Las Cruces Short Hikes

Kilbourne Hole Hike (joint hike with Celebration of Our Mountains - El Paso)

Sun, Sep 27 · 9:00 AM MDT

Love's Travel Stop, 2401 Airport Rd, Santa Teresa, NM 88008, USA, Santa Teresa, NM, US

You must register in advance for this hike with Celebration of Our Mountains. Follow this link to do so.

Distance: 1 mile along the rim
Duration: ~1 hours walking + drive time (plan for ~5 hours round trip)
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (rocky footing)

Visit Kilbourne Hole, one of the most spectacular volcanic features in the Southwest. Located 1.5 hours SW of Las Cruces, this maar crater---created by a powerful volcanic explosion thousands of years ago---is now a National Natural Landmark and one of the best places to see mantle xenoliths (pieces of Earth’s mantle brought to the surface). This area has historically been known to rockhounds as an ideal place to find peridot, a gem-quality variety of the mineral olivine. Kilbourne Hole has been used to train NASA astronauts to identify and collect geological samples in a training environment that simulates the Moon.

This geologist-led hike is in collaboration with the group Celebration of Our Mountains - El Paso. The hike will take participants along the rim on an easy-to-moderate trail through sandy desert terrain. Along the way, you’ll learn about the crater’s unique geology, how it formed, and why it continues to fascinate scientists and explorers alike.

Drive: ~1.5 hour from Las Cruces (includes 45 minutes dirt roads). Travel is slow, dusty, and bumpy. Mid-clearance vehicles are recommended; low-clearance cars may need to carpool; we can coordinate at the meet-up point.

Carpooling: Strongly encouraged! Helps reduce dust, shorten the caravan, and accommodate those with smaller vehicles.

What to Bring:

• At least 1 liter of water per person (more if possible)
• Snacks or a packed lunch
• Comfortable hiking boots/walking shoes
• Hat, sunscreen, jacket or layers for changing desert weather
• Spirit of adventure (and maybe a rock hammer and safety goggles if you’re curious!)

Important Notes:

• Arrive at the Love's Travel Stop in Santa Teresa by 8:45 a.m. The El Paso group will meet up with us there around 9:00 a.m. and we will continue westward to the site.
• Cell service is limited at the site. There are no restroom facilities.
• If you have a high-clearance vehicle, please consider carpooling others. The last, 1/4-mile access road is very rutted.

Contacts:
Brenna (Celebration of Our Mountains) – btapril@miners.utep.edu
Steve (Las Cruces Short Hikes) - (952) 353-0528

Google Maps link to the Love's Travel Stop in Santa Teresa.

Caution/Disclaimer: Hikers are responsible for their own personal safety/health and of their guests when participating in Las Cruces Short Hikes activities. The organizers of Las Cruces Short Hikes and Celebration of Our Mountains - El Paso are not liable for any illness, injury, accident, mechanical break-down, or unforeseen acts that may occur while you participate going to, during, or after any activity. If you have a medical condition that may be aggravated by any kind of physical activity you must make your own personal decision about attending and not hold any of the volunteer organizers liable. All organizers are volunteers and are not compensated during any activity.

Doña Ana Arch Loop Hike (with Celebration of Our Mountains)

Sun, Oct 4 · 7:30 AM MDT

Dona Ana Arch, C5Q3+XQ, LAS CRUCES, NM, US

You must register with Celebration of Our Mountains to attend this hike. Space is limited! Follow this link to register.

Distance: an approximate 3.5 mile loop
Elevation Gain: 883 feet
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: High-Moderate to Strenuous (due to elevation gain and slippery rocks on trail)

This hike mostly follows UTV trails and is challenging due to the elevation changes and slippery gravel/rocks on the hills. If you have balance issues, joint issues, or cardio-pulmonary issues, this is not a good hike for you. But if you are even in moderate shape, have no underlying health issues, and TAKE YOUR TIME, this is a "doable" and beautiful hike. It is well worth doing once, to see these natural arches of the Dona Anas.

You do NOT need a 4WD vehicle; the trailhead can be reached even with passenger cars. Be apprised that this area sees a lot of off-road vehicle use and there is an active gun range near the entrance.

This hike brings you up close to some beautiful natural arches and a shelter cave. The rock formations here are very striking and there are superb photo opportunities all along the summit.

Please hike as a group; we will take many breaks on this hike to let the slowest hikers set the pace. It is recommended that participants use the AllTrails map for this hike, as it is easy to take a wrong turn due to all the intersecting UTV trails along the way.

What to Bring:

• At least one liter of water per person (2 would be better)
• Snacks for energy. This is a 3-hour hike and you will probably want some carbs at the summit.
• Hiking boots with good ankle support.
• Trekking poles. You will really need these due to the loose gravel on the hills.
• A fully-charged cell phone. Recommend installing the AllTrails app and downloading the map for this hike (see link below).
• Hat, sunscreen, jacket or layers for changing desert weather

Directions:

• AllTrails Map of the main hike
• Google Map Directions to the area. We will meet in the dirt lot just off Del Rey Blvd/Goat Hill Road, then drive as a group to the trailhead, which is a few hundred yards further north down a primitive gravel road.
• From Las Cruces, take I-25 north to the Dona Anna exit (exit 9). Turn right at the exit. Continue up the hill to Del Rey boulevard, then turn left. Follow Del Rey past the Waste Management/Community Collection center. At the point where Del Rey banks sharply to the left and turns into Goat Hill Road, turn off into the gravel lot on the right. Look for a blue-gray Ford Bronco. We will meet here before driving further to the trailhead.

Caution/Disclaimer: Hikers are responsible for their own personal safety/health and of their guests when participating in Las Cruces Short Hikes activities. The organizers of Las Cruces Short Hikes are not liable for any illness, injury, accident, mechanical break-down, or unforeseen acts that may occur while you participate going to, during, or after any activity. If you have a medical condition that may be aggravated by any kind of physical activity you must make your own personal decision about attending and not hold any of the volunteer organizers liable. All organizers are volunteers and are not compensated during any activity.

Wildflower & Shelter Cave Photo Walk

Sat, Oct 10 · 8:00 AM MDT

Pena Blanca Trailhead, Las Cruces, NM 88011, USA, Las Cruces, NM, US

• When: October 10th, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Where: Pena Blanca Trailhead (approx. 18-20 miles southeast of Las Cruces)
• Difficulty: Easy to Low Moderate. Elevation gain 285 feet; some scrambling if you want to explore the smaller rock shelters. There will be a lot of off-trail hiking as we look for wildflowers. This is a very leisurely, 3-4 mile, round-trip hike.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours plus travel time.
• No restrooms or water at trailhead. We recommend bringing approx. 1/2 gallon of water per person.
• Please wear sturdy footwear and sun protection.
• Recommend downloading the "Seek by iNaturalist" app for ID'ing wildflowers, available from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Join area wildflower photographer Melissa Laferriere to explore the beauty of the Peña Blanca Wilderness Study Area. Melissa will show us where to find wildflowers within a typical desert landscape, and which cell phone apps and camera tricks to use when identifying and photographing desert flora and insects.

We'll have prizes for the hikers who take the best photos! All hikers will get a list of other area wildflower hikes. and the best seasons to see various wildflowers.

This area is also home to some unique rock formations and prehistoric shelter caves. The shelter caves provide spectacular views of the surrounding desert, and feature grinding mortars and pictographs from the Jornada Mogollon culture. When the caves were excavated in the 1980s, nearly 200 ancient corncobs were unearthed. Some of these were nearly 3,000 years old, providing some of the oldest evidence of maize cultivation in what is now the United States.

Directions:
Google Maps Pin
All Trails Map of Hiking Area

Trucks/SUVs/Crossovers: Take I-10E south from Las Cruces to Exit 151. Cross the highway and follow County Rd B059 to the trailhead. The last mile of this road has a lot of sharp rocks, and should only be navigated by vehicles with rugged tires and good ground clearance.

Passenger cars: Because the last mile of County Rd B059 is very rugged, meet us Landmark Mercantile (12000 Stern Dr, Mesquite, NM 88048) at 7:30, and you can leave your care there and carpool to the trailhead with us.

Caution/Disclaimer: Hikers are responsible for their own personal safety/health and of their guests when participating in Las Cruces Short Hikes activities. The organizers of Las Cruces Short Hikes are not liable for any illness, injury, accident, mechanical break-down, or unforeseen acts that may occur while you participate going to, during, or after any activity. If you have a medical condition that may be aggravated by any kind of physical activity you must make your own personal decision about attending and not hold any of the volunteer organizers liable. All organizers are volunteers and are not compensated during any activity.

Fall Color Hike in Cloudcroft

Sat, Oct 17 · 9:30 AM MDT

Osha Trailhead, 200 Glorietta Ave, Cloudcroft, NM, US

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (starting elevation 8,500 feet)
Distance: 2.5 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 433 feet
Time: 3 hours round-trip driving from Las Cruces, plus 1.5 hour hike, plus 1.5 hours for lunch (optional).

For this hike, we'll enjoy the fall colors along the Osha Trail in Cloudcroft. Enjoy the brilliant oranges, reds and yellows of the maples and aspens, mixed with the fragrant greens of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. Deer, elk and wild horses are often seen along the route. Portions of the trail offer glimpses of White Sands.

We will meet promptly at the trailhead at 9:30 a.m. For those who want to stay for lunch, we'll gather at Cloudcroft Brewing for beer and pizza (vegan/lactose-free cheese options are available) before heading home.

Tip: If you want more fall colors, take a slow, relaxing drive south of the village on NM-6563 for a scenic fall car ride.

AllTrails map of hike

Google Maps directions to trailhead
Please comment if you'd be interested in carpooling.

Caution/Disclaimer: Hikers are responsible for their own personal safety/health and of their guests when participating in Las Cruces Short Hikes activities. The organizers of Las Cruces Short Hikes are not liable for any illness, injury, accident, mechanical break-down, or unforeseen acts that may occur while you participate going to, during, or after any activity. If you have a medical condition that may be aggravated by any kind of physical activity you must make your own personal decision about attending and not hold any of the volunteer organizers liable. All organizers are volunteers and are not compensated during any activity.