(Travel time to view all sites is 6 to 8 hours; requires a full fuel
tank)
Border Rock Shop:
This is the perfect stop for rock hounds. Verla Jorgenson is the local
expert on gems and minerals in Hidalgo County. Ask about where to go to
find gems and mineral deposits in the area. Admire her award winning
Apache agates. See rock specimens from all over the world. Store hours
are 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday, and 9:00 to 3:00 on Saturday.
Located at 980 East Motel Drive in Lordsburg.
The Historic Lordsburg-Hidalgo Library: Over 100 years old,
this library building
was a monumental depression era Works in Progress
(WPA) project completed in 1936 through the efforts of the Women's Club
of the town. Known for its authentic New Mexico architectural style, the
building has recently been listed on the New Mexico and the National
Historical Cultural Preservation Registers. The library serves the
entire rural area of Hidalgo County and houses the only WPA artwork in
the area; pioneer family memorial windows, information for travelers,
recently published books on the area and a special southwest collection
of New Mexico and Hidalgo County history. Hours are Monday through
Friday 10:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 6:00, with tours on request. Located
at 208 East Third Street in Lordsburg.
Hidalgo County Scenic Loop: Go West Young Man, Go West! Take
Interstate 10 west, 12 miles to Road Forks and turn south on Highway 80.
Crossing the high desert you will descend into the San Simon valley
through Granite Gap. Stay on the lookout in the pass for Desert Bighorn
Sheep who graze the rocky hills. To the west is the awe of the
Chiricahua Mountains over the Arizona Border. This country was the
sacred safe haven of Geronimo and his Apache clan. As you descend into
the valley, the rock ranch house sitting to the right on private land
marks the Cienega stage stop and the first place that Geronimo was held
after he was captured. In a few more miles, you will come to Rodeo, an
early rail stop for shipping cattle in the early 1900s. A good place for
lunch is the Rodeo Grocery and Cafe. Visit
the outstanding Chiricahua
Art Gallery and chat with the amiable locals about the seasonal bird
watching. Now loop toward the east on NM 9. As you cross the hills
toward Animas, enjoy the vastness of the ranch land, wonder about the
open range, its heritage, and the outlaws riding to escape the law in
the badlands. Stop and take some photos of the lava beds. As you cross
NM 338 in Animas, look south. Animas Peak lays within the Diamond A
ranch, one of the largest working ranches still in existence. You are 50
miles north of the Mexican border. Continue east, passing the small town
of Windmill and the remnants of Playas, a company town of the Phelps
Dodge Corporation, now a homeland security training center, and the
prehistoric Playas lake bed. On to Hachita, called a town too tough to
die. Visit the very old Catholic Church with its authentic architecture.
Look for the "midget house." Ask about Old Hachita. Turn north on NM
146, head for Interstate 10. Take Interstate 10 west back to Lordsburg
parallel to the Southern Pacific rail lines. This stretch of road runs
along the faded tracks of the Overland Butterfield Stagecoach route.
Each spring was a water stop for travelers across the desert. Check out
Separ, another old rail stop for loading cattle on the northern boundary
of the Diamond A ranch. Enjoy the sunset as you head back into
Lordsburg.
This is the perfect stop for rock hounds. Verla Jorgenson is the local
expert on gems and minerals in Hidalgo County. Ask about where to go to
find gems and mineral deposits in the area. Admire her award winning
Apache agates. See rock specimens from all over the world. Store hours
are 9:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday, and 9:00 to 3:00 on Saturday.
Located at 980 East Motel Drive in Lordsburg.
was a monumental depression era Works in Progress
(WPA) project completed in 1936 through the efforts of the Women's Club
of the town. Known for its authentic New Mexico architectural style, the
building has recently been listed on the New Mexico and the National
Historical Cultural Preservation Registers. The library serves the
entire rural area of Hidalgo County and houses the only WPA artwork in
the area; pioneer family memorial windows, information for travelers,
recently published books on the area and a special southwest collection
of New Mexico and Hidalgo County history. Hours are Monday through
Friday 10:00 to 12:00 and 1:00 to 6:00, with tours on request. Located
at 208 East Third Street in Lordsburg.
west, 12 miles to Road Forks and turn south on Highway 80.
Crossing the high desert you will descend into the San Simon valley
through Granite Gap. Stay on the lookout in the pass for Desert Bighorn
Sheep who graze the rocky hills. To the west is the awe of the
Chiricahua Mountains over the Arizona Border. This country was the
sacred safe haven of Geronimo and his Apache clan. As you descend into
the valley, the rock ranch house sitting to the right on private land
marks the Cienega stage stop and the first place that Geronimo was held
after he was captured. In a few more miles, you will come to Rodeo, an
early rail stop for shipping cattle in the early 1900s. A good place for
lunch is the Rodeo Grocery and Cafe. Visit
the outstanding Chiricahua
Art Gallery and chat with the amiable locals about the seasonal bird
watching. Now loop toward the east on NM 9. As you cross the hills
toward Animas, enjoy the vastness of the ranch land, wonder about the
open range, its heritage, and the outlaws riding to escape the law in
the badlands. Stop and take some photos of the lava beds. As you cross
NM 338 in Animas, look south. Animas Peak lays within the Diamond A
ranch, one of the largest working ranches still in existence. You are 50
miles north of the Mexican border. Continue east, passing the small town
of Windmill and the remnants of Playas, a company town of the Phelps
Dodge Corporation, now a homeland security training center, and the
prehistoric Playas lake bed. On to Hachita,
called a town too tough to
die. Visit the very old Catholic Church with its authentic architecture.
Look for the "midget house." Ask about Old Hachita. Turn north on NM
146, head for Interstate 10. Take Interstate 10 west back to Lordsburg
parallel to the Southern Pacific rail lines. This stretch of road runs
along the faded tracks of the Overland Butterfield Stagecoach route.
Each spring was a water stop for travelers across the desert. Check out
Separ, another old rail stop for loading cattle on the northern boundary
of the Diamond A ranch. Enjoy the sunset as you head back into
Lordsburg.