Cristo Rey Street follows the original route of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro through the Doña Ana Village Historic District. The Doña Ana Village Historic District is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional rural Hispanic village in southern New Mexico in the 19th century. The combination of the historic road route and the village’s preserved character is what makes the site culturally significant.
History in Different Places
At Fort Selden Historic Site, exhibits at the visitor center offer insights into frontier life and military history. In Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Railroad Museum focuses on railroad history. It is housed in a historic Santa Fe Railroad depot. The sites have different focuses: one explores frontier life and military history, while the other covers railroads and a historic depot.
Volcanic Landforms, Fossils, and Gypsum Dunes
Kilbourne Hole lies in southern Doña Ana County and is a National Natural Landmark. Geologically, it is a maar formed by an ancient volcanic explosion. It is 1.7 miles long, more than a mile wide, and several hundred feet deep. These measurements offer a concrete sense of the scale of this volcanic landform.
Prehistoric Trackways National Monument protects one of the world’s most significant sites for trace fossils from the early Permian across 5,280 acres in the Robledo Mountains. Visitors can hike informal trails through rugged desert canyons and see fossilized footprints and petrified wood. A high-clearance vehicle is required for the last mile to the trailhead; four-wheel drive may be needed in wet conditions.
White Sands National Park lies in Doña Ana and Otero counties in New Mexico. It protects a significant portion of the world’s largest gypsum dune field. A 16-mile scenic drive runs through the park’s landscape. Together, Kilbourne Hole, Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, and White Sands offer three different geological perspectives: volcanic formation, fossilized tracks, and gypsum dunes.
Trails, Wetlands, and Birding
Dripping Springs Natural Area has more than four miles of easy hiking trails. The visitor center features interpretive exhibits about the Organ Mountains. The Doña Ana Mountains are also part of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park includes riparian forests and restored wetlands along the Rio Grande. Audubon recognizes the park as an Important Birding Area (IBA). The park offers several ways to explore nature: self-guided nature trails, ranger-led tours, and educational programs.
Markets, Chile, and Wine
The Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market is held year-round and stretches across seven city blocks. Nearly 300 vendors rotate through the market. Offerings include local foods and seasonings, agricultural products, pottery, prints, paintings, and jewelry inspired by the Southwest. The range of goods spans everything from food and produce to crafts.
The Las Cruces Wine Trail connects locally operated wineries and tasting rooms in the city of Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley. The Chile Pepper Institute Teaching Garden features more than 150 different varieties of chili peppers. Local themes take different forms here: market offerings, wineries and tasting rooms, and a diversity of chili pepper varieties.
Discover more destinations: Las Cruces, Anthony, Santa Teresa, Sandoval, Grant County, Guadalupe County, Luna, Torrance County
Go to the main travel overview: New Mexico.
