Five miles southeast of Las Vegas via Hwys 104 and 281, this nearly 14-sq-mile refuge has marshes, woodlands and grasslands to which upwards of 250 bird species have found their way. Visitors can follow an 8-mile drive or hike one of the nature trails.
Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge
New Mexico
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Pecos National Historical Park
28.81 MILES
When the Spanish first reached Pecos Pueblo, they found a five-story, 700-room structure that was a major center for trade between the Pueblo peoples and…
27.86 MILES
Formerly the Salman Ranch, this farm at La Cueva is still famous for its organic raspberry fields, where between mid-August and mid-October – weather…
22.87 MILES
This pretty state park, about 35 miles south of Las Vegas via I-25 and Hwy 3, lies in a red rock canyon on the Rio Pecos valley. A small visitor center…
City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection
4.43 MILES
This small but informative museum chronicles the fabled cavalry unit led by future US president Theodore Roosevelt in the 1898 fight for Cuba. More than…
27.87 MILES
The preserved 1870s adobe mill 6 miles east of Mora originally provided flour for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Today it's a National Historic Site,…
Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center
4.6 MILES
Enthusiastic local historians curate a collection of old photos and artifacts from Las Vegas' heyday as a rough-and-tumble trading post on the Santa Fe…
8.64 MILES
Just north of Las Vegas is this large lake, a popular destination for windsurfing and fishing. Camping here (tent site $8, RV sites $10 to $14) is just so…
21.8 MILES
Along Hwy 3, are the Spanish colonial villages of Villanueva and San Miguel, which has a fine church, built in 1805.
Nearby New Mexico attractions
1. City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection
4.43 MILES
This small but informative museum chronicles the fabled cavalry unit led by future US president Theodore Roosevelt in the 1898 fight for Cuba. More than…
2. Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center
4.6 MILES
Enthusiastic local historians curate a collection of old photos and artifacts from Las Vegas' heyday as a rough-and-tumble trading post on the Santa Fe…
8.64 MILES
Just north of Las Vegas is this large lake, a popular destination for windsurfing and fishing. Camping here (tent site $8, RV sites $10 to $14) is just so…
21.8 MILES
Along Hwy 3, are the Spanish colonial villages of Villanueva and San Miguel, which has a fine church, built in 1805.
22.87 MILES
This pretty state park, about 35 miles south of Las Vegas via I-25 and Hwy 3, lies in a red rock canyon on the Rio Pecos valley. A small visitor center…
27.86 MILES
Formerly the Salman Ranch, this farm at La Cueva is still famous for its organic raspberry fields, where between mid-August and mid-October – weather…
27.87 MILES
The preserved 1870s adobe mill 6 miles east of Mora originally provided flour for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Today it's a National Historic Site,…
8. Pecos National Historical Park
28.81 MILES
When the Spanish first reached Pecos Pueblo, they found a five-story, 700-room structure that was a major center for trade between the Pueblo peoples and…