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National Parks and National Forests, Southern New Mexico (View Photos):
The southern half of New Mexico leads to many a quiet path. Largely devoid of development and the imprint of man, this vast region features beautiful scenery in a peaceful, idyllic setting. Quiet towns are widely dispersed across arid plains punctuated by relatively anonymous mountains. The landscapes here are perhaps more subtle than other places in the American Southwest, but the riches they contain are every bit as rewarding.
America's southern most section of the Continental Divide weaves its way along the crest of endless mountains ranges that offer hikers myriad opportunities to experience the outdoors. The enormous and infrequently visited Gila National Forest contains some of the most pristine wilderness in the country. The native Mogollon peoples who once lived in this region centuries ago have left behind traces of their mysterious culture in places like Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument where pictographs and cave dwellings testify to a civilization obscured by the sands of times.
New Mexico's only National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, lures visitors into a series of strange and wonderfully bizarre subterranean chambers that defy adequate description. Brimming with massive stalactites, stalagmites, pits, passageways and a bewildering variety of cave formations, Carlsbad Caverns will amaze and astound. Recreational opportunities abound near Las Cruces where trails take hikers beneath the craggy spires of the Organ Mountains.
Large swaths of National Forest lands in Southern New Mexico have been practically forgotten, leaving people to explore the forests and mountains at a comfortable pace in virtual solitude. Across this vast and diverse terrain, silence often reigns where only the sound of the wind and the creatures can be heard.
Recommended Day Hikes:
Hillsboro Peak - Gila National Forest
Round Trip Length: 10.0 miles
Trailhead location: The Emory Pass parking lot off NM 152
Level of Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Attractions: Magnificent views from atop a fire lookout tower of the remote Black Range mountains which form part of
the Continental Divide
Signal Peak - Gila National Forest
Round Trip Length: 5.0 miles
Trailhead location: The trail starts 1.5 miles past McMillan Campground off NM 15 (trail 742)
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: Great views of the evergreen carpeted mountain ranges of Gila National Forest, especially
from atop the fire lookout tower on the summit of Signal Peak
Gila West Fork - Gila National Forest
Round Trip Length: about 7.0 miles
Trailhead location: Drive on NM 15 to the end of the road. This takes you to the Gila Cliff
Dwellings National Monument parking lot where the trailhead is located.
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Solitude; with frequent crossings of the Gila river (whose waters are frigid), this trail penetrates
the huge Gila Wilderness area. Among the things you will encounter are vertical cliffs with large hoodoo formations, a robust
riparian environment, and a backcountry cliff dwelling from the time of the ancient Mogollon people
Cliff Dwellings Trail - Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Round Trip Length: 1.0 mile
Trailhead location: A 2-mile drive from the Monument Visitor Center
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: This trail takes you to a series of historic, well-preserved cliff dwellings built inside some
caves by Native Americans of the Mogollon culture between the late 1270s and 1300
Baylor Pass - Aguirre Spring Recreation Area (located in the Organ Mountains)
Round Trip Length: 4.0 miles
Trailhead location: Take the Aguirre Springs Recreation Area road (located off US 70-82) 5.9 miles to the
marked trailhead
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Attractions: Up close views of the striking Organ Mountains; Great views of Baylor Canyon and the distant Rio Grande Valley
Pine Tree Trail - Aguirre Spring Recreation Area (located in the Organ Mountains)
Round Trip Length: 4.5 miles
Trailhead location: Take the Aguirre Springs Recreation Area road (located off US 70-82) 6.1 miles to the
marked trailhead
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
Attractions: Large alligator junipers; Excellent views of the Organ Mountains
Recommended Points of Interest:
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (be sure to take the Kings Palace Guided Tour to see some of
the most ornately decorated caves in the world); White Sands National Monument; the Sacramento Mountains;
Rockhound State Park; Fort Bayard Champion Tree (the largest alligator juniper in the world - near Fort Bayard)
Helpful travel tips and observations
Call ahead to see if White Sands National Monument is open to visitors - the military frequently tests missiles
on the surrounding White Sands Missile Range which temporarily closes down the Monument. Also, the Monument may
be closed due to flooding (incredibly, it was closed for this very reason the last time I visited). To take
guided tours of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, you need to reserve tickets at least a day or two in advance
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More Photos: Page 1 > Page 2 > Page 3
Hillsboro Peak Trail, Gila National Forest, (November 2006)
Hillsboro Peak Trail, Gila National Forest, (November 2006)
View from Emory Pass, Gila National Forest, (November 2006)
Signal Peak Trail, Gila National Forest, (November 2006)
Baylor Pass Trail, Organ Mountains, (November 2006)
Yucca plant, Baylor Pass Trail, Organ Mountains, (November 2006)
Alligator juniper, Organ Mountains, (November 2006)
Baylor Pass with Rio Grande Valley in the distance, Organ Mountains (November 2006)
