Birding Trails

Wildlife watchers flock to the area lakes & river to view the many species of birds that migrate thru Sierra County.

Black Range Scenic Area

Located between Kingston & San Lorenzo, magnificent scenery of the Gila National Forest highlights this curvy drive through the Black Range Mountains & across Emory Pass.  Campgrounds, picnic areas & frequent pullouts invite you to stop & enjoy the breathtaking views.  Hiking & backpacking trails are marked at the trailheads.

Caballo

This community stretches 18 miles along Caballo Lake, and has several businesses scattered along the way.  The town and the lake are both named after the mountains... and the mountains were named for the herds of wild horses found to be descendants of the horses brought here in the 1540s. Sierra de los Caballos literally means "Sawtooth-Ridged Mountain Of The Horses." Nearby Caballo Lake State Park provides boating, water skiing, fishing & camping.  The Rio Grande and Caballo areas are a birdwatchers paradise.  Both Bald & Golden Eagles nest in the nearby Caballo foothills.   15 miles south of Williamsburg.  Exit 59 from I-25 onto State Hwy 187, north one mile.  (575) 743-3942

City of Elephant Butte

The City of Elephant Butte is located immediately west of Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico's largest lake. The area is in the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert offering high desert climates with warm days, cool nights and very low humidity levels. A wonderful area for year round outdoor activities including golf and fishing.

photo courtesy of: Monica Moon Miller

Elephant Butte Lake State Park is New Mexico's largest & most visited state park.  Providing easy access to the lake & its surrounding area.  Elephant Butte Lake is an approximately 40-mile long reservoir lake made from the damming of the Rio Grande river.  Water sports rule here!   Boat-ing, fishing, water-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing, swimming, scuba diving & camping are some of the full range of recreational activities at the lake.  Three full-service marinas provide support for watercraft of all types.  The park has more than 200 developed campsites & 150 RV hook-up sites.  The lake's sandy beaches & quiet coves offer plenty of settings for family fun.  The lake's well-stocked waters offer anglers a wide variety of fish including, bluegill, walleye, largemouth, small-mouth, white bass & striped bass, crappie & catfish.  The Visitors Center at the entrance has interpretive exhibits on native wildlife & geologic history of the area.  Exit 83 from I-25 onto State Hwy 195,  south four miles.  (575) 744-5921 or 1.888.NM.PARKS

Contains the history of Sierra County. From the mammoth & mastodon skulls and the world-class collection of prehistoric Mimbres pottery to the Apache, Hispanic, military, mining, ranching, and cultural exhibits, the Museum is a fascinating complex of historical artifacts. Each of several rooms represents a specific subject of history, with displays and artifacts interpreted so that the viewer can understand the items exhibited.  The Museum is located downtown Truth or Consequences, in the historic Hot Springs District, at 211 Main Street.  (575) 894-6600

Sierra del Rio Golf Course offers a country club experience for the daily fee golfer.  The true desert links layout weaves throughout Turtleback Mountain Resort, taking full advantage of the natural landscape to ensure stunning vistas and challenging play for golfers of all abilities. 

Unique Features:
Sculpted circular teeing grounds – as many as seven on some holes; Eighty-nine bunkers scattered through the course in beautiful clover leaf designs - some connected by strips of lush, green grass; Seven beautifully designed lakes, four of which will come into play.

Downtown Truth or Consequences sits on a hill above an aquifer. The aquifer was estimated in 1942 to produce 2.26 million gallons a day, making it one of the largest aquifers in North America. The water flows to the surface through faults, taking routes short enough that the water is still hot when it reaches the surface. The hot water also aids in freeing and dissolving minerals along the way. These unique mineral hot springs have long drawn people to Truth or Consequences.  From rustic pools to full service bath houses, visitors will find a place to relax and enjoy the healing waters of artesian pools.  Spa Town

Hot Springs Motorplex Project

Speedway Entertainment Properties is the developer of a 8,000 acre project for the sub-leasing to tenants to the area around Truth or Consequences airport. This will provide various kinds of pilot training opportunities, aircraft restoration, and air cargo.  Learn the latest

Set in the intimate shade of towering cottonwoods, Percha Dam State Park features camping, picnicking, fishing and bird-watching on the Rio Grande. Cottonwood and velvet ash trees shelter park visitors from the southern New Mexico sun. Visitors fish and swim to the backdrop of the Rio Grande. One of the 5 top birding sites in New Mexico, Percha Dam State Park is particularly interesting during spring and autumn migration seasons. Located 21 miles South of Truth or Consequences.  Exit 59 from I-25 onto State Hwy 187, south two miles.  (575) 743-3942

Sierra County is proud to be the home of Spaceport America. The Spaceport will be host to such companies as Virgin Galactic and the X-Prize Cup.  The Spaceport is approximately 27 miles from Truth or Consequences, located near Cutter. Construction of the main buildings is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2008 and the facility is schedule to be operational by early 2010.  Spaceport America will rocket Sierra  County into the future with the advent of commercial space travel.  See current news at People For Aerospace.

Located on the banks of the Rio Grande,  offers many hotels/motels and restaurants.  It is the "Hot Springs Capital of the World" for its hot mineral water (see hot mineral spas above).  It boasts a golf course, skateboard park, tennis courts, municipal parks and conference & convention facilities.  Many gift shops and antique stores are located here, as well as art galleries.  Ralph Edwards Fiesta - 1st Weekend of May

photo courtesy of: Judd Bradley Photography

In 2003, the small community of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, through diligence, sacrifice and patriotism, obtained the original Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, also known as The Wall That Heals, from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C. Fueled by the philanthropic spirit of generous individuals, the acquisition of The Wall has been a great accomplishment for the City of Truth or Consequences and the entire state of New Mexico. Future phases of the project include a learning center, museum, history trail and additional tributes to veterans.  The newest portion of the Park, called "the Walk of Education" will be a 5-point star with a monument for each war and conflict, from the Revolutionary War through Iraq, when it is complete.

Sierra County Ghost Towns

A Step Back in Time...

The Bridal Chamber, the Solitaire, the Silver Monument, the Ready Pay, the Opportunity and other mines produced millions in silver & gold in Lake Valley, Kingston, Chloride & Hillsboro in the 1870s, 80s and 90s.  Long before then, the area that is now Sierra County was home to Apaches and other Native Americans; and to Hispanic ranchers & farmers and their historic churches and cemeteries. Then came the Buffalo Soldiers and army forts, the miners, the railroads and stagecoaches, the merchants, the outlaws, the ladies of the evening and the lawmen who became a part of the lore and history of the Old West.

About 2 miles SW of Winston on Forest Road 226, was founded in 1881 after Englishman Harry Pye discovered silver chloride ore nearby.  Despite Indian attacks (Pye was killed by Apaches a few months after filing his claim), the town grew to 2,000 people.  It had eight saloons, three general stores, restaurants, butcher shops, a candy store, a lawyer, a doctor, a Chinese laundry and two hotels.  There were 12 producing mines and nearly 500 prospector holes in and around Chloride, including the Silver Monument, the U.S. Treasury and the St. Cloud, which is still in operation.  The silver panic of 1893 wiped out the town, but many original structures still stand, along with the town's two cemeteries.  The old Pioneer Store is being converted into a museum.  The "hanging tree" on Wall Street is 200 or more years old.  About 20 people now live in Chloride.

photo courtesy of: Dolores Steele

Located 15 miles NW of T or C on NM 52, was named for nearby Cuchillo Negro (Black Knife) Creek, which took its name from a local Apache chief.  The town was established by ranchers & farmers in the 1850s and flourished as a stage stop & trade center from the 1880s to the 1930s because it was mid-way between the mines at Chloride and Winston and the railroad at Engle.  A few original buildings still stand, including Cuchillo Bar & Store and the stables behind it.  San Jose Catholic Church was built in 1907.  Ritch's Pecans & Candy Shoppe is open October-May.  Cuchillo Cafe is open each Friday-Sunday.

Located 11 miles South of Engle, was originally a railroad station constructed as another water stop for the railroad.  It was primarily a shipping point for ore from the Caballo Mountains & Hillsboro, and for transporting supplies through the Palomas Gap to the west side of the Rio Grande.  Cutter reached a population of 3,500 during the mining boom of the 1890s.  The last original building was torn down in 1956.  A new settlement has sprung up, centered around the established ranches.

Engle

Located 17 miles East of T or C on NM 51, was founded in 1879 as a station on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.  It became a thriving cattle town & shipping point for ore from nearby mines.  Construction of nearby Elephant Butte Dam from 1911-16 raised the population, but it declined after the dam was completed.  A few original buildings still stand, including the old schoolhouse, where church services continue to be held.  Headquarters of Ted Turner's Armendariz ranch along with several vineyards.  Trains still pass through town.  A visitor has one of the few remaining unobstructed views of the Jornada del Muerto. One can get a feeling for the loneliness that accompanied early travelers across this desolate stretch.

photo courtesy of: Dolores Steele

32 miles SW of T or C on NM 152, a picturesque old mining town was born in 1877 when gold was found at the nearby Opportunity and Ready Pay mines.  Despite fierce Indian attacks, the town grew.  It became the county seat in 1884 and had 1,200 people by 1907.  Area mines produced more than $6 million in gold and silver.   T or C became county seat in 1938.  Hillsboro is now a well known community of writers, artists, ranchers & miners.  The tree-lined village features cafes, a post office, motel, shops, art galleries, and a bed & breakfast.  The 120 year old General Store, the remains of the old county courthouse (where three men were tried in 1899 for the murders of Judge Albert J. Fountain and his nine year old son), Black Range Museum, Union Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.  Experience Christmas in the Foothills the 1st Saturday of December &  concerts in Community Center throughout the season. 575-895-5306. See Hillsboro brochure on Visitor's Page

9 miles West of Hillsboro on NM 152, was founded when Jack Sheddon discovered a rich lode of silver ore at the Solitaire Mine in 1882.  It grew rapidly to more than 7,000 people and was the largest town in the territory -- and one of the wildest in the Wild West.  Kingston produced $10 million in silver in the 1880s-90s.  It had 22 saloons, 14 groceries, gambling halls, a brewery, three newspapers and a British madam (Sadie Orchard), who had a brothel on Virtue Avenue.  Today, about 30 people live in Kingston.  One floor of the old Victorio Hotel remains.  The Black Range Lodge is built on the ruins of Pretty Sam's Casino and the Old Percha Bank is a museum open by appointment only.  The Spit & Whittle Club, the nation's oldest social club, dates to 1888 and is still active.

photo courtesy of: Ray Bales

17 miles South of Hillsboro on NM 27, was named for ancient lake beds nearby.  It was founded with the discovery of silver in the area in 1878.  The town moved twice before settling at its present site in 1882 when the Bridal Chamber Mine was discovered.  The subterranean mine produced 2.5 million ounces of silver ore so pure it was shipped un-smelted to the mint.  A state stop and railhead, Lake Valley grew to 4,000 people, with 12 saloons, three churches, two newspapers, a school, stores, and hotels.  The 1893 silver panic wiped out the town and a fire destroyed main street in 1895.  Lake Valley is today a true ghost town, as the last permanent residents left in 1994.  You can take a walking tour of the town site.  The school house, built in 1904, is open to the public.  A chapel and several old homes still stand.  The cemetery is across the highway from town.

photo courtesy of: Bill Yanneck

Monticello

25 miles North of T or C on NM 142, was founded by ranchers & farmers in 1856 and called Canada Alamosa (Cottonwood Canyon).  The town was renamed in 1881 by its first postmaster, John Sullivan, of Monticello, N.Y.  Once the headquarters for the Southern Apache Agency, Monticello was home to 500 Apaches in 1870.  It was built in a square to protect residents from attack.  You can still see remains of the old adobe town walls when you visit the historic plaza.  Monticello's cemetery is located on a hill northwest of the historic plaza, with graves dating back to the 1700s.  Mass is still said at the historic San Ignacio Catholic Church, first built in 1869.

Placita ("Little Plaza")

2 miles South of Monticello on NM 142,  located along the Canada Alamosa River.  It was settled in the 1840s by the Sedillo family, whose descendants still live there. San Lorenzo Church, built in 1916, & some of the town's original buildings, including the school house, a dance hall and several homes, still stand.

photo courtesy of: Dolores Steele

Winston

38 miles NW of T or C on NM 52,  is nestled in a valley that was once part of the Warm Springs Apache homelands.  Winston was called Fairview when it was settled by miners from nearby Chloride in 1881.  By 1884, it had 3,100 people, a school, bars, a newspaper, horse races, and featured plays & songfests at Cloudman Hall (named for the local butcher.)  Miner, businessman and future state legislator Frank H. Winston came to town in 1882.  He eventually owned several businesses and gave credit to customers in bad times.  When he died in 1929, the town was renamed in his honor.  Winston declined as silver prices dropped.  Today, only a few families remain.  Frank Winston's home and carriage house still stand, along with the 1890 school house and other old buildings, Winston, Store, Winston Bed & Breakfast & Cafe (in the old post office) and the Diamond Bar are open to the public.