8 Close-Knit Towns to Visit in New Mexico
Out of the 50 US States, New Mexico is the 5th largest and 36th most populous state situated in the American Southwest’s Mountain States subregion. Pertinently upholding its moniker The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico boasts a quite varied topography showcasing forested mountains, reddish brown deserts, lofty ice-capped alpine summits, plateaus, beautiful plains, broken mesas, and pristine water bodies. While New Mexico is widely publicized for its bustling metropolises like the state capital Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and Rio Rancho, the alluring state is also dotted with oodles of bucolic towns where life moves at a comparatively sluggish pace. For those seeking to spend their short weekend trips or lengthy breaks away from the urban mayhem, these lesser-explored closely knit communities will certainly amaze.
Las Vegas
The seat of government of San Miguel County, Las Vegas, is an unspoiled hamlet by the Gallinas River in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, precisely 65 miles east of the state capital city. Not to be bewildered by its illustrious eponymous city in Nevada, this tiny town in north-central New Mexico is famed for housing an outstanding campus of the esteemed New Mexico Highlands University, close to recreational and wilderness areas such as the MacAlister Lake and the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge.
Other than the over 900 National Register-listed buildings, the town has plenty of exquisite time-honored landmarks, including the Old City Hall, Castaneda Hotel, Louis Fort House, Dr. H. J. Mueller House, and Carnegie Library at the core of Carnegie Park. Voyagers can also explore the Rough Rider Memorial Collection and City of Las Vegas Museum, indulge in outdoor pursuits at the Storrie Lake State Park, and be present at the annual Fiesta de la Hispanidad held at the Ilfeld Auditorium of New Mexico Highlands University.
Ruidoso
Ruidoso, a bewitching first-class high-elevation resort destination, is situated in south-central New Mexico’s Sierra Blanca Mountain range amidst cool mountain pines, approximately halfway between the Valley of Fires State Park and the Lincoln National Forest. Dubbed after the Rio Ruidoso River that winds through the town, this 7,679-inhabitant community plays a key role as Lincoln County’s regional financial epicenter. In the cooler months, adventure enthusiasts can enjoy winter recreational activities on the slopes of Ski Apache Resort, while mountain biking activities, aside from exhilarating zipping experiences down the Wind River Zip Line, are not to be missed during the offseason.
When on a tour to Ruidoso, shop for Native American jewelry at the Ruidoso Trading Post and antiques at Re-Store Ruidoso, stop by the Adobe Fine Art gallery, taste mouthwatering pizza at Café Rio, all while strolling the town’s walkable Midtown shopping district. Faint-hearted souls can hit a grand slam at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track or place bets at Billy the Kid Casino and Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino.
Jemez Springs
Baptized after the proximate Jemez Pueblo, this only 198-resident town in Sandoval County is located alongside the Jemez River in the San Diego Canyon, fully inside the Santa Fe National Forest.
An idyllic hometown, Jemez Springs provides vacation-goers with infinite opportunities, including appreciating the therapeutic waters of natural hot springs, inspecting the Jemez Historic Site featuring a Native American Giusewa Pueblo of the 16th century and a 17th-century Spanish colonial mission’s archaeological ruins; and hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and camping at the year-round Fenton Lake State Park enclosed by the magnificent Jemez Mountains and the impressive ponderosa pine forests. Also, do not fail to survey the Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Springs Bath House, and Battleship Rock.
Madrid
Home to only 247 inhabitants as per the latest US Census, this serene census-designated place in Santa Fe County forms a part of the Santa Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area. A teeming coal mining town in its best years, Madrid has speedily metamorphosed into a cool artists’ community.
The town’s chief attractions are the abundant art galleries like Indigo Gallery and Johnsons of Madrid Galleries of Fine & Fiber Art, boutiques, Old Boarding House Mercantile, and Shugarman’s Little Chocolate Shop lining the 54-mile-long New Mexico State Road 14 (NM 14) which constitutes a significant portion of the scenic Turquoise Trail. Also, excursionists should visit the Madrid Old Coal Town Museum which carefully preserves remnants of Madrid’s yesteryears, and relish scrumptious Green Chile Cheeseburgers served at Mine Shaft Tavern & Cantina.
Truth or Consequences
A tiny hamlet by the side of the Rio Grande River in Sierra County of southwestern New Mexico, Truth or Consequences is located nearly 60 miles north-northwest of the state’s second-most populous city Las Cruces. Primarily set up in the mid-19th century and named ‘Hot Springs’ in connection with the noteworthy mineral-rich hot springs, the settlement was relabelled ‘Truth or Consequences’ on March 31, 1950, after a well-accepted National Broadcasting Company radio quiz show hosted by the American radio and television host Ralph Livingstone Edwards.
While touring the town, stop by the countless hot springs and spas that circle the area, have a comfortable stay at Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa or Travelodge by Wyndham Truth or Consequences, and additionally survey the adjoining Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
Cloudcroft
Established in the late 1890s by the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad planners, Cloudcroft is a small community in Otero County of southern New Mexico, occupying the heart of the Sacramento Mountains within the confines of the Lincoln National Forest. This picturesque village’s placement at a height of 8,676 ft above sea level, its abutting timberlands, its temperate climate during the warmer months, and its low-key Western vibe have made Cloudcroft the most well-liked vacation getaway. Travelers visiting Cloudcroft should peruse the inviting downtown and the dozens of lively shops, cafes, bars, and eateries like Rebecca’s At The Lodge, Dave’s Café, Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ, and Burro Street Bakery.
Full of artifacts and antique photographs, the Sacramento Mountains Museum is the perfect place to learn about the region’s railroad and logging history. Outdoorsy types must head straight to the Trestle Recreation Area, where, aside from hiking and picnicking, you can view the restored Mexican Canyon Trestle and unrivaled panoramas of the Tularosa Basin. During winter, partake in a slew of winter activities like snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snowmobiling at the slopes of Ski Cloudcroft.
Silver City
This Grant County seat sits at the southern foothills of the Pinos Altos Range of Mogollan Mountains in southwestern New Mexico’s San Vicente Arroyo River Valley, exactly 3 miles east of the Continental Divide. Set up in 1870, shortly after the discovery of silver ore deposits at Chloride Flat, the booming downtown arts district of the present settlement appeals to artists and musicians alike.
Check out the different Mimbreno and other Southwestern artifacts and pottery at the Western New Mexico University Museum, gain knowledge about Grant County’s culture and native heritage at the Silver City Museum, and take note of the conscientiously maintained cliff dwellings of people following Mogollon cultures at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Adrenaline junkies can engage in hiking, fishing, camping, and horseback riding activities in the Gila National Forest, while everyone gets to take part in yearly events like the Silver City Blues Festival, Red Paint Pow Wow, Gila River Festival, Silver City Clay Festival, and Silver City Fiber Arts Festival.
Taos
Taos, the administrative center of north-central New Mexico’s Taos County, is situated in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains close to the 13,161 ft high Wheeler Peak, around 70 miles north-northeast of the state capital. Annually, thousands of sightseers congregate at this primary town, Taos, to witness beautiful spectacles of unpolluted wilderness, the snaking Rio Grande River, and a wonderful amalgamation of pluralistic cultures. Some of Taos’s not-to-miss sites of interest include Taos Pueblo, a primeval settlement of Indigenous Puebloans, the San Francisco de Asis Church, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Harwood Museum of Art, and the Millicent Rogers Museum, which houses an exhaustive collection of Hispanic and Anglo-American art.
Winter sports fanatics are especially attracted to the multiple vertical runs down the Sangre de Cristo Mountains offered by the impressive Taos Ski Valley alpine resort, located northeast of Taos. Take time out from your demanding schedules to be present at any of Taos’s fun-filled events like the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, Taos Winter Wine Festival, Taos Solar Music Festival, Fiestas de Taos, Taos Fall Arts Festival, and Yuletide in Taos.
From the whimsical hot spring town of Jemez Springs to the hillside hamlet Cloudcroft, the wondrous discreet towns strewed throughout the Land of Enchantment have something for every taste. Replete with matchless alpine sceneries, rich aesthetic heritage, appetizing New Mexican meals served by award-winning restaurants, and all-year-long open-air activities, these mostly under-the-radar and close-knit New Mexico towns are worth adding to your itineraries.
