CAMPING & HIKING
The local chapter of the Sierra Club organizes regular hikes in the Sierra County area; check their site for planned outings.
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Hikers at the peak of Turtle Mountain
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The Gila Wilderness and 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
T or C, NM 87901
575-894-6677
Visitors can also camp at any of our area lakes and state parks (scroll down for info on Elephant Butte Lake State Park, Caballo Lake State Park, and Percha Dam State Park).
BOATING, CANOEING, KAYAKING
The Rio Grande bisects the county, and feeds both Elephant Butte and Caballo Lake, which draw thousands of visitors each year.
Ideal for boating, fishing, and water sports of all kinds, the lakes and waterways of Sierra County offer peak recreation opportunities in a setting of pristine beauty. The Rio Grande Sailing Club holds regattas at the lake year-round. In the summer, the Southwest Drag Boat Association hosts races for every kind of watercraft imagineable; see their website for details.
Several local facilities have watercraft for rent - everything from sea-doos to aqualodges for lake use, and inflatable kayaks and inner tubes for floating down the river.
FISHING
In June 2007, Field & Stream magazine listed Elephant Butte Lake among their "150 Best Fishing Spots Near You."
Caballo Lake, the Rio Grande, and Percha Dam are other great spots, depending on how you like to fish.
Bass Fishing Tournaments are held during the summer months (visit www.fishenchantment.com and click on "tournaments" for a schedule).
Private fishing excursions can be booked through several local Guide Services.
Fishing resources:
LAKE LEVELS:
Bureau of Land Management's report on water levels
Game and Fish Department's statistics on local fishing
WHAT'S BITING:
New Mexico Reservoir Storage Graph
BIRDING
Sierra 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,  pelicans, grebes, and unusual avian sightings, and all three of Sierra County's state parks (Percha Dam, Caballo and Elephant Butte) were recently designated by the Audubon Society as important birding areas.
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 the state's best area for land birds along the Rio Grande, hosts Migration Sensation, two days of birding and bird-related programming. Each day begins with guided bird walks to observe sparrows and other birds passing through during the spring  migration.
Birding resources:
Click to visit the Fish and Game birding web page!
Fish and Game's birding info on the following areas, in pdf form:
Animas Creek / Hillsboro / Kingston
Percha / Elephant Butte / Caballo / Las Palomas
Emory Pass
Springtime Campground
General Birding Information / Tips for the Trail
For further information on birding in Sierra County, contact Southwest Regional Interpretive Ranger Kevin Hansen: 575-523-6015 / kevin.hansen@state.nm.us, or contact one of the birding guides below.
GUIDED OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Note: 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). Another local directory of businesses is at Sierra County Info.
Birding Guide
WingsWest Birding Tours offers custom tours in the region, including the Rio Grande corridor, the Ladder Ranch (Bald Eagles, etc) and the Kingston area, where the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl can sometimes be heard and seen. Email Bill (wingswestnm@earthlink.net) to arrange a tour.
Fishing Guides
JR's Desert Bass Fishing Guide Service
575-744-5314
Land of Enchantment Fishing Adventures
575-744-4346
Rio Grande Guide Service
575-740-0150
Outfitters, Hunting and Trail Guides
Beaverhead Outfitters
575-772-5677
Black Range Guide and Outfitters
575-772-5210
Henderson Outfitters
575-772-5767
Limestone Outfitters
575-772-5768
Mike Root Guide Service
575-743-2026
Trail Riding
Martineau Stables (horseback rides)
575-894-3367
505-730-3376
Rockin' Ass Ranch (mule rides)
575-894-2538
click to read a recent LA Times story on a writer's trip to the Gila Wilderness
WATERCRAFT RENTALS
Dam Site Marina
paddle boats and sit-on kayaks
575-894-2041
Marina del Sur
pontoon boats and ski boats
575-744-5567
Rock Canyon Marina
pontoon boats and aqualodges
575-744-5462
Sports Adventure
pontoon boats, ski boats, and Sea-Doos
888-736-8420
575-744-5590
575-744-5557
White Water Weekends
inner tubes, inflatable kayaks, and 16' catarafts
575-740-3784
GOLF COURSES
Truth or Consequences Municipal Golf Course
685 W. Marie
Truth or Consequences NM 87901
575-894-2603
PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL
download a schedule
 The TorC pool (at the corner of Charles and Daniels in TorC's hot springs district) usually opens on Memorial Day each year, and stays open through August. On the schedule: swim team practice, lap swims, water aerobics, and adult and open swims.
Truth or Consequences Swimming Pool
775 Daniels
Memorial Day through Labor Day
575-894-6151
TENNIS COURTS
Gene Speer Tennis Complex
1 block west of Date Street between Third & Fourth Streets
(east of the T or C Library)
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, and El Camino Real International Heritage Center. |
side with cutting-edge contemporary art, creating a lively, youthful, and creative environment. Information for many of artists and studios can be found on the 
T or C’s monthly Art Hop
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.
