A secluded gem, the Broad Canyon Wilderness shelters hidden water pools, flat-
topped mountains and ancient cultural sites. Ancient lava flows carved by
through the erosion of water form several small canyons whose sides are
colored by lichens on the rock. The quiet in this area is only broken by the
flush of quail as you explore the landscape dominated by Chihuahuan Desert
scrub.

A secluded gem, the Broad Canyon Wilderness shelters hidden water pools, flat-topped mountains and ancient cultural sites. Ancient lava flows carved by through the erosion of water form several small canyons whose sides are colored by lichens on the rock. The quiet in this area is only broken by the flush of quail as you explore the landscape dominated by Chihuahuan Desert scrub.

Bird's eye view of the park

Broad Canyon Wilderness

The Sierra de las Uvas Mountains Wilderness Area is located in the south-
central portion of New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert. The area is a mountain
complex of tilted, bedded volcanic rock. The western slopes are gentle, while
cliffs dominate the east side. The landform is characterized by mesas, buttes,
and canyons. The vegetation is primarily grasses and desert shrubs, with
juniper on north facing slopes at higher elevations. Rimrock along the mesas
provides nesting sites for many raptors.

The Sierra de las Uvas Mountains Wilderness Area is located in the south-central portion of New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert. The area is a mountain complex of tilted, bedded volcanic rock. The western slopes are gentle, while cliffs dominate the east side. The landform is characterized by mesas, buttes, and canyons. The vegetation is primarily grasses and desert shrubs, with juniper on north facing slopes at higher elevations. Rimrock along the mesas provides nesting sites for many raptors.

Sierra de las Uvas Mountains Wilderness Area

Leasburg Diversion Dam, Rio Grande Project, is on the Rio Grande 62 miles
north of El Paso at the head of Mesilla Valley. Recreation at Leasburg is
managed by the New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of
Reclamation. The park headquarters can be reached at (505) 524-4068. The park
is open year-round. Leasburg Diversion Dam is listed in the National Register
of Historic Places as part of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. A
visitor center operated by NM State Parks contains exhibits on history and
wildlife of the area. The best fishing is late April through August in the Rio
Grande River. Entry fees are charged during the main recreation season. Good
access roads. The nearest community is Las Cruces, 15 miles south on
Interstate 25. This small park with 140 acres of land provides fishing,
canoeing, and kayaking in the Rio Grande River. Other features available
include a modern campground, picnicking, children's play facilities, and
hiking.

Leasburg Diversion Dam, <a href="https://www.usbr.gov/projects/index.php?id=397" rel="nofollow">Rio Grande Project</a>, is on the Rio Grande 62 miles north of El Paso at the head of Mesilla Valley. Recreation at Leasburg is managed by the New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The park headquarters can be reached at (505) 524-4068. The park is open year-round. Leasburg Diversion Dam is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. A visitor center operated by NM State Parks contains exhibits on history and wildlife of the area. The best fishing is late April through August in the Rio Grande River. Entry fees are charged during the main recreation season. Good access roads. The nearest community is Las Cruces, 15 miles south on Interstate 25. This small park with 140 acres of land provides fishing, canoeing, and kayaking in the Rio Grande River. Other features available include a modern campground, picnicking, children's play facilities, and hiking.

Leasburg Diversion Dam

The historic Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Canal, and Dam Tender’s House perched at
the edge of the bluff overlooking the dam were built between 1906 and 1908 by
the U.S. Reclamation Service. The dam was the first water diversion structure
built on the Rio Grande in New Mexico by the Reclamation Service, predating
Elephant Butte Dam by almost 10 years. Its purpose was to provide irrigation
water for the Mesilla Valley. The historic El Camino Real used by the Spanish
to supply northern colonies around Santa Fe passes near the park including the
infamous Jornada del Muerto section. The nearby Fort Selden site is a 19th
century army outpost that is famous for its Buffalo Soldiers.  
  
A short 25 minute drive from bustling Las Cruces brings you to this quiet park
along the Rio Grande. Leasburg Dam State Park offers peace and relaxation, a
beautiful cactus garden, several hiking trails, and opportunities for fishing,
canoeing, kayaking and birding. Some of these trails take visitors to historic
structures at the park. Night sky programs are very popular at this park,
which features an observatory.  
  
Park Elevation 3,962 ft  
Make a reservation on the New Mexico State Parks reservation website.

The historic Leasburg Dam, Leasburg Canal, and Dam Tender’s House perched at the edge of the bluff overlooking the dam were built between 1906 and 1908 by the U.S. Reclamation Service. The dam was the first water diversion structure built on the Rio Grande in New Mexico by the Reclamation Service, predating Elephant Butte Dam by almost 10 years. Its purpose was to provide irrigation water for the Mesilla Valley. The historic El Camino Real used by the Spanish to supply northern colonies around Santa Fe passes near the park including the infamous Jornada del Muerto section. The nearby Fort Selden site is a 19th century army outpost that is famous for its Buffalo Soldiers. 

A short 25 minute drive from bustling Las Cruces brings you to this quiet park along the Rio Grande. Leasburg Dam State Park offers peace and relaxation, a beautiful cactus garden, several hiking trails, and opportunities for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and birding. Some of these trails take visitors to historic structures at the park. Night sky programs are very popular at this park, which features an observatory. 

Park Elevation 3,962 ft 
<a href="http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/leasburgdamstatepark.html" rel="nofollow">Make a reservation on the New Mexico State Parks reservation website</a>.

Leasburg Dam State Park

The Robledo Mountains Wilderness Area is located in the south-central portion
of New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert. A diversity of habitats such as
canyons, limestone cliffs, gentle slopes, caves, and riparian areas combine to
make this area unique. Vegetation includes scattered junipers, diverse cacti,
mesquite, creosote bush, and grassland.

Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act
which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated.
To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by
the Act, please visit: Wilderness Connect

The Robledo Mountains Wilderness Area is located in the south-central portion of New Mexico in the Chihuahuan Desert. A diversity of habitats such as canyons, limestone cliffs, gentle slopes, caves, and riparian areas combine to make this area unique. Vegetation includes scattered junipers, diverse cacti, mesquite, creosote bush, and grassland. Per the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act which became law on March 12, 2019, this web page is currently being updated. To find more information on the new wilderness areas in New Mexico created by the Act, please visit: <a href="https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/find-a-wilderness.php" rel="nofollow">Wilderness Connect</a>

Robledo Mountains Wilderness Area

The Prehistoric Trackways National Monument was established in 2009 to
conserve, protect, and enhance the unique and nationally-important
paleontological, scientific, educational, scenic, and recreational resources
and values of the Robledo Mountains in southern New Mexico. The Monument
includes a major deposit of Paleozoic Era fossilized footprint megatrackways
within approximately 5,280 acres.  
  
The trackways contain footprints of numerous amphibians, reptiles, and insects
(including previously unknown species), plants, and petrified wood dating back
280 million years, which collectively provide new opportunities to understand
animal behaviors and environments from a time predating dinosaurs. The site
contains one of the most scientifically-significant Early Permian track sites
in the world.  
  
There are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and off highway vehicle
driving in portions of the monument. However, viewing Trackway fossils is
limited. At this time, there are no developed sites interpreting the fossils.
To preserve them for ongoing and future scientific study, some trackway
fossils have been removed and transported to the New Mexico Museum of Natural
History and Science, making up the Jerry MacDonald Paleozoic Trackways
Collection. Anyone interested in viewing these fascinating tracks can do so by
visiting the Museum, which offers public tours of their Geoscience Collection,
including the Trackways Collection, by reservation. The Las Cruces Museum of
Nature and Science also has a 30 foot and a 15 foot trackway on display.

The Prehistoric Trackways National Monument was established in 2009 to conserve, protect, and enhance the unique and nationally-important paleontological, scientific, educational, scenic, and recreational resources and values of the Robledo Mountains in southern New Mexico. The Monument includes a major deposit of Paleozoic Era fossilized footprint megatrackways within approximately 5,280 acres. 
 
The trackways contain footprints of numerous amphibians, reptiles, and insects (including previously unknown species), plants, and petrified wood dating back 280 million years, which collectively provide new opportunities to understand animal behaviors and environments from a time predating dinosaurs. The site contains one of the most scientifically-significant Early Permian track sites in the world. There are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and off highway vehicle driving in portions of the monument. However, viewing Trackway fossils is limited. At this time, there are no developed sites interpreting the fossils. To preserve them for ongoing and future scientific study, some trackway fossils have been removed and transported to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, making up the Jerry MacDonald Paleozoic Trackways Collection. Anyone interested in viewing these fascinating tracks can do so by visiting the Museum, which offers public tours of their Geoscience Collection, including the Trackways Collection, by reservation. The Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science also has a 30 foot and a 15 foot trackway on display.

Prehistoric Trackways  National Monument

The Robledo Mountains Off-Highway Vehicle Trail System is a network of trails,
including both extreme OHV and mountain bike trails, in the southern Robledo
Mountains. The trails are dominated by enormous rocks, making the terrain
extraordinarily challenging for riders. The extreme OHV trails require
specialized vehicles, with locking differentials, winches, and expert drivers.
Vehicle damage is not uncommon on these very difficult OHV trails. The area
also includes the "SST" mountain bike trail, which is open only to non-
motorized uses. It also is an extremely technical trail -- traversing
challenging rocky terrain, steep canyons, and mountain-top ridges -- and
requires expert riding skills.

The Robledo Mountains Off-Highway Vehicle Trail System is a network of trails, including both extreme OHV and mountain bike trails, in the southern Robledo Mountains. The trails are dominated by enormous rocks, making the terrain extraordinarily challenging for riders. The extreme OHV trails require specialized vehicles, with locking differentials, winches, and expert drivers. Vehicle damage is not uncommon on these very difficult OHV trails. 

The area also includes the "SST" mountain bike trail, which is open only to non-motorized uses. It also is an extremely technical trail -- traversing challenging rocky terrain, steep canyons, and mountain-top ridges -- and requires expert riding skills.

Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System

Picacho Peak is a 4959-foot high peak just northwest of Las Cruces. It is a
volcanic mountain composed of rhyolite (mostly quartz and feldspar) that
solidified at the surface approximately 35 million years ago. The recreation
area has over 15 miles of mountain biking, hiking, and equestrian trails. The
1.5 mile trail to the peak provides spectacular views of the Mesilla Valley
and the Organ Mountains. Although most of the recreational use occurs on the
peak, there are also large canyons and mesa tops to explore.

Picacho Peak is a 4959-foot high peak just northwest of Las Cruces. It is a volcanic mountain composed of rhyolite (mostly quartz and feldspar) that solidified at the surface approximately 35 million years ago. The recreation area has over 15 miles of mountain biking, hiking, and equestrian trails. The 1.5 mile trail to the peak provides spectacular views of the Mesilla Valley and the Organ Mountains. Although most of the recreational use occurs on the peak, there are also large canyons and mesa tops to explore.

Broad Canyon Wilderness

Directions

Reviews

Nearby Parks

Sierra de las Uvas Mountains Wilderness Area

Leasburg Diversion Dam

Leasburg Dam State Park

Robledo Mountains Wilderness Area

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument

Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System

Picacho Peak Recreation Area