THE GERONIMO TRAIL SCENIC BYWAY

The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway ties together Sierra County's many charming locales (including many of its former mining towns) and offers sweeping panoramas, breathtaking vistas, and intimate corners of beauty.

Elephant Butte Lake, Truth or Consequences and the Geronimo Springs Museum, Hillsboro, Kingston, Cuchillo, Chloride and Winston (once Fairview) are all on the Byway.

The majority of the route is unspoiled - quiet, pristine, and teeming with wildlife and flowers, depending on the season.

From the Jornada del Muerto (Journey of the Dead Man) - the roughest and deadliest part of the historic Camino Real, which served as the main route north between Mexico City and Santa Fe - the Byway rises to more than 8,200 feet in the Black Range Mountains.  Emory Pass Vista in the Black Range Scenic Area reveals a magnificent view to the east for more than 40 miles.

BYWAY PRESS:   National Geographic Adventure (2009) New Mexico Journey / AAA Magazine (2008)

For additional information on scenic drives in Sierra County, see our Day Trips booklet.

GILA AND ALDO LEOPOLD WILDERNESS AREAS

With just 3.2 people per square mile, you can get lost in Sierra County's dazzling countryside.

The Gila Wilderness and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness offer 3 million acres of wild nature for camping, hiking, birding, and other fresh air activities.

The Aldo Leopold Wilderness, named for the early naturalist and preservationist, runs along the Continental Divide.

The Gila Wilderness was the first national wilderness area officially dedicated—and it remains the largest primitive area still maintained.  

The warm springs Apaches, including the famous leaders Mangas Coloradas, Victorio and Geronimo, called these rugged mountains home. Their territory included much of southwest New Mexico and southeast Arizona, including all of Sierra County.

More info is available at the US Forest Service /Black Range District, Gila National Forest Office:

click to read a recent LA Times story on a writer's trip to the Gila Wilderness

RIO GRANDE

The Rio Grande bisects the county. Ideal for boating, fishing, and water sports of all kinds, the river offers peak recreation opportunities in a setting of pristine beauty.

Originating more than 12,000 feet above sea level as a clear, snow-fed stream in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, it pours through the Rocky Mountains and descends across steppes and deserts.

Here in Sierra County, the Rio Grande feeds our two vast lakes (Elephant Butte and Caballo - see the next section), which draw thousands of visitors each year and make Sierra County the ultimate recreational destination.

ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE

Elephant Butte Lake, the largest body of water in New Mexico, is a fisherman’s paradise known for record-breaking black, white, and striped bass, as well as crappie and bluegill.

The lake offers three marinas to serve boaters, plus miles of trails, sandy beaches, and magnificent views along its 43-mile length.

Visitors to the lake enjoy camping, kayaking, swimming, birding, and numerous other outdoor activities.

• Map of Elephant Butte Lake
• Fishing Guides
• Watercraft Rentals

ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE STATE PARK

Sierra County's largest state park provides an array of camping and RVing opportunities in a magnificent setting of deep blue water and dramatic mountain peaks.  

The Dam Site Recreational Area, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s, has been designated a Historic District.  The site retains the flavor of the lake's historic past and includes cabins, a restaurant, an RV park, rock-lined paths, and the charming Dam Site Lodge, housed in the old Administration Building dating from 1911.

Campsites on the beach are available on a first-come-first serve basis, but electrical sites at Desert Cove, Quail Run, Lions Beach and South Monticello may be reserved between March 1 - September 30 (reserve online or call 877-664-7787). Other sites that can be reserved are Group Shelters at Dirt Dam, Ridge Road, and Hot Springs Landing.

State Parks offers educational presentations throughout the year, and during the warmer months, boat safety training courses (required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1989 who plans to operate a boat) are offered for free.

Headquarters for Elephant Butte Lake State Park: 575-744-5421.

• map of the lake
• Dam Site Marina
• Marina del Sur
• Rock Canyon Marina

CABALLO LAKE and PERCHA DAM STATE PARKS

Located 20 miles downstream from Elephant Butte, with the majestic Caballo mountains serving as their backdrop, Caballo Lake and Percha Dam include facilities for RVs, tent camping, boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking. Both parks also offer exceptional birding opportunities.

Several convenience stores and RV Parks are located along Highway 187, near the parks.

Headquarters for Caballo Lake and Percha Dam State Park:
575-743-3942

Pictured above right: Caballo Lake.
Left: Percha Dam.

THE CITY OF ELEPHANT BUTTE

Elephant Butte incorporated as a City in 1998 and is a growing resort and retirement community.  Elephant Butte offers superb RV accommodations, restaurants, hotels and motels, guide services, marinas, and watercraft rentals.

And - of course - Elephant Butte is also home to the largest body of water in New Mexico!

ELEPHANT BUTTE EVENTS

Drag Boat races are held during the summer months on Elephant Butte Lake, and sailing regattas are held year-round (check SierraCountyEvents.com or ElephantButteChamberofCommerce.com for more info).

The Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, sponsored by the City of Elephant Butte, is held every September and includes balloonists, skydivers, and drag boats from around the state and nation.  

Particularly festive is the Beachwalk Luminaria Festival and Floating Parade of Lights (2nd Saturday in December).  Literally thousands of luminarias meander along a specially-designed beach path that comes alive with campfires, music, and food provided by local area organizations and businesses.  This popular celebration at the Elephant Butte Lake State Park also includes a parade of illuminated boats and prizes for the most amusing and/or elaborately decorated watercraft and RVs.

The City of Elephant Butte's Annual Celebration (formerly Elephant Days) is held in October and offers entertaining activities including car, boat and motorcycle shows, Crawlin' at the Butte, music, pie eating and costume contests, and more.

For more info on events, see our Events page.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

Once known as Hot Springs—and still America's most affordable Spa Town—Truth or Consequences is a small resort town with a year-round population of slightly more than 8,000.  

Situated off I-25 between Albuquerque and Las Cruces, this little town got its big name in 1950 as part of a publicity scheme to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ralph Edwards’ hugely successful game show on NBC radio.  

Edwards suggested that there might be a town in the United States that “liked and respected” the show so much that it would change its name to Truth or Consequences. State Senator Burton Roach relayed the news to the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, and in a special city election, residents voted to adopt Truth or Consequences as their town's new name. Edwards and his entire crew subsequently came to T or C, as it is affectionately called by locals, and on April 1, 1950 a live, coast-to-coast broadcast of Truth or Consequences-the-radio show - was aired from Truth or Consequences-the- town!

Edwards loved T or C so much that he returned every year for nearly 50 years with his Hollywood friends for a Fiesta. The event is still celebrated in early May of every year with classic small-town panache.

Activities include the Miss Fiesta pageant, a parade, rodeos (motorcyle and traditional) and a roping contest, a golf tournament, and - in Ralph Edwards Park - music, performance, and contests including a junk boat race and rubber duck race on the Rio Grande, and salsa and spam cooking contests. (Complete info is on the Fiesta website.)

Las Palomas Plaza (pictured at left), completed by the artist Shel Neymark circa 2003, is an inviting feature of downtown T or C. Located next door to the artifact-studded Geronimo Springs Museum and across the street from the Post Office, the plaza and fountain provides a place for visitors to sit and relax while soaking their feet in the town's famous hot mineral waters.

MainStreet Truth or Consequences partners with the Sierra County Tourism Board in the promotion of downtown Truth or Consequences, its Historic Hot Springs District and water sports on the Rio Grande. MainStreet Truth or Consequences is a community-based group dedicated to the revitalization and beautification of the downtown.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES HOT SPRINGS HISTORIC DISTRICT

Ten commercial bathhouses are located in the easily walkable historic hot springs district, which overlaps with T or C's business district. These bathhouses were the town's biggest draw in the Hot Springs era, back when T or C was advertised as the City of Health!

More info on T or C's hot springs is available on our Activities page.

WILLIAMSBURG

In 1949, three residential areas just southwest of and adjacent to Hot Springs (now Truth or Consequences) voted to incorporate as a village and take the name of the first mayor, Dr. Thomas B. Williams - a very colorful character on the local political and social scene.

There was a sizeable increase in population in Williamsburg in 1950 (after Hot Springs officially changed its name) due to the numerous locals who refused to live in a town called Truth or Consequences! Williamsburg citizens even voted to adopt the name "Hot Springs" (since it was no longer being used by their neighbors), but the idea never caught on, and about a year later the name was changed back to Williamsburg. The post office in Williamsburg was established in 1951.

The village has progressed with a modern municipal services complex, and utility services are provided for its residents through contracts with the City of Truth or Consequences.  There are several businesses near the I-25 freeway exit (75) at Williamsburg.  There is a small park on the west end of the village, two RV parks, several convenience stores with gasoline and diesel, and a long-established antique business.  Many of the residents are retirees who like the small village atmosphere.

The "old" state highway (187), a picturesque southbound route that serves as an alternative to I-25, is accessed via Williamsburg.  NM 187 is one of the routes of the Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway.

SPACEPORT AMERICA

"Southern New Mexico’s combination of low population density, controlled air space, excellent launch trajectories, and more than 4,000 foot elevation provide all the natural elements needed to establish a permanent and lucrative spaceport. Combine these naturally occurring components with the vision of community and political leaders throughout the state, and the role of New Mexico as a leader in the space industry is assured."

from the Spaceport America website

NEWS

July 2010:

Video from KRQE News 13 on Monday July 19, 2010.

June 2010:

The June 26, 2010 Denver Post Sunday edition
features a front-page article on Sierra County's Spaceport America.

May 2010:

The New Mexico Tourism Commission visited Spaceport America in late May 2010.
This photo is of the Terminal Hangar, which will be 3 stories high.

(see more photos from this trip on our Flickr photos page)

Partially-constructed Spaceport America Runway

AP PHOTO: Dick Woodsum

February 21, 2010: New York Times article on the Spaceport by Dan Barry

Sign up today to visit Spaceport America!

Tours are being conducted as construction allows. Cost is $59 per person; tour time is approximately 3 hours. Sign up on the Spaceport America website! You must prebook to take the tour.

This video about the tours aired on KRQE News 13:

Three lunar lander launch pads were installed the week of June 22, 2009 at the future site of Spaceport America!

Visit our PRESS page to view more articles and videos on Spaceport America.

SPACEPORT AMERICA LOCATION

map courtesy of torcnm.org

Links to a few other Spaceport-related sites:

• Virgin Galactic
• Spaceport Sweden (Spaceport America's Sister Spaceport)
• X Prize Foundation
• Starchaser Commercial Space Access

above: a 2007 launch at the site of New Mexico's Spaceport
photo: Moshe Koenick

WIRELESS INTERNET

Wireless is available in many of the county's hotels, lodges, and spas. If you are a guest, it's likely you can use the wireless for free, or pay a fee if you aren't a guest.

Truth or Consequences' Ralph Edwards Park has free wireless thanks to security cameras onsite, so grab your lawnchairs and your laptops and enjoy some free bandwidth on the banks of the Rio Grande! Ralph Edwards Park is located on the eastern edge of downtown T or C. Take Broadway (a one-way) through town and when the street curves left to merge with Date, take the straight-ahead route (right lane). When you come to a T in the road, the park is right in front of you.

Businesses offering wireless in T or C include Denny's Restaurant on the north side of town next to the Interstate, BellaLuca Cafe Italiano (Jones @ McAdoo) and Little Sprout (Broadway @ Foch), and the 4th Street Computer Lab, next door to the T or C Convention Center on Fourth (east of Date).

In Elephant Butte, try the Brassie Bar & Grill (part of The Club Restaurant) next to Sierra del Rio Golf Course, or Big Food Express near the intersection of Warm Springs Road and Hwy 195.

HISTORIC MINING AND GHOST TOWNS

Ho! For the Gold and Silver Mines of New Mexico

Fortune hunters, capitalists, poor men, sickly folks, all whose hearts are bowed down and ye who would live long, be rich, healthy, and happy; come to our sunny clime and see for yourselves!

- Notice posted at Nutt Railroad Station
to incoming miners and merchants in the 1880s

Travel Guide New Mexico visited four of Sierra County's "ghost towns" - here's the YouTube video:

The Bridal Chamber, Solitaire, Silver Monument, Ready Pay, Opportunity, and other mines produced millions in silver and gold, creating a string of Sierra County boomtowns from the 1870s to the 1890s.    

The Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway meanders through these living ghost towns that are home to old-timers and newcomers alike who are restoring and revitalizing these historic locales with shops, museums, eateries, and other enterprises.

Chloride was founded in 1880. Englishman Harry Pye had discovered silver ore there in the late 1870s, and soon after Pye was killed by Apaches, word of the silver find got out. Despite the threat of Indian attacks Chloride grew to over 3,000 people. In its heyday it had nine saloons, a general store, a dry goods store, a millinery shop, a restaurant, a butcher shop, a candy store, a pharmacy, a Chinese laundry, a photography studio, a school, and two hotels.  The Black Range newspaper was printed in Chloride from 1882 to 1896. Of the nearly 500 surveyed mines and prospect holes in the Apache Mining District, a dozen or so made big mines, including the Silver Monument, the U.S. Treasury, and the St. Cloud, which is still in operation, though not mining silver.  The demise of Chloride began with the Silver Panic of 1893 and was hastened by the presidential election of 1896, which resulted in a drastic decline in silver prices.

Many of Chloride's original structures still stand.  The old Pioneer Store is now a museum; next door the former Monte Cristo Saloon and Dance Hall houses a gift shop and gallery featuring work by local artists. Both are open seven days a week from 10am-4pm. Harry Pye's cabin is available as a vacation rental. Other landmarks in this tiny town (population 11) include the 200-year-old Hanging Tree and Doodle Dum, the workshop of longtime resident Cassie Hobbs (1904–1989).  

(2 miles SW of Winston on Forest Road 226; driving directions)

• link to The Pioneer Store Museum and other points of interest in Chloride

• July 2010 article from the Albuquerque Journal on Chloride

• June 2008 article from the Silver City Sun-News on Chloride and Winston

Cuchillo, established by ranchers and farmers in the 1850s, was named for a nearby creek and a local Apache chief, Cuchillo Negro (Black Knife).  Midway between the mines at Chloride and Winston and the railroad at Engle, it flourished as a stage stop and trade center from the 1880s to the 1930s.  Charming original buildings still stand, including the Cuchillo Bar and Store, and San Jose Catholic Church, built in 1907.  

(15 miles NW of T or C on NM 52; driving directions)

Engle was founded in 1879 as a station on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. It became a thriving cattle town and shipping point for ore from nearby mines.  Construction of Elephant Butte Dam from 1911 to 1916 filled the town with people, but Engle declined after the dam was completed. 

Though few people remain, the town is the headquarters of the historic Armendaris Ranch, and New Mexico’s renowned Gruet Winery grows some of its grapes in the region.  

(17 miles E of T or C on NM 51)

• link to a webpage on Engle-as-Ghost-Town

Hillsboro was born in 1877 when gold was found at the nearby Opportunity and Ready Pay mines.  Despite fierce Indian attacks, the town grew, becoming the county seat in 1884. Area mines produced more than $6 million in gold and silver, and by 1907 the town had a population of 1,200.  

Today, this charming, peaceful village of a hundred souls, which boasts flower-filled yards and old cottonwoods lining the main street, offers many enticements, including gift shops; restaurants; artist studios and galleries; the remains of the old county courthouse; the Black Range Museum; Union Church; and Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church.  Hillsboro’s Heritage Day is held annually on the day before Mother's Day.

(32 miles SW of T or C on NM 152; driving directions)

• New! Blog by the Hillsboro Historical Society hillsborohistory.blogspot.com/

• link to Hillsboro (hillsboronm.com)

• another link to Hillsboro (hillsboronm.org)

Kingston was founded when a rich lode of silver ore was discovered at the Solitaire in 1882.  It grew rapidly and was the largest town in the territory—and one of the wildest in the Wild West.  The town soon offered all of the trappings of civilization and culture.  Numerous hotels played host to the likes of Mark Twain, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Black Jack Ketchum.  Stage lines served all major routes, and the town supported twenty-three saloons,some of which advertised fresh oysters 24 hours a day!  The town also had 14 grocery and general stores; a brewery; three newspapers; and an Opera House where the Lillian Russell Troupe once performed.  Albert Bacon Fall and Ed Doheny of the Teapot Dome Scandal got their start in Kingston.  

From those glory days, the old Assay Office and the remains of the Victorio Hotel have been renovated as private residences.  The Black Range Lodge, a bed and breakfast, offers accommodations in a setting of massive stonewalls and log-beamed ceilings constructed from the ruins of what once was Pretty Sam's Casino. Some Kingston residents offer straw-bale and natural building workshops. Visit www.landerland.com and www.builderswithoutborders.org for more information.

(9 miles W of Hillsboro on NM 152; driving directions)

Lake Valley (which was recently featured in an article on ghost towns on CNN.com) was named for ancient lakebeds nearby.  Founded in 1878 with the discovery of silver in the area, the town moved twice before settling at its present site when the Bridal Chamber Mine was discovered in 1882.  The subterranean mine produced 2.5 million ounces of silver ore so pure it was shipped unsmelted to the U.S. Mint.  A stage stop and railhead, Lake Valley grew to 4,000 people, with saloons, churches, newspapers, a school, stores, and hotels to serve them.  Like the area’s other gold and silver boomtowns, the devastating silver panic of 1893 wiped out the town, while a fire destroyed Main Street in 1895.  

Lake Valley is a true ghost town (the last permanent residents left in 1994), and a walking tour of the site reveals a chapel, several old homes, the cemetery, and the old schoolhouse (dating from 1904), which is open to the public during the day, with BLM caretakers on site to answer questions. (17 miles S of Hillsboro on NM 27)

• link to a webpage on Lake Valley-as-Ghost-Town

Monticello was founded by ranchers and farmers in 1856 as Cañada Alamosa (Cottonwood Canyon).  In 1881 its first postmaster, Aristide Bourguet, renamed the town that was located not far from the headquarters for the Warm Springs Apache Agency.  

Built in a square around a plaza in order to protect residents from attack, the town features old adobe homes that have been restored by new residents.  Mass is still said at historic San Ignacio Catholic Church, built in 1867, and the local cemetery has graves dating from the 1800s.  

At right: Monticello's church

(25 miles north of T or C on NM 142; driving directions)

Las Placitas (Little Plaza) was founded by the Sedillo family in the 1840s. San Lorenzo Catholic Church (built in 1916), the schoolhouse, a dance hall, and some old homes still stand.  

(2 miles south of Monticello on NM 142; driving directions)

Winston (first called Fairview) was settled in 1881 by miners who found nearby Chloride "too rowdy." It had a school, bars, a newspaper, horse races, and featured plays and songfests at Cloudman Hall (named for the local butcher).  Miner, businessman, and future state legislator Frank H. Winston, who came to town in 1882, owned several businesses and generously gave credit to customers in hard times.  When he died in 1929, the town was renamed in his honor.  

While Winston flourished until the silver panic of 1893, today only a few families remain.  Winston's home and carriage house still stand, along with the 1890 schoolhouse, the old post office, and other historic buildings.  The town, home to the Winston Store, the Diamond Bar, and the Black Range Camp, hosts the WCCD (for Winston, Chloride, Dusty and Chiz) Festival each June.  

(38 miles NW of T or C on NM 52; driving directions)

• link to a webpage on Winston-as-Ghost-Town

• read a recent article in the Silver City Sun-News on Winston and Chloride