to just sit and relax. As Josh McLeave writes in another five-star Google review:
“What a great park. A little bit for everyone. They have two huge, lush fields for any type of game: disc golf, volleyball, football, soccer, etc… They have a full basketball court and tennis courts that are in great shape. There are paths for the kids to ride trikes and bikes. The playground has a lot of different sized structures and equipment . . .”
But, for Smith’s sake, don’t go there. Eating lunch in peace and quiet under the shade of a lush tree just isn’t worth it
