Written by: Anna Sibal and Julian Fenn 01/15/2014 3:37 PM
Southern New Mexico surprisingly has a lot to offer to any visitor. Its contrasting, yet stunning landscapes, where sand dune deserts meet alpine peaks provide breathtaking scenery and great hiking opportunities. For military or space enthusiasts, there is the White Sands Missile Range where the government tests rockets used both by the military and to aid space exploration. And the area is steeped in Wild West History including one of the most notorious outlaws, Billy The Kid.
When to Go
You can go any time of year, however the lowland areas are very hot in the Summer and the alpine areas are snow covered and cold in the winter. April / May and September / October are the best months to avoid the extremes.
How to Get There
The I-10 passes West to East and East to West through Las Cruces, and the I-25 from the North. Las Cruces also has an international airport.
How Long Should the Trip Be?
We recommend five leisurely days as per the itinerary set out below. However, you could squeeze it all in, in four days.
What to See and Do
Five-Day Visit - Las Cruces to Three Rivers - About 320 miles.
Day One - Old Mesilla to Las Cruces - 5 miles
Day Two - Las Cruces to Alamogordo - 70 miles.
Day Three - Alamogordo to Cloudcroft - 55 miles
Day Four - Cloudcroft to Lincoln to Alto - 100 miles
Day Five - Alto / Rudioso to Three Rivers - 90 miles
From Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, drive south on US 54 and US 70 back to Las Cruces.
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That's a very nice trip but as long as you are in that neck of the woods you might consider an extra day to visit the caves at Carlsbad National Park. It's well worth the time. Also when leaving Three Rivers Petroglyph Site for Las Cruces be sure and turn right on US 70/82 because US 54 will take you to El Paso.