Must-see attractions in Southeastern New Mexico

  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park

    Southeastern New Mexico

    While a cave might not sound quite as sexy as redwoods, geysers or the Grand Canyon, there’s no question that this one measures up on the national parks’…

  • White Sands National Park

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Undulating through the Tularosa Basin like something out of a dream, these ethereal dunes are a highlight of any trip to New Mexico, and a must on every…

  • UFO Museum.

    Roswell Museum & Art Center

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Roswell's excellent museum deserves a visit. Twelve galleries showcase Southwestern artists including Georgia O'Keeffe, Peter Hurd and Henriette Wyeth,…

  • International UFO Museum & Research Center

    Southeastern New Mexico

    There’s a lot of reading to be done here and exhibits dive right into the nitty-gritty, assuming familiarity with Roswell's extraterrestrial past. Display…

  • Lincoln Historic Site

    Southeastern New Mexico

    It's hard to believe that in Billy the Kid's era Lincoln was home to a bustling population of nearly 900. Today it is essentially a ghost town, with only…

  • Three Rivers Petroglyph Site

    Southeastern New Mexico

    The remote Three Rivers Petroglyph Site showcases over 21,000 petroglyphs, incised six centuries ago by the Jornada Mogollon people onto the flat surfaces…

  • New Mexico Museum of Space History

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Looming over the northeast corner of town and nicknamed 'the golden cube,' this four-story museum is surrounded by historic missiles, and holds excellent…

  • Valley of Fires Recreation Area

    Southeastern New Mexico

    At the Valley of Fires Recreation Area, 4 miles west of Carrizozo, you can explore the rocky blackness of a 125-sq-mile lava flow that's 160ft deep in the…

  • Mexican Canyon Trestle Overlook

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Built in 1899 to carry timber down to Alamogordo for the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, the railway line here twisted up the Sacramento Mountains for…

  • Hubbard Museum of the American West

    Southeastern New Mexico

    This town-run museum focuses on local history, with a wonderful gallery of old photos, and also displays Native American kachinas, war bonnets, weapons…

  • La Luz & Tularosa

    Southeastern New Mexico

    The painters, writers and craftspeople who live in the tiny enclave of La Luz, 4 miles north of Alamogordo, share a passion for creating artwork and…

  • Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Wintering water birds gather at this 38-sq-mile refuge, 10 miles northeast of Roswell; many birds remain to nest in the summer. Bring your binoculars for…

  • Ruidoso Downs Racetrack

    Southeastern New Mexico

    National attention focuses on the Ruidoso Downs racetrack on Labor Day for the world's richest quarter-horse race, the All American Futurity, which has a…

  • Historical Center for Southeast New Mexico

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Housed in the 1912 mansion of local rancher James Phelps White, this property is on the National Register of Historic Places, and its interior has been…

  • Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Northwest of town, this state park is a great place to see and learn about reptiles and roadrunners, wolves and elk, along with desert plants such as…

  • Toy Train Depot

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Railroad buffs and kids flock to this 1898 railway depot, for five rooms of train memorabilia and toy trains, and a 2.5-mile narrow-gauge minitrain ($5)…

  • Carlsbad Museum & Art Center

    Southeastern New Mexico

    This museum displays Apache artifacts, pioneer memorabilia from the region and paintings by artists from the Taos School. Ask staff about the resident…

  • Sunspot Solar Observatory

    Southeastern New Mexico

    One of the world's largest solar observatories is near Sunspot, 20 miles south of Cloudcroft. Though it's primarily for scientists, tourists can enter the…

  • Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Around 4000 Apache – not only Mescalero, but also Chiricahua and Lipan – live on this reservation, stretching approximately 720 sq miles south and west of…

  • Tularosa Basin Museum of History

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Thoroughly regional little museum, spotlighting ancient people, ranching life, the military and local families of note. Lots of small-town artifacts too,…

  • Alameda Park & Zoo

    Southeastern New Mexico

    Said to be the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi, established in 1898, this small but well-run place features exotics from around the world. Assuming…

  • Smokey Bear Historical Park

    Southeastern New Mexico

    At Smokey Bear Historical Park, in the village of Capitan, 12 miles west of Lincoln, you can see the famous bear's grave and learn tons about forest fires…

  • Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area

    Southeastern New Mexico

    A system of dams and spillways on the Pecos River created the 2-mile-long Lake Carlsbad immediately east of downtown, which holds pleasant trails along…

More destinations you need to see