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Promoting All of Sierra County throughout New Mexico, the United States and the World A project of the Sierra County Recreation and Tourism Advisory Board. Paid for in part by Lodgers Tax. |
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ACTIVITIES / THINGS TO DO IN SIERRA COUNTY
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SIERRA COUNTY MUSEUMS
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Black Range Museum hours: Thursday-Saturday 11–4 Artifacts and other historical displays relating to Hillsboro, the former County Seat. |
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Geronimo Springs Museum hours: Monday - Saturday, 9–5; Exhibits include a world-class pottery and arrowhead collection, info on Geronimo and other Warm Springs Apaches, the Hispanic Heritage room, and the Ralph Edwards (host of "Truth or Consequences" the game show) Room. Geronimo Springs Museum and the Sierra County Historical Society host annual outings to Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch in May and June. Excursions include trips to Black Mesa, the Fra Cristobal Mountains, and the Bat Caves tour. The Museum also hosts a continuing speakers series on the third Thursday of every month. See their website for the lineup. |
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El Camino Real International Heritage Center
Located in Socorro County, just north of the Sierra County line. |
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Percha Bank Museum hours: by appointment The only fully intact building left from Kingston's mining days. |
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Pioneer Store Museum hours: open 7 days, 10am-4pm Built during Chloride's boom; open for business as a mercantile until 1923. Many of the items in this museum are original to the store. |
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Veterans Memorial Park museum hours: Tues-Sat, 9am-4pm Veterans Memorial Park features a 1/3 size replica of Washington DC's Vietnam Wall memorial, "The Walk of Education" (with information on every conflict in which the United States has been involved since 1775), and the newly-opened Hamilton Museum. |
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SPACEPORT TOURS
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(More info on the Spaceport is on our "about" page and in the Press section.) |
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HOT MINERAL SPRINGS / SPA TREATMENTS
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Truth or Consequences is truly America’s most affordable spa town! T or C's Hot Springs Bathhouse Historic and Commercial District sits above one of the largest aquifers in North America, estimated to produce 2.26 million gallons of hot, perfectly balanced mineral water per day. Long before white settlement of the area, the Southwest’s indigenous people considered the site to be a place of healing. The first bathhouse is believed to have been built circa 1882 by the John Cross Cattle Company for use by its cowboys. 
Today, most of the baths in T or C are open to walk-ins who can pay to soak by the half hour or hour. Lodgers seeking in-room private baths will find several to choose from in the downtown area. (See the Hot Springs District map or our Lodge and Soak section for contact information.) Charmingly restored, most of T or C's hot spring spa establishments date from the 1920s and '30s when the town was still called Hot Springs (hot mineral water treatment was an accepted medical practice then, and the town's motto was "The City of Health"). Some spas also offer a full range of massage in addition to other pampering and healing arts. |
ARTS & CULTURE
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Sierra County is home to an extraordinary and eccentric group of artists. Traditional arts and crafts flourish side by The works of well-known painters Delmas Howe and Harold Joe Waldrum are regularly shown alongside a rapidly growing list of other Sierra County artists in studios and galleries from Chloride to Hillsboro to Truth or Consequences. Information on most of Sierra County's artists, studios and galleries can be found on the Sierra County Arts Council website. Other galleries and shops specializing in hand-crafted items are listed on the sites of our two local Chambers: Elephant Butte and Truth or Consequences / Sierra County. 
A good resource for art exhibits, musical performance and other special events that occur as part of T or C's monthly Art Hop is the MainStreet Truth or Consequences website's Art Hop page. Numerous businesses (and a growing number of studios) open for this event, held on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 6-9pm in downtown Truth or Consequences’ easily walkable Hot Springs Bathhouse Historic and Commercial District. Fiber art is also alive and well in Sierra County. "New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails: A Guide to Rural Fiber Arts Destinations," published by New Mexico Arts in '07, recommends several local sites for fiber art. For more info, download the booklet from their website. For more information on upcoming or current exhibits, see SierraCountyEvents.com. |
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side with cutting-edge contemporary art, creating a lively creative environment. SHOPPING AND DINING
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In Truth or Consequences, boutiques have opened featuring the work of clothing and jewelry designers. The town also offers trading posts, antique and thrift stores, bookstores, and gift shops.
Sierra County's former mining towns are also alive with vibrant new enterprises. Workshops in straw bale construction, galleries and antique stores, and exotic cactus and lavender farms can all be found tucked into the nooks and crannies of the county. Retail establishments inhabit storefronts in once-sleepy towns, offering unexpected opportunities for shopping. An ever-widening range of dining experiences is also available at restaurants throughout the county. Our restaurants offer cuisine ranging from upscale to down-home. The To learn more about the county's retail stores, visit the websites of our two local Chambers of Commerce: Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce
The NM Tourism website also offers a business listings section where info on local businesses is available. Several T or C businesses are listed (the fastest way to find them is to search on area code 87901, or 87935 for Elephant Butte), or try searching in the Southwest Region. |
The growth of the county as an affordable destination has attracted new and colorful businesses to the landscape. 
From May to October, at the Saturday Farmer’s Market in T or C's Ralph Edwards Park, a cornucopia of food ranging from North African harissa and aged balsamic vinegar to fresh produce and artisanal cheeses made in the county’s first creamery are purveyed by farmers from nearby outlying areas. 
red and green chile for which the area is famous can be found on menus across the countyMOVIES / FILMS
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The historic El Cortez Theater, at 415 Main Street in T or C (corner of Main and Foch) shows newly-released films every weekend. The El Cortez was built in 1935; its new owners reopened the theater in 2007. Showtimes are at 7pm Friday through Sunday, and 2pm on Saturday. Tickets are $5 for all ages. To find out what's playing, call 575-894-4914. The Sierra County Arts Council also holds free screenings at 7pm on most Thursday nights at the Lee Belle Johnson Senior Recreation Center, at 301 Foch in T or C. Info: gumbojames@aol.com. |
BOWLING
YOGA & MOVEMENT CLASSES
Studio de la Luz Mothership Yoga Lounge |
OUTDOOR RECREATION
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CAMPING & HIKINGWith an arid, moderate climate and plenty of clean, breathable air, Sierra County is a great place to hike no matter what the season. The local chapter of the Sierra Club organizes regular hikes in the Sierra County area; check their site for planned outings.
The Gila Wildernessand the Aldo Leopold Wilderness offer 3 million acres of wild nature in which to camp, hike, and enjoy the silence and clean air of this uncharted territory. 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. More information is available at the US Forest Service /Black Range District, Gila National Forest Office: 1804 N Date Street Visitors can also camp at any of our area lakes and/or state parks (Elephant Butte Lake State Park, Caballo Lake State Park, and Percha Dam State Park). Some (though not all) campsites at Elephant Butte Lake State Park may be reserved between March 1 and September 30.
BOATING, CANOEING, KAYAKINGIdeal for water sports of all kinds, the lakes and waterways of Sierra County offer peak opportunities for recreation in a setting of pristine beauty. The Rio Grande bisects the county, feeding our two lakes, Elephant Butte and Caballo. Kayaking, canoeing and floating the river is a popular activity in summer, when the river is flowing and the weather is especially hot. The 5 1/2 hour passage from Elephant Butte State Park to Caballo Reservoir is easy - two 18" drops in 17 miles, on a course that winds from Elephant Butte to Truth or Consequences / Williamsburg then through BLM land for the remainder of the trip. The lakes draw thousands of visitors each year. During summer weekends both lakes - but especially Elephant Butte - see lots of activity. Otherwise, the lakes offer plenty of space and relative privacy. Boats and other watercraft are available for rent at facilities below - including sea-doos and aqualodges for lake use, and inflatable kayaks and inner tubes for floating down the river. FISHING
Private fishing excursions can be booked through several local Guide Services. Fish species found in Sierra County's lakes and the Rio Grande include Large Mouth, Small Mouth, White and Striped Bass, Crappie, Walleye, Blue, Channel and Flathead Catfish. In June 2007, Field & Stream Magazine named Elephant Butte Lake as one of their 150 Best Fishing Spots Near You. Caballo Lake and the Rio Grande are popular fishing spots as well. For location of park entrances, marina and boat dock locations, picnic facilities, and more, see the Elephant Butte Lake map and Caballo Lake map pages (maps courtesy of New Mexico State Parks). Bass Fishing Tournaments are held during the summer months (visit www.fishenchantment.com and click on "tournaments" for a schedule). Bait and other fishing (and camping) supplies are readily available along Highway 187 (Caballo) and Highway 195 (Elephant Butte). Fishing resources:
BIRDINGSierra County is one of the finest birding regions in the nation in terms of habitat diversity and potential for rarities. The riparian habitat along the Rio Grande and its associated lakes is a paradise of egrets, herons, The Gila National Forest is also a prime mountain birding habitat. A checklist for the Gila is on the birding page of their website - visit the site for more info, or download the list here. In the spring, Percha Dam State Park, considered to be New Mexico's best area for Birding resources: "Birding in Sierra and Socorro Counties" brochure and map New Mexico Ornithological Birding Report Fish and Game birding web page Fish and Game's birding info on the following areas, in pdf form:
For further information on birding in Sierra County, contact Southwest Regional Interpretive Ranger Kevin Hansen: 575-523-6015 / kevin.hansen@state.nm.us. GUIDED OUTDOOR ACTIVITIESNote: The list that follows may not be complete. For more information see the websites of our two local Chambers of Commerce (Elephant Butte and T or C / Sierra County).
WATERCRAFT / BOAT RENTALS
GOLFNew Mexico has many beautiful golf courses, but Sierra County's mild desert climate makes it possible to golf all year long at either of our two golf courses.
PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL
TENNIS COURTS
Truth or Consequences’ Parks & Recreation Department provides a wide variety of both indoor and outdoor recreation activities for all age groups. Popular activities not listed above include the Fishing Pond and Skateboard Park (both at Ralph Edwards Park) and the Gun Range.
Photographs on this page courtesy of Judd Irish Bradley, Rebecca Speakes, Gina Kelley, Andrew Martinez, Monica Moon Miller, and El Camino Real International Heritage Center. |
pelicans, grebes, and unusual avian sightings, and all three of Sierra County's state parks (
