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 and self-guided trails explain the area's history: this was once a main travel route for Native Americans and, in the 1500s, for the Spanish conquistadors. A campground (tent/RV sites $10/14) is open year-round.
Villanueva State Park
New Mexico
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Pecos National Historical Park
27.94 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…
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City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection
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Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center
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1.22 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
1.22 MILES
Along Hwy 3, are the Spanish colonial villages of Villanueva and San Miguel, which has a fine church, built in 1805.
2. Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge
22.87 MILES
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…
3. Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center
25.03 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…
4. City of Las Vegas Museum & Rough Rider Memorial Collection
25.44 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…
5. Pecos National Historical Park
27.94 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…
29.16 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…