KOA Journey campgrounds offer the perfect oasis after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
KOA Journey campgrounds offer the perfect oasis after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
From I-10 Exit 135 US 70E 1 mile on right.
From I-25 Exit 6 Main St, take a right on Picacho Ave, west 5 miles on the left.
Mesilla ("Little Tableland") is the best-known and most visited historical community in Southern New Mexico. Since its' beginning, around 1848, Mesilla has had a major influence on the economic, cultural, historical, and political life of the Mesilla Valley. From the Gadsden Purchase, to the Civil War, to the Butterfield Stage Coach Trail, to the trial of Billy the Kid, to being a lively social center in the 1880s--Mesilla has been a prominent part of the rich history of the Southwest.
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called 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.
More than 50 items on display with a variety of missiles and rockets tested at White Sands including everything from the WAC Corporal and Loon to a Pershing II and Patriot. Open year-round, admission is FREE.
This $7.4 million museum celebrates the 3000 year agricultural story of New Mexico...from the first farmers in their rustic pithouses more than 1200 years ago to the modern day technology which is helping New Mexico be a leader in the dairy industry.
4100 Dripping Springs Rd
Las Cruces, NM 88011
Surrounding Area Courses
Want a chance to see Las Cruces' Recycled Roadrunner up close?
Located about 2 miles from the campground-from the campground, make a left on Picacho (US-70). Get on East bound I-10. As you come under the Exit 135 underpass, stay in the right lane. Take the rest stop exit and turn right at the Scenic Overlook Circle. To get back to the campground, drive east to exit 139. Make a left onto Motel. Go under the I-10 overpass, make a left to get on I-10 west bound. Take exit 135 and return to the campground.
Dripping Springs is an amazing wildlife viewing opportunity with 4 miles of easy hikes. The Center is open to the public from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The preserve is open from 8:00 A.M. to sunset year round, and offers over four miles of easy hiking trails. Day use fees apply on a per vehicle basis. As water finds its way to the surface year-round, Dripping Springs is a desert oasis where unique animal species thrive including Red-Tail Hawk, Gambel's Quail, Golden Eagle, Rock Squirrel, Black-Throated Sparrow, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Lesser Nighthawk, Desert Mule Deer and Coyote to name a few. Another good hike from the Visitor Center takes you up to the ruins of Major Eugene Van Patton's Camp, built originally in 1872, later to be a tuberculosis sanatorium in the early 1900s.
Directions: The Dripping Springs Natural Area is located 10 miles east of Las Cruces, on the west side of the Organ Mountains. From Exit 1 on I-25, take University Avenue/Dripping Springs Road east (go towards the Organ mountains), and the Dripping Springs Natural Area will be at the end of the road.
Interpretive displays of the Organ Mountain are located at the Dripping Springs Visitor Center. It's located 10 miles east of I-25, on the western edge of the Organ Mountains in the Dripping Springs Natural Area. Open all year, except winter holidays, from 8 AM to 5 PM.
This monument was established to protect significant prehistoric, historic, geologic, and biologic resources of scientific interest.
The monument includes Organ Mountains, Desert Peaks, Potrillo Mountains, and Dona Ana Mountains.
The Organ Mountains are a steep, angular mountain range with rocky spires rising above the Chihuahuan Desert floor to an elevation of 9,000 feet.
The Desert Peaks include the Robledo Mountains, Sierra de las Uvas, and Dona Ana Mountains.
The Potrillo Mountains are a distance out to the southwest of Las Cruces, consisting of a volcanic landscape with cinder cones, lava flows and craters.
The Dona Ana Mountains have extensive pedestrian trials, equestrian trails, mountain bike trails, rock climbing routes, and some limited routes for motorized use.
Directions: From I-25. Take exit 1 (University Avenue/Dripping Springs Rd). Take Dripping Springs to the east towards the Organ Mountains. Continue east to the end of the road, and to your destination.
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.
Directions from the campground. Make a right onto Picacho (US-70). Make a left at the first stoplight you come to (Picacho Hills Dr). Continue on Barcelona Ridge Rd. after one mile. Travel one more mile, and turn north on Anthem Rd. Follow this for one mile to its end. Turn north on Loop Rd. (unpaved). Follow this for 1.5 miles to the trailhead parking lot.
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.
January 10, 2024: Now through August, Community Pit #1 adjacent to the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument is closed for a safety Reclamation Project. Access to Prehistoric Trackways National Monument will be temporarily closed to the public during blasting activities. The roads and trails surrounding the community pit project area may have periodic limitations on access as remediation and reclamation occurs upslope.
Somewhat tricky to find-here are general directions from the campground. Make a right onto Picacho (US-70). Make a left at the stoplight at Shalem Colony Trail (2nd stoplight from the campground go east). Go north on Shalem Colony Trail for about 5.5 miles. Before reaching the Rio Grande river, you'll reach a county road, Rocky Acres Trail. Turn west on Rocky Acres Trail. Go west approximately 1/4 mile to a dirt road entrance on the left-hand side. Cross over a cattleguard and continue to the west. This road, past about a mile, is for high-clearance, 4wd vehicles only.
Wanting some off-roading adventures.
Aden Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area-this area encompasses about 8,700 acres of Chihuahuan Desert scrub environment.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/aden-hills-ohv
Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System-a network of trails, including both extreme OHV and mountain bike trails, in the southern Robledo Mountains.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/robledo-mountains-ohv-trail-system
A park located along the western bank of the Rio Grande River and 1.5 miles southwest of the town of Mesilla. The park encompasses 52 acres of floodplain known as the "Old Refuge," as well as 945 acres of wetlands and Chihuahuan Desert . Bird-watching tours, ranger-led nature walks, and children's activities are available. The goals of this park are conservation, education, restoration and protection of natural and cultural resources.
5000 Calle del Norte
Mesilla, NM 88046
Fort Selden, established in April, 1865, was the protectorate of the southern tip of the Journada del Muerto and the military road to the west. Its strategic location along the Rio Grande helped it perform its job superbly.
1280 Fort Selden Rd
Radium Springs, NM 88054
Visit the Oldest Wine Producing Region in the U.S. The first Spanish explorers and settlers, beginning in the early 1500's, brought their European wines grapes with them as they made the sunny, fertile Rio Grande valley their new home. These original grape stocks remain the source of many of New Mexico's vintners to this day. In the 1580s, Missionary priests were busily producing sacramental wines. By the 19th century, vineyards and wineries dotted the Rio Grande valley from Bernallilo south to the Mexican border. Census data in 1880 identified 3,150 New Mexico acres dedicated to producing 905,000 barrels of wines per year. During prohibition, legal wine production ceased. New Mexico wineries made a resurgence in the early 1980's. Currently, over 5,000 acres are under cultivation as the U.S. rediscovers the bounty of Rio Grande wine country.
The largest and most popular lake in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park provides a setting for every imaginable water sport. The visitor center offers regional interpretive exhibits. The mild climate of the area makes this park a popular year-round destination.
101 Hwy 195
Elephant Butte, NM 87935
The town - not the game - is located about 70 miles north on I-25. Famous for both its name and spas, we recommend a few places for day spa sessions:
Soak yourself!
El Paso, Texas is located just 45 minutes from Las Cruces, New Mexico on Interstate 10. El Paso is a wonderful city full of history and beautiful mountains, and scenery. For great food, fun, and sites visit El Paso on your next visit to Las Cruces KOA.
The museum includes over 5000 square feet of multi-use exhibition space. Features traveling exhibits of contemporary art with both regionally or nationally-known artists. An extensive art studio class program is run by the museum for all ages. Visit the Las Cruces Museum online for more information.
491 N Main Street
Las Cruces, NM 88001
The LCMNH Education Department's mission is to develop programs and educate the southern New Mexico community in various subject areas of natural history and science. Come and experience science and the natural history of the Chihuahuan Desert up-close and hands-on at the Las Cruces Museum of Nature & Science. Our education staff is skilled and experienced in working with, and involving, people of all ages. Join us for a fun and educational museum experience.
411 N Main Street
Las Cruces, NM 88001
Located in an historic Santa Fe Railroad Depot. Rich in Las Cruces railroad history and provides knowledge on the impact of the railroad on Southern New Mexico.
351 N Mesilla Street
Las Cruces, NM 88005
A privately owned and operated museum with a collection that includes Billy the Kid jail, Gadsden Purchase, Native American Art, and Deerskin Paintings. Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, by appointment only.
1875 W Boutz Rd
Mesilla, NM 88005
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