8 of the Most Walkable Towns in New Mexico

It might be easier to picture a tourist on horseback than one simply walking through wild and wide New Mexico. However, protruding from its deserts and mashed into its mountains are cozy communities that are certifiably walkable. Their stroll-worthy spectacles range from an ancient Indigenous pueblo or a historic opera house to a macabre spa and a Wild West-style jail. See where to find these features and how to get to them on foot in the Land of Enchantment.

Las Vegas

The other walkable Vegas, Las Vegas, New Mexico, pleases pedestrians not with casinos and resorts but antique stores and colonial abodes. The former sites can be reached in the Old Town, Las Vegas Plaza and Bridge Street Historic Districts, while the latter sites populate El Distrito de Las Escuelas.

Those districts plus three others are explorable via the Historic Walking Tour, whose online guidebook describes the history of the districts and their contributing buildings, such as Our Lady of Sorrows Church (a sandstone Catholic church built circa 1852 to replace the old church, whose adobe nave still stands) and the Rheua Pearce Houses (adobe rowhomes built circa 1846 and later inhabited by the titular town icon). As a bonus, many of the structures on the tour house modern businesses. Catch a new release at the Indigo Theatre in an architectural relic of pre-statehood New Mexico.

Silver City

As a place alternately occupied by Indigenous peoples, Spanish colonists, and modern Americans, Silver City has an array of landmarks that can be explored on foot. A perfect starting point is the Murray Ryan Visitor Center, which provides brochures for self-guided tours of downtown murals and historic sites.

While touring, guests can rehydrate at the Jalisco Cafe or refuel at the Corner Kitchen. Then, although it is about 45 miles away, many head to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a walkable wonderland of ancient Indigenous dwellings. Self-guided tours are offered year-round, while guided tours are available in spring, summer, and fall.

Taos

Another New Mexico community steeped in diverse history, Taos offers an array of tours by car, trolley, raft, and foot. These include Historic Taos Trolley Tours, Creative Soul Scavenger Hunts, Moonfire Tours, the Ghost Tour of Taos, and Historic Taos: A Self-Guided Walking Tour, the last of which takes pedestrians to 22 different landmarks from the Taos Plaza to the Victor Higgins House.

Like Silver City, Taos is home to an ancient Indigenous village. Unlike Silver City, Taos's pueblo is still occupied and has been for several hundred years. Despite its continuous habitation, the Taos Pueblo hosts guided walking tours that start at 9:00 AM and run every 20 to 30 minutes until roughly 4:00 PM.

Socorro

Socorro is a city of about 8,700 people in the Rio Grande Valley, about 75 miles south of the largest city in the state, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Although grande in scenery, Socorro proper is intimate enough to offer a walking tour of dozens of historic sites. The City of Socorro Historic Walking Tour divides Socorro into three districts.

Highlights include the Garcia Opera House (c. 1886) in the San Miguel Church District, the Captain Michael Cooney House (c. 1889) in the Church-McCutcheon District, and the Loma Cinema building (c. 1885) in the Kittrel Park-Manzanares District.

Magdalena

Located just 27 miles west of Socorro, Magdalena is a much smaller community with an equally rich history. Among the sites to explore in mini Magdalena are the Santa Fe Depot, which was built circa 1915 as a train station and is now paired with the Box Car Museum as a historic attraction; Bank of Magdalena, which was erected in the early 20th century and recently served coffee and ice cream as Evett's Cafe; and Old Jail House, which detained Magdalena's "rowdies" in a rowdier era.

You can jump from the past to the future by visiting the Very Large Array, a sprawling outdoor astronomy observatory situated west of town. Guided and self-guided walking tours of the 27 82-foot radio telescopes are available year-round, weather permitting.

Aztec

Let the Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village be your starting point for a tremendous tour of this northwestern New Mexico community. The museum offers sights of the Old City Hall since it is housed in the same building, and booklets for Historic Aztec Self-Guided Walking & Biking Tours, which take you to the Jarvis Hotel, Aztec Theater, and a number of other landmarks.

But you cannot end your tour of Aztec without visiting its namesake Aztec Ruins National Monument, a preserve of Ancestral Puebloan structures once misattributed to the Aztecs. Tours are mostly self-guided and cover a three-story, half-mile area for typically one to two hours.

Deming

For a New Mexico community, Deming has a rather large population of nearly 15,000. Yet Deming began with a quaint and walkable downtown that was well-preserved in the modern age. Many of its oldest buildings, such as the Luna County Courthouse and Seaman Field House, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and can be seen during the Historic Downtown Walking Tour.

This tour begins at the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum and passes more than a dozen landmarks before ending at the courthouse. If you get tired during your trip, stop for refreshment at Sounds Good Café or nourishment at Irma's Restaurant.

Truth or Consequences

Truth or Consequences is an apt name for a city that gives truth-bending tours with tales of historical consequences. "Salacious stories about prostitution, Apache attacks, crimes, and ghosts" accompany Macabre Tours of Truth or Consequences, hosted by a local folklorist inside the Hot Springs Bathhouse and Commercial Historic District. Truth or Consequences was built on hot springs and was called Hot Springs until a contest held by the radio show Truth or Consequences permanently altered its identity. T-or-C is still fueled by the springs, which funnel through supposedly haunted spas.

If you would rather not mix spooks with soaks, you can forge a cozier path in town. Test the warm waters of the Riverbend Hot Springs, Fire Water Lodge, and/or Blackstone Hotsprings, along with the warm food of the Sidekixx Bar & Kitchen and the Pacific Grill.

Pedestrian-friendly but not pedestrian in style, Las Vegas, Silver City, Taos, Socorro, Magdalena, Aztec, Deming, and Truth or Consequences have glorious landmarks that can be visited on foot. Whether it is a Spanish Colonial church or an Ancestral Puebloan village or a futuristic observatory, you do not need a vehicle to enjoy such small-town New Mexico wonders. There are also several nearby must-visit attractions you may need wheels to get to, but shoes will suffice when exploring these walkable towns.