Driving Tours
Natural Wonders
Recreation & Relaxation
The Arts, Museums & Must-See Sites
Billy the Kid
Towns & Counties
Special Events
Getting Here
Related Links
Contact Information
Home
Alameda Park Zoo
Alameda Park Zoo is the oldest zoo in the Southwest. It features American and Exotic Wildlife including herd animals, cougars, bears and birds. Shaded lawns are available for picnicking and recreation.
Address 10th and White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone 505-439-4290
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Located where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Southern Plains, the refuge is one of the more biologically significant wetland areas of the Pecos River watershed system. Located nine miles northeast of Roswell.
Phone (505) 622- 6755 ex. 29
Website http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/newmex/bitterlake/index.html
Days/Hours Open Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:30pm
Bonito Lake
Bonito Lake outside Ruidoso in the Sacramento Mountains of Southern New Mexico is a small man-made body of clear water reflecting the blue of the sky behind a dam at the end of a road that follows the Rio Bonito through forested canyons. It lies peacefully in a high country basin north of the sacred Apache peak of Sierra Blanca.
Location Bonito Lake is located approximately 10 miles north of the Village of Ruidoso off of Hwy 37.
Phone (505) 336-4886
Bottomless Lakes State Park
Seven small park lakes are bordered by high red bluffs at Bottomless Lakes State. The lakes' greenish-blue color creates the illusion that the lakes are bottomless, but they range in depth from 17 ft. to 90 ft.
In 1933 the bottomless lakes area was set aside as New Mexico's first state park. Lea Lake is the deepest lake at 90 feet and is the only lake where swimming is allowed. During summer, visitors can rent paddle boards and paddle boats for a small fee. Devil's Inkwell is 32 ft. deep and is named for its steep sides and dark water, the result of algae growth. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout in winter.
Phone 505-624-6058
Website www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks
Email SPatterson@state.nm.us
Address HC 12, Box 1200, Roswell, NM 88201
Brantley Lake State Park
This is New Mexico's newest state park. It is the southernmost lake in New Mexico, and a refreshing place to fish and enjoy other water sports. The visitor center includes historical exhibits about the Wild West Town of Seven Rivers. Anglers can catch a variety of warm water fish such as largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, white bass, bluegill, and crappie.
Phone (505) 457-2384
Website www.nmparks.com
Email AStiteler@state.nm.us
Address P.O. Box 2288, Carlsbad, NM 88221
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Take a tour in the comfortable 56-degree climate and behold Carlsbad Caverns' bizarre formations - stalactites and. The creation of the caves began some 250 million years ago, when the region was part of a vast inland sea.
The park contains more than 100 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave - the nation's deepest limestone cave (1,567 feet) and third longest. Don’t miss the Big Room, eight football fields big. There are self-guided and ranger-guided tours. Reservations are recommended for the following excursions: Kings Palace, Left Hand Tunnel, Slaughter Canyon Cave, Lower Cave, Spider Cave, and Hall of the White Giant.
At dusk between May and October, you can witness 300,000 Mexican freetailer bats exit the cave!
Phone 505-785-2232Website www.nps.gov/cave
Email cave_interpretation@nps.gov
Address 3225 National Park Highway, Carlsbad, NM 87747
Days/Hours Open Open year-round except Christmas. The visitors center is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in summer; 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the rest of the year
General Information Facilities include a visitors center and dining, picnicking, and camping facilities.
Directions From US 285, take NM 62/180 south to the park or from White's City take NM 7.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Rising from the desert, this mountain mass contains portions of the world's most extensive and significant Permian limestone fossil reef. Day hiking or walking, camping, backpacking, wildlife viewing, photography, and horseback riding.
Phone Headquarters Visitor Center: (915) 828-3251, Dog Canyon Ranger Station (505) 981-2418
Address HC 60 Box 400, Salt Flat, TX 79847-9400
Website http://www.nps.gov/gumo/
Days/Hours Open Daily 8:00am - 4:30pm
Hillcrest Park and Zoo
The 2nd largest zoo in the state, The Hillcrest Park & Zoo with more than 140 acres of parkland, has lots of playground equipment for children to enjoy, a basketball court, a sunken garden, and plenty of picnic areas.
Address Sycamore And 10th, Clovis, NM 88101
Phone (505) 769-7870
Lake Carlsbad Beach Park
The Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area is 125.6 acres located along the Pecos river from the railroadbridge south to the upper Tansil Dam.
Phone (505) 885-6262
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
Dedicated to the interpretation of the Chihuahuan Desert, Living Desert State Park is an indoor/outdoor living museum displaying more than 40 native animal species and hundreds of succulents from around the world. While on the 1.3-mile self-guided tour, which takes approximately 1.5 hours, visitors discover sand dunes and mountainous areas, where pinon and juniper trees contrast with the desert floor below. One of the park's main highlights are endangered Mexican wolves. A visit to Living Desert is not complete without a stop at the greenhouse. Here, hundreds of succulents and cacti from around the world show off their spines and beauty. Many cacti are also for sale in the Gift Shop.
Phone (505) 887-5516
Website nmparks.com
Email KBritt@state.nm.us
Address P.O. Box 100, Carlsbad, NM 88221
Days/Hours Open Summer Hours 8 am -8 pm; last entry 6:30 pm; Winter Hours 9 am -5 pm; last entry 3:30 pm
Directions On the northwest edge of Carlsbad off US 285
Mescalero Apache Reservation
Located in South Central New Mexico, the reservation is approximately 720 square miles and is home to about 4000 Native Americans.
Phone 505-464-9270
Website http://www.mescaleronet.com/index.htm
Oasis State Park
A true oasis, Oasis State Park is set among cottonwood trees, shifting sand dunes, and a small fishing lake. More than 80 bird species make their home at the park during the year. It's especially ideal in winter. Look for great blue heron, ring-neck pheasant, quail, and western sandpiper.
Phone (505) 356-5331
Website www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks
Email jwhary@state.nm.us
Address 1891 Oasis Road, Portales, NM 88130
Days/Hours Open 24 hours
Directions 6.5 miles north of Portales via NM 467
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park
Set against the west-facing escarpment of the Sacramento Mountains, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park features historical exhibits and a fully restored 19th century ranch house. Springs from Dog Canyon support a variety of unexpected plant life, including maidenhair fern and wild orchids.
Life of late 19th century settlers can be experienced through the guided tours of Oliver Lee's ranch headquarters.
Phone 505-437-8284Website nmparks.com
Email olee@wayfarer1.com
Address 409 Dog Canyon, Alamogordo, NM 88310
Days/Hours Open 24 hours
Directions 12 miles south of Alamogordo via US 54
Sumner Lake State Park
Sumner Lake State Park offers fishing for a variety of species, including bass, crappie, channel catfish and the most abundant species--walleye. The lake is a winter haven for migrating waterfowl. Besides excellent warm-water fishing, boating, swimming, and water skiing are popular.
Nearby is the Civil War relic, Fort Sumner, with many special historical events and interpretation. Billy the Kid's grave site is also close by.
Phone (505) 355-2541Website www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks
Email RTerrell@state.nm.us
Address HC 64, Box 125, Fort Sumner, NM 88119
Valley of Fires Recreation Area
The Valley has 125 square miles of buckled, twisted lava that originated from several volcanoes, including one vent now known as Little Black Peak, 9 miles northwest of the dusty, windswept town of Carrizozo. Open year round; entry fees Located four miles west of Carrizozo off U.S. 380.
Phone 505-648-2241, Campground 505-627-0272 BLM Roswell
Address P.O. Box 871, Carrizozo, NM 88301
White Sands National Monument
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. In the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico.
White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this 275-square-mile gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment.
A variety of activities include bird watching, hiking, interpretive programs, nature walks, and unbelievable stargazing. An eight-mile scenic drive leads from the Visitor Center into the heart of the dunes. Wayside exhibits at pullouts along the drive provide information about the natural history of the park. Numerous parking areas along the drive allow visitors to stop and walk in the white sands. Allow 40 minutes driving time for the 16-mile roundtrip, plus additional time for walking, photography or stopping at pullouts. The Interdune Boardwalk has interpretive exhibits.
For those who would like to explore the dunes on foot, the Big Dune Trail is a one-mile self-guided nature trail.
Phone (505) 679-2599
Website www.nps.gov/whsa
Address P.O. Box 1086, Holloman Air Force Base, NM
Days/Hours Open The monument is open daily, except Christmas Day. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day): Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Dunes Drive 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Winter hours: Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Dunes Drive 7:00 a.m. - sunset.
Fees $3 - 7 Days. $20 - Annual
Directions The visitor center is located on U.S. Highway 70/82, 15 miles (24.15km) southwest of Alamogordo and 52 miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
