These 10 Towns In New Mexico Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2024
Being named after the Aztec god of war, Mexitli might seem like a deterrent and a red flag for most people. Fortunately, the state of New Mexico welcomes one and all to the many peaceful areas of interest—notably, the many small towns in New Mexico ranked among US favorites in 2024. Tourists and even citizens of New Mexico can learn all about the old wars that were waged in this state in historic destinations such as Mesilla, Taos, Los Alamos, and more. One can feel rejuvenated in Chimayo and Silver City, and one can feel excited by the sensational sceneries at Ruidoso and Las Vegas. There is a reason why these towns in New Mexico were ranked among US favorites in 2024, so you should definitely head to each and every one of them to discover why.
Silver City
Silver City is the type of old Wild West town that infamous outlaws like Billy the Kid, “Dangerous” Dan Tucker, Geronimo, and Judge Roy Bean once visited. But for you modern-day travelers, you can walk the dusty streets that the aforementioned renegades once trudged upon, exploring numerous locations and attractions within Silver City’s influence. From the foothills of the Pinos Altos Mountains all the way to the Gila National Forest and the Gila River, you will be mesmerized by the awesome landscapes that harken to a wilder and often violent era.
At the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, you will come across ancient stone houses belonging to the Mogollon people. Meanwhile, the Central Mining District contains some of the oldest mining areas in the US, such as Santa Clara, Fort Bayard, and Hurley. More dynamic biomes can be experienced at the Mimbres Valley of the Chihuahuan Desert and the City of Rocks State Park. If you ever get exhausted from all the traveling, you should definitely spend your cool evenings at the Serenity House, Palace Hotel, or LuLu Hotel Silver City.
Truth or Consequences
People often claim that there are consequences to truths, and truths within consequences. Of course, you can always have both in the New Mexico town of Truth or Consequences. This strangely named town changed its original name of Hot Springs into Truth or Consequences due to a popular quiz show called "Truth or Consequences," hosted by Ralph Edwards. Serving as a wellness tourism site for those wanting the lush hot springs that Truth or Consequences has always been known for, the town also functions as a gateway to other beautiful bodies of water, such as Elephant Butte Lake and Caballo Lake.
Most importantly, travelers can come across the world’s first commercial spaceport called Spaceport America, an industry eager to provide tourism in space when the technology and resources are available. So if you are curious to see what kind of truths or consequences can be experienced in Truth or Consequences, then you ought to book a room at either the Rocket Inn or Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa.
Taos
Taos is an oasis of snow and winter fun amidst the scorching deserts of New Mexico. Whether you are skiing in the world-class snow resort of the Taos Ski Valley or walking through the snowy slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, you will be enchanted by numerous delights like the Enchanted Circle and more. Indigenous cultures in the far past often visited Taos, as best observed in Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is thousands of years old.
More recent historical structures in Taos include the San Francisco de Asis Church and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the fifth-highest bridge in the US. Only 70 miles from the city of Santa Fe, the accommodations of the Historic Taos Inn, the Old Taos Guesthouse, and El Pueblo Lodge keep you safe and satisfied in the small town of Taos.
Las Vegas
Coincidentally, there is a small town in New Mexico called Las Vegas that has nothing to do with Sin City in Nevada. Even though it lacks the dramatic casinos and neon atmospheres of the city of Las Vegas, the eponymous town is known for having “landmarks, legends and lore.” One example of lore visitors can learn all about are the Rough Riders—men from Las Vegas and other communities in New Mexico whom President Theodore Roosevelt recruited to fight in the Spanish-American War. Travelers can admire the 21 Las Vegas citizens who accepted the job at the Rough Rider Memorial Collection.
Las Vegas also has another historic and military value for the US, made manifest by Fort Union National Monument, which was once a headquarters for General Stephen Kearny, who experienced both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. Located on the Santa Fe Trail, come discover for yourself why Las Vegas is a place of landmarks, legends, and lore, but most importantly a town filled with fine establishments such as Historic Plaza Hotel, the Castaneda Hotel, and Historic El Fidel Hotel.
Ruidoso
About three hours away from the city of Albuquerque, Ruidoso sits on the snowy slopes of the Sierra Blanca Mountain Range. With its impressive Ski Apache resort and its lively theatrical performances and drama at the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts (in nearby Alto), Ruidoso is a nice and comfortable escape from New Mexico’s bustling and busy centers. One can enjoy the cool forests of the Lincoln National Forest or admire the bountiful homesteads of the Apache at the Mescalero Reservation.
Step into the 19th century by touring the adobe museums and churches at the Lincoln Historic Site. Finally, you can attend the All-American Festival every September or horse races at the Ruidoso Downs Race Track in the summer for more thrilling sceneries in Ruidoso. No need to worry about lodgings because the Sitzmark Chalet Inn, Hotel Ruidoso, and Elevate Hotel have you covered.
Los Alamos
About 33 miles from the city of Santa Fe, the unassuming small town of Los Alamos was the site of one of the greatest—and most dangerous—inventions in the world—the nuclear bomb. When Robert J. Oppenheimer founded the Manhattan Project, he chose Los Alamos’ discreet and familiar location to be the site to test the most hazardous World War II weapon before nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Much of the history surrounding the event and the scientists involved can be seen at the Bradbury Science Museum and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Fortunately for visitors, you need not worry about lingering radiation being harmful. You can still traipse and saunter through Los Alamos’ beautiful landscapes, such as the Valles Caldera National Preserve, the Santa Fe National Forest, and the Bandelier National Monument—the last one specifically provides pre-Columbian artifacts and petroglyphs of the Indigenous cultures that used to be abundant in Los Alamos. Consider spending your comfortable nights at the Canyon Inn or any other lodging in Los Alamos.
Aztec
The small town of Aztec, close to the southern state border of Colorado, gives a good glimpse into both the Indigenous and—oddly enough—Irish cultures that have made New Mexico what it is today. From the 11th-century Puebloan ruins of the Aztec Ruins National Monument—made not by the Aztecs but by the Anasazi, the Ancient Ones—and all the way to the annual festivities such as the Highland Games and Celtic Music Festival in the first weekend of October, there are no shortage of paradoxical and dichotomous attractions worth seeing in Aztec.
More Native American ruins can be explored at the Great House in the Chaco Canyon. There, you can explore a 900-year-old home with over 400 masonry rooms and North America’s largest constructed great kiva. Most importantly, you can go walking about in scenic destinations such as the Animas River Walk, the Alien Run, and the Navajo Lake State Park.
Chimayo
Chimayo, located halfway between Los Alamos and Taos, has welcomed numerous pilgrims throughout the ages. First, there were the Tewa Native Americans who called Chimayo Tsi-Mayoh and claimed that the hills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains were filled with healing spirits. In the year 1813, missionaries from Spain built a permanent Catholic community in Chimayo—over 300,000 Catholic pilgrims yearly have undergone an exodus there, all of whom agree that Chimayo is "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States."
A church on El Santuario de Chimayo, a sacrosanct hill, showcases both Spanish and Native American decorations to honor the two cultures that have made Chimayo relevant. One might also be interested in the Shrine of Santa Nino de Atocha, where US soldiers who survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines honored the fallen. Pilgrims or not, you can feel welcome and at ease in Chimayo’s soothing lodgings, such as the Casa Escondida Bed & Breakfast.
Deming
Deming, located about 35 miles from the US-Mexico border and an hour away from the city of Las Cruces, entreats newcomers to a number of destinations. Whether you are falling in love with the Rockhound State Park or studying up on the Mimbre Native Americans and the Mimbres River at the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum, there are many more wonders and surprises to seek out in Deming. Learn all about the raid conducted by General Francisco "Pancho" Villa at the Pancho Villa State Park, the first and last recorded armed invasion of the US in the 1900s.
Afterward, delve into New Mexico’s outdoors at the Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area. And finally, refresh yourself for another adventurous day at the Best Western Deming Southwest Inn.
Mesilla
You will not be messing about when you are in the mesmerizing small town of Mesilla, a fringe community close to the city of Las Cruces and beside the Rio Grande. Established by Cura Ramon Ortiz after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican War in 1848, Mesilla was the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona during the American Civil War. Billy the Kid was almost executed in Mesilla before conducting a daring escape, but was soon hunted down by local hero Pat Garrett who, in turn, met a grisly end in a nearby arroyo.
Travelers will be interested in the many adobe buildings in Mesilla that withstood many an Apache attack, such as the San Albino Church—one of the oldest churches in the Mesilla Valley—and the Civil War and Native American artifacts at the Gadsden Museum. Take your time strolling through the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, and consider the Hacienda de Mesilla as a viable lodging option.
Find love and peace, not destruction and violence, in the war-forged state of New Mexico. Between Taos' serene features in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the famous El Santuario de Chimayo, these are some of the best small towns in New Mexico ranked among US favorites this 2024. Where the Wild West is given more clarity and context in towns like Mesilla and Deming and where era-defining moments can be reviewed in Las Vegas and Los Alamos, you will be enlightened and amazed by all the attractions each of New Mexico’s towns has to offer. Out with the old, in with the new, and you can definitely start going out of your old habits by experiencing new moments and thrills in New Mexico’s top-ranked small towns.
