The Duck Pond, located on The University of New Mexico main campus, is a highlight of the Albuquerque area, attracting not only students but visitors from across the city.

Living in a high desert, it is one of our favorite locations to visit a beautiful body of water in Albuquerque. Scattered around the outside of the pond are an array of colorful reclining chairs to relax, study, or converse. Located on a peninsula near the center of the Duck Pond, are comfortable wooden benches to sit down, under the shade of large trees.

When the spring flowers bloom, you can look forward to magnificent purple and white irides surrounding the edges of the pond grass. As the leaves turn golden-brown and fall to the ground, the Duck Pond transitions into a magical, serene landscape. During the chilly days of winter, the Duck Pond is a great place to make their version of Olaf the snowman. As Albuquerque begins to warm back up in the Summer, the Duck Pond becomes the perfect place to escape the heat in the shade. With fountains running throughout the year, the Duck Pond is home to a diverse population of wildlife. When exploring the Duck Pond, you can find an array of ducks, geese, and turtles.

Before what it’s known for today, UNM’s Duck Pond was a parking lot, a men’s dormitory named Yatoka Hall, and a strip of Yale Boulevard that went through Main Campus. Completed in 1975, the Duck Pond was an immediate hit with the students, and was its official name several years later.

Located in the center of main campus, the Duck Pond is an easy walk from almost anywhere around campus. Stop by around golden hour or in any season for gorgeous photography opportunities

The Duck Pond