itineraries
Southbound along the Rio Grande from Albuquerque in the central region 2 nights out: Follow I-25 to Socorro on the southern edge of the central region, and beyond to the San Antonio exit. At San Antonio, turn south right on NM SR 1 and proceed to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Do this immediately after dawn, as the birdwatching is good first thing in the morning. Spend an hour or two on the loop road fee $3/vehicle; have binoculars handy. Continue south on NM SR 1 to a side road to Fort Craig National Historic Site. This ruin from frontier days will give you a sense of the desolate life experienced by the 19th-century soldiers in the then New Mexico Territory. There is a short interpretive trail. Return to SR 1 and continue south to rejoin I-25 and on to Truth or Consequences, locally called "T or C". There is a small museum Geronimo Springs Museum in T or C that explains how the town got its curious name, with some other cultural artifacts. You can either stop here M-S 9-5, $3 admission, catch a quick dip in one of the town's hot springs, or simply keep going south -- T or C isn't a great tourist site. En route to Las Cruces, pause in Hatch to pick up some chile see under "Eat". If you have time, before getting to Las Cruces, digress to Fort Selden State Monument, another site preserving a 19th-century fort. Open 9-5, closed Tuesdays and holidays; $3 admission. If you've had your fill of forts but still have time on your hands, consider instead leaving I-25 at Dona Ana to cross the Rio and drive south to Las Cruces along local roads through pecan orchards. Either way, spend the night in Las Cruces. Spend the next day in Las Cruces' several small museums, at New Mexico State University, or hiking in the Organ Mountains east of town. If you're ambitious, head over to White Sands National Monument in the southeast region, which is fairly close to Las Cruces. Either way, overnight in Cruces again. When you're ready to move on, either leave the region via I-10 eastbound to El Paso or westbound to Arizona, or return to Albuquerque.
An hour south of Albuquerque, drive west from Socorro through remote and beautiful southwest region, driving on to Tucson or looping back through Silver City 0-2 nights out: Leave I-25 at Socorro, enjoy the plaza and get some good New Mexico food. Budget travelers: motels here can be cheap. Take US 60 west to Magdalena, an Old West town famous as the end of a famous cattle drive from Arizona. West of Magdalena is the striking Very Large Array , radio astronomy telescopes spread across this broad valley on railroad tracks. Visitor center open 7 days, no charge. At Datil, take NM SR 12 southwest into The Gila and Catron County [] New Mexico's largest by area. Gilascapes , by a local resident, is full of updated information on this area of southwestern NM. You'll cross the Continental Divide halfway between Datil and Reserve, which is the Catron County seat. A few miles west of Reserve, turn south on US 180 through a forested area with great views of the mountains. At Alma is the road east to the old mining town of Mogollon trailers not advised, nighttime travel discouraged. Mogollon is lively on summer weekends, quiet at other times. Just south of Alma is Glenwood, a peaceful town with several motels and restaurants. A road leaves here for the nearby Catwalk [], in a narrow canyon above a cool stream; it's a spectacular place. Be cautious of flash floods here during the summer rainy season. South of Glenwood along US 180 is Leopold Vista, an expansive viewpoint on the west side of the highway. Farther south of Glenwood, you can turn west onto NM SR 78 watch for the sign! which leads past the tiny town of Mule Creek into Safford and on to Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. Long vehicles not advised for 20 miles or so west of Mule Creek. Or, stay on US 180 to Silver City. From Silver City, you can go south to I-10, Las Cruces, El Paso, and beyond -- north to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument -- or east along the windy and slow NM SR 152 to the almost-ghost towns of Kingston and Hillsboro, then back to I-25 and north to Socorro.
