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ALAMEDA PARK AND ZOO -
http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/Zoo/coaALAMEDAPARKZOO.html
Alameda Park & Zoo is the oldest zoo
in the Southwest. It was
established in 1898 by the
railroad. The zoo contains about
300 animals of 90 different
species. The zoo has a playground
area and shaded picnic tables that
are included in the entry fee.
Hours
9 am to 5 pm every day except
Christmas & New Years Day.
575-439-4290 |
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THE CLOUD-CLIMBING RAIL TRAIL
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http://www.nmrailstotrails.org
About 10 miles of the old,
abandoned Alamogordo and
Sacramento Mountain Railroad
grade that runs from Alamogordo
to Cloudcroft have been
converted to rail trails in
various sections, and are open
to the public. The sections are
separately accessable and have
different degrees of difficulty,
from easy walking at a grade of
less than 6% to an eight mile
loop that consists of an
elevation change of about 1,000
feet and a few steep slopes. The
rail trail highlights include
magnificent panoramic overviews
of the surrounding areas, 100
year-old wooden railroad
trestles and culverts,
impressive geologic formations,
running streams, and five
climatic and vegetation zones,
rising from Chihuahuan Desert to
a sub-alpine landscape. Most of
the rail trail sections have
shelters, benches, and large
interpretive, educational signs
that explain the main features
of the area. For more
information and maps to the
different sections, click on the
following link:
www.nmrailstotrails.org.
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DESERT LAKES GOLF COURSE -
http://www.desertlakesgolf.com/
Desert Lakes Golf Course is a true
“desert” beauty with the Sacramento
Mountains in the background. This
is quickly emerging as one of the
finest 18-hole golf courses in
southern New Mexico. It recently
was renovated to make it a more
challenging and beautiful course.
After a round or two, relax in the
lounge and restaurant and enjoy the
people and scenery.
Open
7- days per week weather permitting.
575-437-0290 |
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LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST -
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/
Located in South Central New Mexico,
the Lincoln National Forest is known
as the birthplace of the
world-famous Smokey Bear, the living
symbol of the campaign to prevent
forest fires. The original bear is
buried in Capitan, New Mexico.
The Lincoln consists of three ranger
districts: the Sacramento, Smokey
Bear and Guadalupe. There are three
major mountain ranges: Sacramento,
Guadalupe and Capitan that cover
1,103,441 acres in four different
counties in Southeastern New
Mexico. Elevations of 4,000 to
11,500 feet pass through five
different life zones from Chihuahuan
Desert to sub alpine forest.
Vegetation ranges from rare cacti in
the lower elevations to Engelmann
spruce in the higher elevations.
Temperatures also vary with
elevation. At higher elevations,
7,000 feet and up, summer nights are
a chilly 40 degrees F. and days are
a warm 78 degrees F., while winter
temperatures can drop to 15 degrees
F. at night and rise to 40-50
degrees F. during the day. At lower
elevations, 6,0000-7,000 feet,
winter temperatures rarely fall
below 0 degrees F. and usually run
from teens to 50's F. Summer
temperatures range from 50 degrees
to 85 degrees F. At the lowest
elevations, 4,000 to 6,000 feet,
temperatures are generally 10
degrees higher throughout the year. |
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NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY
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http://www.spacefame.org
Formerly known as the Space Center
and International Space Hall of
Fame, this facility operates as a
part of the New Mexico Office of
Cultural Affairs and was opened in
1976. The neighboring Clyde W.
Tombaugh Space Theater is outfitted
with a 40-foot wrap-around OMNIMAX
screen and audio system. Visitors
tour a model 2001 space station.
Also, adjacent to the complex is the
John P. Stapp Air and Space Park
with a collection of historic space
items such as the Sonic Wind I
rocket sled. The NMMSH is located
on
Hwy
2001 off of Scenic Drive.
Open
7-days per week.
575-437-2840 Toll Free:
877-333-6589 |
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OLIVER LEE MEMORIAL STATE PARK
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http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/nmparks
Named
for Oliver Milton Lee, a pioneer
southern New Mexico rancher and
state legislator, Oliver Lee
Memorial State Park is located at
the mouth of Dog Canyon in the
rugged Sacramento Mountains south of
Alamogordo. Water flows year-round
in Dog Canyon, creating a quiet
green oasis in contrast to the
surrounding prickly desert setting.
The 180-acre canyon was an early
Apache stronghold, and records show
that at least five major battles
occurred in the area between
government troops and Mescalero
Apaches. For many centuries,
visitors have been drawn to this
place of surprising beauty. Oliver
Lee Memorial State Park is located
12 miles south of Alamogordo via US
54.
575-437-8284 |
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THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH SITE AND
RECREATION AREA
The
Three Rivers Petroglyphs Site is one
of the few locations in the
Southwest set aside solely because
of its rock art. The number and
concentration of petroglyphs here
make it one of the largest and most
interesting petroglyph sites in the
Desert Southwest. More than 21,000
glyphs of birds, humans, animals,
fish, insects and plants, as well as
numerous geometric and abstract
designs are scattered over 50 acres
of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan
Desert.
Managed by the Bureau of Land
Management, Las Cruces Field Office,
1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, NM 88005.
Phone (575) 525-4300. Recreation
area phone: (575) 585-3458. This
number also has a recording about
the site and a recorder to leave
messages. Two RV sites are $10 each
night. |
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WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT -
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/
http://www.white-sands-new-mexico.com
At
the northern end of the Chihuahua
Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley
known as the Tularosa Basin. Rising
from the heart of this basin is one
of the world’s great natural wonders
-- the glistening white sands of New
Mexico. White Sands is New Mexico’s
number one National Monument
attraction. Here, great wave-like
dunes of gypsum cover nearly 300
square miles of desert. The dunes
are ever changing, growing,
cresting, then slumping, but always
advancing. Slowly, relentlessly,
the sand covers all. White Sands
National Monument preserves a major
portion of the world’s largest
gypsum dune field, along with the
plants and animals that have
successfully adapted to this harsh
environment. The Monument is
located on U. S. Highway 70, fifteen
miles west of Alamogordo.
Open
daily except Christmas.
575-479-6124 |
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