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 State Overviews
   New Mexico
   Culture

 Reginal Overviews
   Northwest NM
   North Central NM
   Northeast NM
   Southwest NM
   Southeast NM

 Topical Overviews
   Skiing
   Golfing
   Hiking
   National Parks



New Mexico Overview

   

New Mexico has built a reputation of independence and isolation, achieving statehood in 1912 and playing host to some of the most significant technological advances in the last century.  The draw of the state is this very isolation.  Visitors relax in the vast open spaces of deserts, mountains or wilderness while still enjoying the luxeries of modern life.

The geography of New Mexico and the opportunities available in each region vary so drastically that it is impossible to think of the state as one kind of destination.  The Rocky Mountains to the north offer world-calss skiing while the forests that cover much of the state are some of the best preserved camping, hiking and biking areas in the country.  The information provided here will help any traveller distinguish between the artists’ paradise of Taos and the dramatic underground Carlsbad Caverns, making your trip more informed and more enjoyable.

New Mexico can be divided into five distinct regions based on geography and proximity to activities and attractions. The historic effects natural barriers had on emerging cultures has created unique qualities in each region that separate them from each other, united only in their distinction from other states.

It is not usually possible to take in the whole New Mexico experience, and for that reason most visitors choose to focus on one region or locale and attempt to take in as much of its local flavor as possible. For detailed information on what each region has to offer, including recommendations and photos of the region, click the name below.


 New Mexico's Regions
Northwest New Mexico is dominated by the Hopi, Zuni and Navajo reservations, where the history of the region lives on daily. Though very private, many tribes do allow visitors to witness religious ceremonies and rituals on a limited basis. Native Americans have lived in this area for over a thousand years, and some of the oldest ruins of the once great Anasazi civilization still stand at Chaco Canyon.

Grants and Gallup were both founded as railroad towns but both grew over the years as natural resources came to light. Today Grants is known as the “Indian Capitol of the World” while Gallup celebrates its mining history and offers affordable accomodations as travellers seek out northwest New Mexico. features two impressive mountain


North Central New Mexico is by far the most visited area in the state, boasting the artistic paradise of Santa Fe and Taos with world-class skiing in the southern arm of the Wasatch Mountains.  The 84-mile Enchanted Circle scenic drive loops through Eagle Nest, Questa, Toas, Red River and Angel Fire.  Small communities all along the drive offer excellent local food and shopping.

This region is dominated by the Sangre de Cristo and Jémez Mountains, which many peublo tribes consider sacred and legendary.  These ranges are vast, and include activity areas in the Philmont Scout Ranch, skiing at Angel Fire and Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, as well as hiking and biking trails at Los Alamos leading to most of the summits of the Jémez range.


Northeast New Mexico is less of a tourist destination and more of a genuine, working area. This is not to say there are no attractions here for out of state travellers, in fact the area is teaming with living history and unique institutions. Near the town of Cimarron are two popular attractions: the Philmont Scout Ranch and the Carson National Forest, both of which seek to challenge and enlighten in the rugged outdoors. Most of the rest of Northeast New Mexico was made famous by early film Westerns, both silent and "talkie." In Las Vegas there are more than 900 recognizable buildings and the landscape is littered with classic reminders of a cinmatic age gone by.

Southwest New Mexico is home to the first protected wilderness in the world, the Gila (pronounced Hee-la), which along with the with the Aldo Leopold Wilderness and Blue Range Wilderness forms the New Mexico Gila National Forest. Though not densely populated, Southwest New Mexico offers some of the best camping and remote vacationing the American Southwest has to offer.

Southeast New Mexico is where you will find the famous Roswell and equally famous, but for different reasons, Carlsbad Caverns. Both sites are heavily visited and unique locations in the American landscape. The Southeast region as a whole is home to vast lava fields, the White Sands National Monument where the first nuclear bomb was set off, and excellent skiing at the Ski Apache Resort.
   

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