April 19 – New Mexico Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced Thursday that Bureau of Land Management lands near Placitas will not be eligible for mineral extraction for the next 50 years.
Haaland said the area is culturally and spiritually important to indigenous people, is important for wildlife and offers opportunities for outdoor recreation.
But Placitas is certainly not the only part of New Mexico where public lands are home to wildlife. Here are four other places worth visiting:
1. Pancho Villa State Park
The location: 400 West Highway 9, Columbus
What to know: Located near the US-Mexico border, this state park offers hiking, biking, and bird watching. What’s more, the park also offers historical exhibits on the Pancho Villa Raid and Camp Furlong.
More info: emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/pancho-villa-state-park/
2. Rockhound State Park
Location: 9880 Stirrup SE, Deming
What to know: Rockhound State Park, near Deming, is an excellent place for bird watching. Birds such as Gambel’s quail, Hutton’s vireo and the western bluebird are known to winter there. The lesser nighthawk is one of the bird species that breeds in Rockhound State Park during the summer.
More info: emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/rockhound-state-park/
3. Petroglyph National Monument
The location: 6510 West NW, Albuquerque
What to know: Petroglyph National Monument is best known for protecting one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, but the Volcano Day Use Areas also give visitors the chance to explore cinder cone volcanoes and enjoy the scenic landscape of the Southwest.
More info: nps.gov/petr/index.htm
4. San Lorenzo Gorge
Location: Wildlife Refuge Sevillata, La Joya
What to know: Located in the Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge just north of Socorro, San Lorenzo Canyon features sandstone cliffs, sheltered caves, hoodoos, and arches, making it ideal for scenic hikes and photography. Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge is also home to a wide variety of New Mexico plants and animals, including pronghorns, burrowing owls, and Gunnison’s prairie dogs.
More info: fws.gov/refuge/sevilleta/visit-us/trails
More stories from the Albuquerque Journal
4,200 BLM acres in Placitas are off-limits to mining and drilling
Petroglyph National Monument: What You Need to Know About Exploring 4 Different Routes (30+ Photos)
Check out this bike path that winds past volcanoes on ABQ’s West Side
