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The Great Outdoors
LAS CRUCES, NM - When you’re blessed with 350 days of sunshine a year, finding something to do outdoors is not a problem, but finding the time to take advantage of all Las Cruces had to offer can be.
Las Cruces’ location at the crossroads of interstates 10 and 25 ideal for travelers, but it also affords visitors the perfect climate to enjoy a host of year-round outdoor activities. Our yearly average temperatures ranges from highs of 97° in July and August to 58° in December and January, and mid 70s and 80s in March and April.
Golfing is a popular past time in Las Cruces and all four local courses offer year-round play for golfers of every skill level. Sonoma Ranch Golf Course is southern New Mexico’s newest course and was nominated for “Best New Course” in 2000 by Golf Digest.
The course at New Mexico State University is home to the NMSU Aggie men’s & women’s golf teams, and is one of southern New Mexico’s most challenging courses. Other local courses include the Las Cruces Country Club, the cities oldest course built in 1928, and Picacho Hills Country Club, the city’s only private membership course.
Shifting from manicured fairways to the rugged peaks of the Organ Mountains, Las Cruces had become a haven for hikers and mountain bikers. The Organs offer two main recreational areas: Aguirre Springs and Dripping Springs recreational areas. Aguirre Springs features hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, and camping at one of the most scenic areas in southern New Mexico. From the campsites there are two trails: Baylor Pass and Pine Tree Trail, both listed with the National Recreation Trail System. Baylor Pass is a six-mile trek starting on the east side of the mountain and ascending to the top of Baylor Pass, approximately 5,500 feet high. This trail is only suitable for hiking and horseback riding. The Pine Tree Trail is a four-mile loop for hiking only.
Dripping Springs/La Cueva is the Organ’s other recreational area. Hikers can choose between two trails, one leading to the Dripping Springs Resort ruins, a former hotel and sanctuary for Tuberculoses suffers, or the other leading to La Cueva, a mountain cave believed to be used for shelter by the prehistoric Mogollon Indians. Both trails are approximately one mile long and are only designed for hiking. If you are into biking, both the East and West mesa are perfect for riding and contain many trails of varying skill level. and to its credit, Las Cruces was named one of the “Top Five Best Places to Live and Ride,” by Bike Magazine.
Las Cruces also offers a variety of additional year-round leisure activities including tennis, fishing, swimming, softball and baseball.
And not far from Las Cruces, visitors can also enjoy sunny skies and warm weather while visiting state parks, national monuments and forests. White Sands National Monument is located less then one hour from Las Cruces and offers year-round family recreation. To the west is Rock Hound State Park, City of Rocks State Park, and the Gila National Forest, are all suited for camping, hiking, picnicking and biking.
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