Today I am going to highlight another great and inexpensive day trip option for the greater Las Cruces area.  The Gila Cliff DwellingsNational Monument offers a glimpse into the homes and lives of the Mogollon people who lived in this area over 700 years ago. The monument is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies within the rugged Gila Wilderness, the nation's first wilderness area. The wilderness designation means that the wilderness character of the area will not be altered by the intrusion of roads or other evidence of human presence.the Gila Cliff Dwellings were built in the 13th century by the Mogollon people. They formed the walls using chunks of Gila Conglomerate found within the caves. Mortar was required to keep the walls together. In some places you can still see the handprints of the builders. Activities in the monument include bird watching, fishing, hiking, interpretive programs, nature walks, stargazing, and wildlife viewing.

Activities in the wilderness include backpacking, bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, stargazing, and wildlife viewing.There are several popular hot springs in the area. The closest wilderness hot spring, Lightfeather, is a 20-minute walk from the Gila Visitor Center. The most popular is Jordan, a 6 or 8 mile hike from the Visitor Center, depending upon the trailhead used. Private hot springs are also located in the community of Gila Hotsprings, four miles from the Monument.  If you enjoy the outdoors and would enjoy taking a beautiful hike in nature then this is the perfect day trip for you.  New Mexico is a stunning place and it is always fun to get out and see what our lovely state has to offer.

If you would like to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings here is how to get there

Take State Highway 15 north from Silver City. Although the distance from Silver City is only 44 miles, the travel time is approximately two hours due to twisting and winding mountain terrain. An alternative route from Silver City is along State Highway 35 and goes through the Mimbres Valley. Even though it is 25 miles longer than Highway 15, it is less winding, wider, more level, and easier to travel; therefore it takes about the same amount of time to drive. NOTE: If your vehicle, travel trailer, or RV is over 20 feet in length, you should take Highway 35.

For more information about The Gila Cliff Dwellings please visit www.nps.gov/gicl If you are intested in other great things to do around town visit our website by clicking below.

Every community needs a great park. Luckily Las Cruces has several. My grandchildren have lots of energy, and it's great to take them to the park sometimes to let them run around and play. Our favorites parks to visit are Young Park and Apodaca Park.

Young Park

1905 East Nevada Ave
88001Las Cruces

Young Park is a 21.6 acre facility in Central Las Cruces, NM. It is located in the middle of a medium density residential subdivision with some commercial areas located across the park's east parking lot.

This is one of the largest, well-endowed parks in Las Cruces. It has both covered and open picnic tables, many of which have BBQ grills. There is also a large covered picnic area in the center of the park that overlooks the lake and is close to the public restrooms.

The park also has three playground areas located throughout. The playground equipment has ground rubber walkways leading to it and the steps of the equipment itself are covered in rubber to help keep the kids from slipping when its wet. The remainder of the ground below the equipment is covered in coarsely chipped wood. These help to dampen the jump and/or fall should they decide to put the laws of gravity to the test. Some play areas also have swing sets. In addition, you will find a covered wagon play area in the center of the park that has sand as ground cover.

The North Central area of the park boasts its most prominent feature....the lake. The lake is a pretty good size and has a waterfall and two fountains. As with most public lakes, due to hygiene concerns, we wouldn't recommend taking a cool dip or fishing in it. If you do decide to fish there, it would be best to catch and release. Also, make sure you have a fishing license. Children under 12 do not need one in New Mexico. It sure is nice to hang out by the water and listen to the fountains when you live in the middle of a desert.

The park also has a very nice set of tennis courts on site. These courts appear to be in very good condition and nets are well maintained. The courts are surrounded in a large chain link fence and has stadium lighting.

Apodaca Park
801 E Madrid
88001 Las Cruces

Apodaca Park is a 3.1 acre facility in North-Central Las Cruces, NM. It is located just North of where Solano Drive intersects with Madrid Street, in a mixed use, residential and commercial part of town. The park shares its Northern border with the Las Cruces Country Club.

This is another one of the largest parks in town and has a wide range of things to do. It also has one of the most recognizable landmarks in town...... the giant wooden Indian at the South-West Corner. The park is covered in grass and a number of mature trees for lots of cool shade. It has two playground areas, baseball stadium / softball field, tennis courts, and a pool.

Playground areas are located at the northwest and southeast ends of the park. The playground equipment at the North-West end is of larger scale and seems to be geared for bigger kids. The playground equipment at the southeast end is smaller scale and would be easier for smaller toddlers to play on. The playground areas are similar to the the ones in Young Park with the rubber walkways and chipped wood. These safety precautions have saved my grandkids on more than one occasion.

Located at the far east end of the park is a very nice baseball stadium / softball field where the Las Cruces Vaqueros play. This is a lit field complete with covered stadium seating. The field also has features score boards, dug-outs and public restrooms. It is a very nice facility as you can see from the picture.

The park also boasts a 25 meter swimming pool which, can be separated into six lap lanes, as well as a separate shallow pool for the little ones. The pool has a covered areas on both sides with chaise lounge chairs for relaxing. The pool is located on the east end of the park and is open during summers to the general public for a small fee.

The tennis courts are located on the east end of the park beside the swimming pool. It is a fenced in area with two separate courts. The fences, nets and courts are in very good shape and appear to be fairly new. The tennis courts also have stadium lights for night play. The light controls are located in the South-West corner of the courts.

The park also has a few covered picnic areas scatter through-out. The roofs on these are metal so, if you might want to consider one of the park benches in the cool shade of the trees. There is so much grass area in the park that you may consider just bringing a picnic blanket.

Apodaca Park is located at the corner of a fairly busy intersection but, most of the playground equipment and other amenities are located in the park's interior, far enough in from the street that the hot pavement and exhaust are hardly noticeable.

You can tell a lot about a community by how invested they are in their parks. These two parks are examples of the great quality of living we have here in Las Cruces.

What are your favorite parks?

My husband and I have lived here for over 30 years, and decided to get together and make a list for you so that you can enjoy Las Cruces as much as we do. If you're interested in more things to do in Las Cruces, head on over to our Guide to Las Cruces page from the link below.

http://www.guidetolascruces.com/things_to_see_and_do.php