Why Visit
New Mexico?
Inside New Mexico's borders, you'll find ancient cultures, world-famous cuisine, diverse landscapes, renowned museums, and much more. The mountains, deserts, lakes, caverns, and forests offer endless recreation opportunities, the people are eager to share their ways, and New Mexico's ancient history will give you a new respect for life.
New Mexico is famous for its amazing natural beauty and ancient past. From dinosaurs to volcanos to Native American Anasazi ruins you won't be disappointed. Be sure to check out the fascinating Museums, Parks & Monuments, and Scenic Byways listed below.
Some of their most famous attractions include the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner, Carlsbad Caverns, Chaco Canyon Historic Park, The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, the International UFO Museum in Roswell, the Gila Cliff Dwellings, Sandia Peak Tramway, and White Sands, Alamogordo.
While New Mexico is filled with justifiably famous attractions, you can still find out-of-the-way sites and hidden pockets of culture and history that haven't made it into the standard guidebooks. Be sure to check out one of the many hot springs found in New Mexico. Or, hike the rim of an 800-foot-deep volcanic cone that exploded some 10,000 years ago at Bandera Center / Ice Caves. For a truly unique experience visit the Bisti Badlands where strange and fragile sandstone formations make it seem like you are on a planet other than Earth. For some of the most spectacular bird-watching in North America check out Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Spanish for "the gardens," Las Huertas Canyon affords a very scenic drive up the less-traveled western slopes of the Sandia Mountains. Finally, walk the streets trod by Billy The Kid, John Ringo, The Clantons and more at Shakespeare Ghost Town.
For experience more of New Mexico, be sure to check out www.nmtourism.org.