New Mexico Attractions Guide

All numbers are in the area code 505, unless otherwise noted.

NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque Biological Park.
Encompassing 170 acres, the “BioPark” is the only facility of its kind in the U.S. This premier environmental education complex demonstrates the biological diversity of New Mexico and the world. From its beginning in 1927, the Rio Grande Zoo has grown to more than 1,000 animals, living in their natural habitats on 63 sprawling acres. It’s one of the nation’s best managed, most attractively presented facilities. The Albuquerque Aquarium exhibits tell the story of a drop of water traveling from the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southern Colorado, across New Mexico and into the Gulf of Mexico. Educational, hands-on exhibits teach about aquatic habitats. The Rio Grande Botanic Garden has a state-of-the-art conservatory, formal theme gardens and a demonstration garden. A portion of the Rio Grande’s cottonwood bosque within the Botanic Garden offers an opportunity to showcase this distinctive natural environment. 764-6200.

Bandelier National Monument.
These 12th-century Anasazi ruins, with excavated ceremonial kivas, petroglyphs and pictographs, nature trails and a history museum, tell of a time when “The Ancient Ones” created pottery and farmed in Frijoles Canyon. Backcountry trips are also possible. 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe. 672-3861.

Coronado State Monument.
The pueblo ruin of Kuaua was once home to agriculturists who thrived on the banks of the Rio Grande. Preserved murals are among the finest examples of pre-Columbian art in North America. Study these original panels at the monument named for Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, whose expedition sojourned in the area during the winter of 1540-41. Bernalillo. 867-5351.

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
The days of the steam-powered locomotives are gone, but their expressive whistle is still heard here. For 6 1/2 hours on narrow-gauge rails, the Old West comes alive again, chugging through Cumbres Pass and over the Toltec Gorge through 64 miles of some of the most beautiful country in the Southwest. Catch the train in Chama for a nostalgic ride back to the days when steam engines opened new frontiers. Reservations: (888) 286-2737.

El Camino Real International Heritage Center.
The center interprets the history of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the first and oldest trade route in North America. This trail blazed by Don Juan de Oñate in 1598 was a 1,500-mile trade route that carried people, ideas and products from New Spain (Mexico City) to its northern frontier, New Mexico. Imagine leaving your home in Mexico and traveling on horseback, on foot and carreta into unknown lands. Discover the traders, adventurers, Native Americans, settlers and soldiers who shaped New Mexico and the West. 854-3600.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas.
Take a 20-minute drive south of Santa Fe and travel back in time on a visit to El Rancho de las Golondrinas (Ranch of the Swallows), in La Cienega. This “living museum” depicts more than 300 years of life in a Spanish Colonial village. 471-2261.

Fort Union.
Fort Union, north of Las Vegas, was a base of civil and military operations from 1851-91 and the largest U.S. military post guarding travelers along the Santa Fe Trail. It is a memorial to those who played a key role in shaping the destiny of the Southwest. 425-8025.

Jémez State Monument.
The ruins of Giusewa, the ancient settlement ancestral to present-day Jémez Pueblo and the site of San José de los Jémez, a 17th-century Spanish mission church, set in San Diego Canyon. 43 miles north of Bernalillo. 829-3530.

Petroglyph National Monument.
On Albuquerque’s west mesa, carved into the volcanic escarpment, are 15,000 rock engravings. These images relate the history of past native and immigrant cultures and are the centerpiece of this national monument. Native populations continue to visit the historical and ceremonial areas of the petroglyphs in continuation of traditions and religion. The concentration of prehistoric rock art is unique in its proximity to a major city. 899-0205.

Sandia Peak Tramway.
The Sandia Peak Tramway, the world’s longest continuous-cable aerial tramway, is just outside Albuquerque. The tram glides to the top of the Sandia Mountains (10,378 feet) where a spectacular 11,000-square-mile view unfolds of the Cibola National Forest, deep canyons, granite spires, mountain ranges, the Rio Grande Valley and the city of Albuquerque. 856-7325.

Wildlife West.
In Edgewood, east of Albuquerque, see native animals and plants in a spectacular high desert, juniper and piñon timberland. The whole family can enjoy nature trails, Wild Bird Walk, wetlands (Wildlife West’s bed-and-breakfast for migrating birds!), and New Mexico Tales educational programs. 281-9453.

THE NORTHEAST CORNER

Natural beauty is the principal attraction of this isolated part of New Mexico. It is natural ranch country that supports extensive wildlife. Make a scenic and historical tour from Las Vegas north on I-25 through vast open spaces to Raton with a stop at Ft. Union National Monument and a side trip on N.M. 58 to the historical town of Cimarron and its magnificently restored St. James Hotel. From Raton, take U.S. 64/87 into an area of extinct volcanoes to the town of Capulin, north of which on N.M. 325 you can drive to the top of Capulin Volcano, a national monument with spectacular views. From there, continue through open spaces to Clayton. From Clayton, turn off on N.M. 120 to Roy and then through the Canadian River Gorge (one of New Mexico’s many mini Grand Canyons) to rejoin I-25 at Wagon Mound, another landmark on the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail.

EASTERN NEW MEXICO

The Bosque Redondo Monument/Fort Sumner State Monument.
This is the site of the million-acre Bosque Redondo Reservation where more than 9,000 Navajo and Mescalero Apache people were interned by the U.S. government from 1863-68. This tragic chapter in American history is interpreted through photographs and text. Billy the Kid Road, 2 miles east of the village of Fort Sumner. 355-2573.

SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
On the Rio Grande, 16 miles south of Socorro, its 57,000 acres provide a winter home for Canadian and snow geese, sandhill cranes and many species of duck. It’s a beautiful sanctuary, so grab a good bird book, binoculars and a picnic lunch and enjoy a day at the Bosque. The best bird-watching time is November to mid-February. 835-1828.

Carlsbad Caverns.
Wander through majestic underground caverns to marvel at the strange formations deep within the earth. More than three miles of paved and lighted trails let you gape in awe at stalactites and stalagmites. A million bats make their home in the Bat Cave section of the caverns and fly out of the cave in unison to hunt insects every evening during the summer — a spectacular sight. The park contains at least 70 known caves and the story of their geological formation is astounding. 785-2232.

City of Rocks State Park.
This giant’s playground, created by volcanic violence and carved by thousands of years of wind and rain, is a short drive from Silver City on U.S. 180. From a distance, it is a monolithic city with skyscrapers and bungalows, complete with boulevards and streets. Look up to the craggy slopes overlooking City of Rocks and wonder which mountain spawned this wonder. 536-2800.

Elephant Butte Lake.
The largest lake in New Mexico has 220 miles of sandy beach lining its shores. Excellent fishing, motor and sail boating, water skiing, golf and camping make this a great recreation destination. Five miles from Truth or Consequences.

Fort Selden State Monument.
This adobe-brick outpost once housed cavalry units of black troops nicknamed “Buffalo Soldiers,” and was the boyhood home of General Douglas MacArthur. See living history encampments the second Saturday of each month. I-25 Exit 19 at Radium Springs (13 miles north of Las Cruces). 526-8911, www.nmmonuments.org.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.
An area of abandoned cave dwellings that offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the Indians who lived here in the 13th and 14th centuries. Located 44 miles north of Silver City. 536-9344.

Lincoln National Forest.
Outdoor activities abound here — camping, hiking, bike riding, fishing, horseback riding, tennis and golf. Enjoy the spectacular scenery of the rugged cliffs and sheltered canyons of the Sacramento Escarpment and the forested slopes and snowy peaks of the Sierra Blanca Mountains. Call the Smokey Bear Ranger Station. 257-4095.

Lincoln State Monument.
This once quiet Hispanic village saw a period of lawlessness made famous by such characters as Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett. They are gone, but the spirit of the 1880s lives on in the streets of Lincoln. Open daily; prices vary. Lincoln is 12 miles east of Capitan on U.S. 380. 653-4372, www.nmmonuments.org.

New Mexico Museum of Space History.
This complex includes the Space Museum, Planetarium, Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater, Hubbard Science Education Facility and the International Space Hall of Fame. Walk into a simulated space station, push buttons, operate computers and get a feel for space travel. Around every corner is a delightful surprise and an intriguing atmosphere that excites interest and promotes learning. 437-2840, (877) 333-6589.

Smokey Bear Museum.
The real Smokey Bear was found by a New Mexico game warden in 1950. An orphaned cub, clinging to a charred tree after a 17,000-acre forest fire, became a national hero. Smokey was buried here, in the Smokey Bear State Historical Park in Capitan, which houses a museum and gift shop. 354-2748.

White Sands National Monument.
More than 275 square miles of undulating, ever-changing brilliant white gypsum dunes make this area one of the great natural wonders. Driven by strong winds, the sands slowly, constantly advance, covering the desert, making it habitable for only a few species of plants and small animals. The drama of the formation of the dunes is shown in a diorama. 479-6124.

Very Large Array (VLA) Telescope.
The largest radio telescope in the world with 27 moveable dish antennae on three 12-13 mile long radial arms sits 49 miles west of Socorro. It receives radio waves from distant astronomical objects, processes and interprets the information. The low latitude of the site permits coverage of 75 percent of the sky. 772-4011.

WESTERN NEW MEXICO

Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The haunting remains of this ancient Anasazi civilization will pique your interest. Once a thriving community, between 750 and 1300 A.D., it is now a national historical park. Ghostly remnants of an elaborate system of roads and the crumbling remains of multistoried dwellings testify to an advanced and far-reaching civilization. Speculate on what compelled them to leave so abruptly or what life was like for these ancestors of the Pueblo people. 786-7014.

El Malpais.
The Badlands in Spanish, is a spectacular volcanic area, partially formed as recently as 1,000 years ago, featuring volcanoes and cinder cones, lava flows, ice cave and the longest lava tube system in the U.S. The area is rich in ancient Pueblo Indian history and has diverse ecosystems. Grants. 285-4641.

El Morrow National Monument.
The pool of water that lies at the base of Inscription Rock has drawn travelers for eons. The Anasazi came to the pool and left their mark in the form of petroglyphs. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Spanish explorers stopped here for water and left inscriptions on the rocks. Later, pioneers and homesteaders left their mark. The carvings are a historical record and a documentation of the cultures that passed through. Ramah, 42 miles southwest of Grants. 783-4226.

Shiprock.
Called "The Winged Rock" by the Navajo, this volcanic plug towers 1,500 feet above the desert. According to legend, the huge rock once grew wings and carried the Navajo people to safety after an attack by a neighboring tribe. Just south of Farmington.

SPORTS & RECREATION

Rafting, Canoeing, Kayaking.
Rafting, canoeing and kayaking are popular, with trips from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Chama. There is also overnight rafting on the Rio Grande and the Rio Chama. Call the local chamber of commerce for information.

Camping.
Public campgrounds are in or near all of New Mexico’s national forests, parks and monuments and at most state parks. Check with the National Park Service (988- 6100), the Forest Service (438-7840) or the New Mexico State Parks (476-3355) for rules and availability.

Fishing.
The many lakes, streams and rivers are teaming with fish. The fast springtime waters in the upper mountains near Taos and Chama are the places for fly-fishing, and mountain trout in the north are readily available. Lakes are stocked with trout and freshwater salmon. Fishing requires a license, available at hunting and fishing stores. New Mexico Game and Fish: 476-8000.

Hiking.
Taking to the trails is one of the best ways to experience the unspoiled beauty of New Mexico’s wilderness. Whether you follow a much-worn trail or head for the backcountry, hiking trails are numerous. Contact the National Forest Service (438-7840), the State Park and Recreation Division (476-3355) and the Bureau of Land Management (438-7400) for more information.

Horse Racing.
New Mexico offers the best quarter horse and thoroughbred racing in the Southwest. With seven meets and six tracks, racing is now a well-supported annual sport. Ruidoso: 378-4431; Albuquerque: 266-5555.

Cross-Country Skiing.
New Mexico has more than 9 million acres of national forest, and cross-country skiers are increasingly taking to the backcountry where the snow is deep, the views spectacular and the solitude revitalizing. Call ski areas for more information.

Horseback Riding.
There are more than 4,000 miles of designated horse trails on public land such as national forests and state parks. For information: 476-3355.

Biking.
Biking can be rugged and wild or urban and tame. Most of the larger city park and recreation departments have trail maps for the asking. Mountain biking is the fastest-growing trail sport in the state and taking to the trails on two wheels is a wonderful way to see the numerous national and state parks and forests. New Mexico State Parks and Recreation Division: 476-3355.

Golf.

The public courses are unparalleled in their natural beauty. At higher altitudes you will be thrilled with your driving where the air is so thin, golf balls sail into the air and down the fairway at great distance.

Isleta Eagle Golf Course
I-25, Exit 215, just minutes south of Albuquerque, across from Isleta Casino & Resort. (505) 724-3800
Discover New Mexico’s finest public championship golfing experience. There are 27 holes of enchanting skills and challenge around three lakes and the sweeping Rio Grande waiting for you at the classic links/native desert style Isleta Eagle Golf Course. The Isleta Eagle combines the best that Mother Nature and modern golf technology have to offer. Our complete staff of the professionals provides a superior level of service, second to none.

Sandia Casino Golf Club
I-25 & Tramway, Albuquerque, NM. (505) 798-3990
Sandia Golf Club features a world-class golf experience offering a visually stunning and strategic 18-hole golf course designed by Scott Miller, a 16,000-square-foot “Pueblo”-style clubhouse and exceptional guest services that are certain to exceed the expectations of even the most seasoned golf traveler. Stretching from 4,900 to over 7,700 yards from the back tees, this spectacular golf course provides a memorable and exciting experience.

Towa Golf Resort
Highway 84/285, 12 miles north of Santa Fe. (505) 455-9000; (877) 465-3489
Towa Golf Resort, located in the heart of beautiful Northern New Mexico, offers challenging golf, amazing Southwestern vistas and first-rate service, with 27 of the 36 holes designed by Hale Irwin and William Phillips now open for your enjoyment and golfing pleasure. A first-class clubhouse and golf shop features a full-service restaurant and bar, complete with meeting facilities. Towa already has become one of the top public golf courses in the Southwest. Play Towa and experience golf’s newest legend!

EDUCATION CENTER

Ghost Ranch — Abiquiu and Santa Fe
• HC 77, Box 11, Abiquiu, NM 87510. (505) 685-4333
• 401 Old Taos Highway, Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 982-8539
One education and retreat center in two locations. The Abiquiu location offers a 21,000-acre ranch with three museums, an outdoor challenge course, scenic hiking, summer camping and horseback riding, one hour from Santa Fe. New tour of the area O’Keeffe loved and painted. Reservations required ($25). Call (505) 685-4333 ext. 0. The Santa Fe location is just three blocks from the historic downtown Plaza. Both offer B&B, educational seminars, conference and spiritual retreat facilities.

PUEBLOS/GAMING

Camel Rock Casino
10 minutes north of Santa Fe, Hwy. 84/285. (800) GO-CAMEL (984-8414)
The most excitement in northern New Mexico is waiting for you at Camel Rock Casino. With over 550 of the latest slot and video machines, plus your favorite table games — including blackjack, craps, roulette and poker — and first-class dining in the Pueblo Artist Café. Throw in big-name entertainers, friendly people and the best odds around, and you’ve got the recipe for the most fun you can have in northern New Mexico. Just 10 minutes north of Santa Fe.

Cities of Gold Casino and Hotel
15 Miles North of Santa Fe. (505) 455-3313
More winners, more often! Loosest slots in New Mexico. Our premier (not premiere) Casino has 40,000 square feet of full-service gaming, 365 days a year. More than 600 of the newest, hottest slot machines, with no muss, no fuss, ticket in, ticket out. Plenty of table games including single hand blackjack, 5x odds on craps and roulette. The poker room features nightly tournaments. Nightly bingo sessions. The Golden Buffet offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy your favorite beverage in the Golden Cantina. The Cities of Gold Casino has it all!

Isleta Casino & Resort
Isleta Pueblo, just minutes south of Albuquerque. (877) 7-ISLETA
More ways to win! That’s what keeps people coming back to Isleta Casino & Resort. Players can find all their favorites, plus the newest machines around. Play anything from a penny to $100 on more than 1,600 machines with a great selection — also available in our smoke-free area — or try your luck at our huge variety of table games. For even more ways to win, join Isleta Casino & Resort’s free Players Club.

Sandia Resort & Casino
I-25 & Tramway, Albuquerque, NM. (800) 526-9366
The Sandia Resort & Casino will feature 228 graciously appointed, oversized guestrooms including 30 luxurious suites in a seven-story tower. A multitude of dining options include a 410-seat signature buffet, a themed steakhouse and Bien Shur, a rooftop gourmet restaurant sure to please even the most discriminating palates. An indoor-outdoor lounge with breathtaking views is a spectacular signature feature of Bien Shur. The Sandia Resort & Casino is located just north of Albuquerque, N.M. along Interstate 25 and 10 minutes from the Albuquerque airport.

Sky City Casino Hotel
I-40, exit 102, Acoma, NM 87034. (888) SKY-CITY
One casino, unlimited excitement. Las Vegas-style gaming with 800 hot new slots, live blackjack, roulette, craps, poker and bingo. Free entertainment in Club 102. Sky City Casino Hotel has paid out more multi-million dollar jackpots than any other New Mexico casino — ever! Sky City Travel Center is adjacent and offers self-service fuel and diesel, trucker facilities, smoke shop, showers, hair salon, gift shop, snack bar and McDonald’s.

Sports Bar Race Book & Casino
14 Miles North of Santa Fe. (505) 455-3105
Located in Pojoaque north of Santa Fe on Hwy 84/285, the Sports Bar Race Book & Casino features “Fast Horses, Hot Slots and Cold Beer.” After placing a wager, watch horse races live from all over the country on the big-screen TV or on your personal monitor. A lot of folks enjoy the comfortable slot room with over 150 liberal slot machines. Or, enjoy your favorite adult beverage watching your favorite TV sporting event.

MUSEUMS

See "Culture - Museum Listings" »