New Mexico Activities           
          Day & Weekend Trips                      

YEAR ROUND ACTIVITIES AND PLACES TO VISIT

Abiquiu
Once home to world famous artist Georgia O'Keeffe, Abiquiu is also home to the Ghost Ranch, also called Rancho de los Brujos (ranch of the witches).  Ghost Ranch is 21,000 acres of beautiful scenery, museums and a natural retreat.  Ghost Ranch is also home to an incredible fossil bonebed.  Hundreds of fossilized skeletons of the dinosaur Coelophysis were found here, most likely killed as a result of a sudden flood or mudslide.  Because of this, scientists have the unique opportunity of studying this animal in all life stages.  Located near Abiquiu is Pedernal.  This flat-topped landform is the remains of a volcano.  Artist Georgia O'Keefe painted the scene so many times she said Pedernal was probably her favorite subject. "It's my private mountain," she frequently said. "God told me if I painted it often enough I could have it."
http://www.ghostranch.org/

Bandelier National Monument
Located near Los Alamos, at Bandelier National Monument you can explore Anasazi ruins and cliff dwellings.
http://www.nps.gov/band/

Bisti Badlands – Nature's Sculpture Garden
Little visited and largely unknown, the Bisti Badlands is an amazingly scenic and colorful expanse of undulating mounds and unusual eroded rocks covering 4,000 acres.  Water and wind set about carving the sandstone into the exquisite and ever changing shapes. They sculpted those fanciful geologic forms called "hoodoos," which are sandstone pedestals capped by harder boulders or shale plates. Geologists call the sculpting process "differential erosion," which means that water and wind erode "soft" rocks like sandstone more rapidly than they erode "hard" rocks like ironstone or shale.
http://www.bistibadlands.com/

Blackwater Draw Site and Museum
Blackwater Locality No. 1 is the "Clovis Type Site" for the oldest accepted widespread culture in the New World.  Evidence of their remarkable "fluted" points (a New World invention), other stone and bone weapons, tools, and processing implements are found at the site. These implements are found in association with extinct Pleistocene megafauna such as Columbian mammoth, ancient bison, large horses, and large turtles. Other Pleistocene age animals that visited the site for food and water were tapir, camel, four-prong antelope, tampulama, llama, deer, dire wolf, ground sloth, short-faced bear, saber-tooth cat, shovel-toothed amebeledon, beaver, armadillos, and peccary.
http://www.enmu.edu/academics/excellence/museums/blackwater-draw/

Bosque del Apache
Located south of Socorro, the Bosque del Apache is a bird sanctuary.  Winter finds an abundance of migrating birds including snow geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes.  The Festival of the Cranes, held each November, attracts bird watchers and photographers from around the globe.
http://www.desertusa.net/mag00/nov/stories/bosque.html

Bradburry Science Museum
Located in the Los Alamos area, the Bradburry Science Museum highlights the history of Los Alamos National Laboratories and the Manhattan Project.
http://www.lanl.gov/museum/

Capulin Volcano National Monument
Have you ever wanted to walk into a volcano? Capulin Volcano is one of the few places in the world where you can do that.  A trail, less than ¼ mile long, goes to the vent at the bottom of the crater and gives you an unusual opportunity to see the inside of a volcano.
http://www.sangres.com/features/capulin.htm

Carlsbad Caverns
Plan to spend at least a day or two exploring these awesome formations beneath the Guadalupe Mountains.  At dusk, observe over 500,000 bats leaving the cavern.
http://www.carlsbad.caverns.national-park.com/

Chama Valley
Said to be the best kept secret in the Rocky Mountains.  Enjoy fishing, camping, and cowboy poetry at one of the areas lodges or ranches. Ride The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad between Antonito and Chama.
http://www.chama.com/

Chimayo
Home of the famous El Santuario de Chimayo church, where holy dirt from a hole in the church is said to have healing powers.  Pilgrims from around the world visit the church in search of miracles.  The area is known for its famous weavers and artisans.
http://www.chimayo.org/

El Mapais
El Mapais is Spanish for badlands.  Located near Grants, the area boasts 115,000 acres of lava flows, cinder cones, lava tubes, ice caves and ancient Native American Trails.  At the ice cave location is the Bandera Volcano, the largest cinder cone in the area.  A hike up to the cinder cone, followed by a hike down to the ice caves, where the temperature is never higher than 31 degrees, is a great family outing.  The floor of the ice cave is approximately 20 feet thick and mining of the ice has been prohibited since 1946.  Since then the ice floor has increased 12 feet in depth.
http://www.nps.gov/elma/
http://www.icecaves.com

Enchanted Circle
New Mexico's most spectacular scenic byway, an 85-mile loop winding through high mountains and forests. Experience five charming villages, each with its own character, an arts mecca, a wild river country town, a frontier town, a lakeside village, and an alpine resort.
http://www.enchantedcircle.org/

Fishing
Various locations with excellent fishing are located throughout the state.  Some of the most common locations include Navajo, San Juan, Heron, Chama River, Rio Grande Northern Waters, Sandia Pueblo Lakes, Jicarilla Lakes and Cochiti.  For current fishing conditions, check out the following link:  http://www.abqjournal.com/go/fishingline.htm

Gila Wilderness
Three million acres of wilderness filled with abundant wildlife and native plants.  Enjoy the natural hot spring waters and explore the ancient Gila Cliff Dwellings, once inhabited in the thirteenth century by Mongollon Indians.
http://www.desertusa.com/gila/gila.html
http://www.nps.gov/gicl/

Hot Springs (Throughout the State)
There are a handful of funky, old-style spas within easy reach of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos where you can enjoy the same invigorating experience that revived the weary travelers of yesteryear.  Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, 40 minutes north of Santa Fe is one.  You will find another on the other side of the Jemez Mountains in the town of Jemez Springs, the eponymous spa has an unpretentious bathhouse more than 100 years old that offers a similar no-frills experience amid the mountain pines.  Then, south of Albuquerque, more new-age amenities are being added to the traditional offerings at the hot springs of Truth or Consequences (named after the game show).  Choose among five natural mineral pools and a roster of wraps, massages, cranial-sacral therapy and reflexology.
http://www.nmtourism.org/go/loc/destinations/page/destinations-hotsprings.html

Hubbard Museum of the American West
Located in Ruidoso, the museum features a stunning array of horse sculptures, art, historical objects, and photography.  A tribute to the old west.
http://www.hubbardmuseum.org/

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
Tucked into the steep cliffs of Peralta Canyon are the "tent rocks," cream-colored cones of pumice and volcanic tuff which range in height from a few feet to 90 feet and are crested with erosion-resistant cap rocks. Wind and water have carved openings of all shapes and sizes in the rocks and contoured the ends of the ravines and canyons into smooth semi-circles. Visitors can explore dozens of narrow slot canyons around the tent rocks. Scattered through the cliff deposits are fragments of obsidian or volcanic glass called "Apache Tears."
http://www.pueblodecochiti.org/kashakatuwe.html

Kokopelli's Cave Bed and Breakfast
Just north of Farmington Kokopelli's offers accommodations in a 1,650-square-foot, one-bedroom cave home carved from a 65-million-year-old sandstone formation 70 feet below ground. The cave and cliff tops provide panoramic vistas of Shiprock and the Chuska Mountain of the Navajo reservation, as well as views of the Ute Mountains to the northwest, the Carrizo Mountains of Arizona, and the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. You reach the cave's entrance by walking down a sloping path to a short ladder, via which you descend onto the flagstone porch. The home's refrigerator and kitchen are stocked with breakfast materials and fruit, but otherwise guests must bring their own food. The cave is also equipped with a television (one channel only), a VCR, and a Jacuzzi, as well as a waterfall shower. There's also a barbecue grill. Maps and tour information on the area are provided, and personalized tours of the Anasazi ruins and ancient cultural sites can be arranged.
http://www.bbonline.com/nm/kokopelli/

National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak
The 76-cm Dunn Solar Telescope, located on Sacramento Peak at an altitude of 2804 meters, is the premier facility for high-resolution solar physics. The evacuated light path eliminates the loss of image clarity due to distortions from the air. NSO has pioneered solar adaptive optics and high-resolution, ground-based solar physics as a necessary prelude to ATST.
http://www.sunspot.noao.edu/

New Mexico Mining Museum
Nowhere in the world are the raw and often dangerous conditions of mining re-created as they are in Grants, New Mexico, in the "only Uranium Mining Museum in the World."
http://www.grants.org/mining/mining.htm

Rancho de San Juan
Just 36 miles from Santa Fe, Rancho de San Juan is a resort and spa.  With an onsite restaurant that was rated #1 in New Mexico by Zagat and a Wine Spectator's award of excellence five years in a row, a fine dining experience is assured.  Nearby Ojo Caliente offers sandstone caves to explore and natural mineral springs to relax and enjoy.  If you are looking for an enchanted weekend of pampering, Rancho de San Juan might be just what you are looking for. 
http://www.ranchodesanjuan.com/2005/

Roswell
Home to the controversial Roswell UFO incident in 1947 a visit to Roswell must include the International UFO Museum.
http://www.roswellcvb.com/
http://www.iufomrc.com/

Ruidoso
A lovely mountain retreat that includes the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino/resort and Ski Apache.  Ski Apache has been called one of the best warm weather powder ski locations in the world.  The Ruidoso Downs Race Track hosts the largest quarter horse purse in the country.  Mineral hot springs, award winning golf courses, and Hubbard Museum of the West, round out this trip.
http://www.ruidoso.net/

Shakespeare Ghost Town
Touted as the wests most authentic ghost town, Shakespeare is located at Lordsburg.  Walk the streets trod by Billy The Kid, John Ringo, The Clantons and more. Walk a portion of the Butterfield Trail and other points of interest. Hear stories of the West as it really was.
http://www.shakespeareghostown.com/

Shiprock
Located near Farmington, Shiprock is the remains of a solidified lava core of a dormant 40 million year old volcano.  Named in the mid 1800s for its resemblance to a 19^th century Clipper sailing ship.  It is illegal to climb the rock as a result of Navajo protests as they believe that climbing the rock will disturb their ancestors.
http://sacredsites.com/americas/united_states/shiprock.html

Skiing
If you enjoy cross-country skiing, then the national forest and wilderness areas are your best bets from mid-December to early March.  There are over 70 trails in northern New Mexico alone.  Contact the New Mexico Ski and Travel Club for more information at (505)881-7832.

If you prefer downhill skiing you will have a choice of several local resorts:
Angel Fire (505)377-2301
Parajito Ski Area (505)662-5725
Red River (505)754-2223
Sandia Peak (505)242-9052
Santa Fe (505)982-4429
Sipapu (505)587-2240
Taos (505)776-2291
http://www.skinewmexico.com/
 
Taos
There are over 65 galleries, shops and restaurants in the Taos historic district.  Located near the town is the Taos Pueblo which has two historic multi-story pueblo structures, and St. Francis De Asis Church, which dates back to 1815.  The Taos Box of the Rio Grande River is an ideal location for white water rafting.  Abundant snow falls in Taos Ski Valley.  Legend says that Taos Mountain has magical powers that allow it to control the lives of those who come under its spell.  If you please the mountain, you will return.
http://www.taos.org/

Very Large Array Telescope
New Mexico's stairway to the stars consists of 27 satellite dish antennae that monitor radio emissions from the stars.  This was the location of the movie Contact staring Jodie Foster.
http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

War Eagles Air Museum
The War Eagles Air Museum is located at the Doña Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa, New Mexico.   The War Eagles Air Museum is dedicated to collecting, restoring and displaying historic aircraft of the World War II and the Korean Conflict eras. To demonstrate the sights and sounds of these high-powered machines, most of this magnificent collection is maintained in flying condition. 
http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/

White Sands National Monument
Mile upon mile of powdered gypsum attracts over half a million visitors per year.  Sled down the dunes.  Don't forget your camera, it's hard to take a bad picture in this fascinating environment.  Keep an eye out for Oryx, an exotic antelope that resides here.  Observe a moment of silence at Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was detonated.
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/
 

NEW MEXICO SEASONAL ACTIVITIES

July
Fiestas de Taos
An annual celebration of the people of Taos and their unique cultural heritage.  The unique Taos heritage includes Pueblo Indians, Plains Indians, Spanish Explorers, Conquistadors, French fur trappers and American mountain men.  A ride on the "Flying Jenny" carousel is a must.  The carousel features ponies and a pink unicorn, painted by Taos artists.  (800)816-1516.
http://fiestasdetaos.com/

August 
Inter-tribal Ceremonial in Gallup
Since 1922, the town of Gallup in the northwest has been celebrating its tribal community and Native Americans with the Annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, a 5-day long event in August. More than 30 tribes from throughout the states join together to participate in parades, dances, rodeo contests, and more. Treasure the preservation and evolution of these tribes through observing their art and crafts, eating their native foods, and witnessing their traditional dances. All the color and flourish you would expect from a celebration of Native American Indian culture is present.
http://www.indianceremonial.com/


September – Labor Day Weekend 
Hatch Chile Festival
Offers food, fun, and all things chile.
http://www.nmchili.com/hatch_chile_fest.htm


September
Great American Duck Race
A grand event that includes chile cook-offs, carnivals, hot air balloons, karaoke contests, pageants, music, and of course duck races.
http://www.demingduckrace.com/

September
High Road Art Tour
Visit galleries, studios and community centers located along the High Road between Taos and Santa Fe. Enjoy the natural beauty of the mountains and the expression of beauty by traditional and contemporary artisans living in the villages from Chimayo to Vadito.
http://www.highroadnewmexico.com/


September – End of month
The Whole Enchilada Festival
Las Cruces (the crosses) is home to The Whole Enchilada Festival and the making of the Worlds Largest Enchilada.  Parades, music, cooking contests, and family fun abound.
http://www.twefie.com/

October
El Rancho de las Golondrinas Harvest Festival
Just 45 miles north of Albuquerque the festival features demonstrations by the El Rancho de las Golondrinas Living History Museum docents in period costumes.  Demonstrations include crushing grapes for wine, stringing chile ristras, milling and threshing wheat, making molasses and bringing in the harvest.  It's music, dance, art, entertainment and fun for the whole family.
http://www.golondrinas.org/

            NEW MEXICO...VISIT FOR A LIFETIME