Away From the Crowds in New Mexico

New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment. The state offers a lot of natural places to enjoy.

The Casa Grande Trading Post & Museum is located in the historic village of Cerrillos. The 28-room adobe building dates from 1975 and was constructed out of 65,000 handmade adobe bricks. The Cerrillos Turquoise Mining Museum exhibits a collection of mining antiques, dioramas, photographs, and a large mineral collection. A gift shop features handmade jewelry with rare Cerrillos turquoise.

There is a petting zoo with playful goats, a llama named Coco, and chickens.

El Morro National Monument has been an important landmark for centuries and is called “Inscription Rock.” The walls are covered with more than 2,000 Native American petroglyphs dating back to 700 years ago. Take the two-mile Mesa Top Trail that stretches past the historic pool, a reliable water source. At the top, hikers are rewarded with amazing views of the Zuni Mountains and the El Malpais Valley.

Fort Stanton Cave is part of the Fort Stanton Historic Site. It is one of the most interesting cave systems in New Mexico. The cave was shaped by both natural forces and human history. It served as a Civil War storage depot and later became a tuberculosis sanitarium. The unique geology includes rare shield formations and pristine selenite crystals. Visitors can get guided tours.

Gallinas Canyon is a lovely canyon located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is a great place to do some bird-watching. A trail follows an old narrow-gauge railroad track along the Gallinas River. It passes through stands of old-growth ponderosa pines. During springtime you can see waterfalls. Visitors might catch a glimpse of elk herds and the endangered Mexican spotted owls.

Kasha Katuwe Slot Canyon is located near Tent Rocks National Monument. It is a popular recreation area between Santa Fe and Albuquerque that offers visitors a great hiking experience, taking them through narrow passageways that were shaped by ancient floods where the walls rise up 90 feet high and create lovely light patterns. Along the 3-mile trail are incredible rock formations, springtime desert flowers, and ancient petroglyphs hidden along the canyon walls.

The Lightning Field is located near Quemado. This is a famous art installation created by Walter De Maria. The installation consists of 400 polished stainless steel poles that have been arranged in a grid over one mile by one kilometer.

During storms, the poles attract impressive lightning displays.

Located along the Rio Grande River near Alcalde is the Los Luceros Historic Site. It consists of a Victorian mansion, original 18th-century adobe buildings, and apple orchards. The orchards grow their famous “Harrison” apples. Visitors can explore the grounds featuring old irrigation channels, historic outbuildings, and great bird-watching spots. You can also enjoy traditional farming demonstrations and cooking classes using old-fashioned methods.

Located in the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument are the Quarai Mission Ruins. The ruins are of a 17th-century Spanish mission church with red sandstone walls.

A network of trails leads visitors through the surrounding pueblo ruins. Native medicinal plants grow in the area. Rangers occasionally offer demonstrations of traditional pottery making and bread baking in restored horno ovens.

Located near Santa Fe, Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living history museum. This ranch recreates life in Spanish Colonial New Mexico. Visitors can explore working mills, a blacksmith shop, and traditional farms. The collection of historic buildings has been restored.

Shakespeare is a preserved ghost town located near Lordsburg. It offers visitors a look into the Wild West past of New Mexico. There is the old general store with original merchandise still on the shelves and on the jailhouse walls Wanted posters. Guided tours are available on weekends.