Although
it's a community without a long cultural and historical
underpinning, Alamogordo is a neat, modern city within
range of a wide selection of landscapes and recreational
activity. On the east are the forested Sacramento
Mountains, the highest range in southern New Mexico. To
the west are the sand dunes of White Sands National
Monument -- one of the most unearthly sights on
earth.
Beyond
the dunes is the White Sands Missile Range, in a desert
valley where mere mortals are forbidden to enter. In
recent years, the area has become a favorite place for
"sunbirds" to spend their winters, baking in the hot sun
of the Southwestern desert. Alameda Park is easily seen
beside U.S. 70. Picnics are a popular activity in the
park, and the free zoo has a small collection of animals
and birds from America and Africa. The destiny of the
town has been tied to nearby Holloman Air Force Base, the
largest employer in the area. There are several modern
motels spaced along Route 70, the main road from
Albuquerque and Las Cruces.
What
to See & Do
Space
Center
This
is the chief man-made attraction in Alamogordo, a
five-storey glass and concrete cube that is home to the
International Space Hall of Fame. There are exhibits on
the birth and progress of the space age -- astronauts,
scientists, and rockets. In a unique combination, the
Clyde W. Thombaugh Space Theater includes both a
planetarium and an Omnimax film system. The theater often
features laser light shows, as well as star shows and
films on the huge screen. Outside the dramatic building
is a collection of spacecraft and launch vehicles. The
Space Center is about three miles from downtown
Alamogordo via U.S. Hwy. 70, Indian Wells Road and Scenic
Drive (505-437-2840 or 800-545-4021).
Oliver
Lee State Park
This
fascinating natural area is 12 miles south of town via
U.S. Hwy. 54 and then on a county road for 2 miles.
Springs flow out of the desert year-round, creating
comparatively lush vegetation.
This
location was one of the final strongholds of Apache
warriors and the site of several Indian/cavalry battles.
There's a visitor center with exhibits on the human and
natural history of this canyon which lies at the base of
the Sacramento Mountains. There is a campground and an
interpretive trail.
Three
Rivers National Recreation Site
37
miles north of the city, a drive here proves an easy
day-trip. This protected area includes more than 5,000
rock carvings made by Mogollon Indians who lived here
between ad 900 and 1400. An interpretive trail leads to
the site of a prehistoric Indian village. To get there,
take Route 70 north for 13 miles and continue on U.S.
Hwy. 54 to Three Rivers, where an 8-mile sideroad leads
east to the preserve, managed by the BLM.
White
Sands National Monument
Situated
16 miles southwest of Alamogordo, this amazing place
features more than 200 square miles of gleaming gypsum
sand that shifts around -- with some of the dunes as high
as 60 feet. There's a visitor center at the park entrance
and there are sets of sheltered picnic tables in the
midst of the vast whiteness.
Cloudcroft
and Ruidoso
Cloudcroft,
a resort village, sits atop the Sacramento Mountains, 18
miles east of the city. The drive from Las Cruces to
Alamogordo and Cloudcroft is described in the scenic
drive beginning on page 320. Beyond Cloudcroft is
Ruidoso, the famous horse racing town, which also
features skiing (as does Cloudcroft). The All American
Futurity, the richest horserace in the United States, is
held at Ruidoso Downs each Labor Day.
The
Lincoln State Monument (the scene of the Lincoln
County War) is in the same mountain area.
Cloudcroft
and Ruidoso
have their own Destinations pages.
