You still have time to catch peak fall colors in southern New Mexico
Every fall the high desert terrain of southeast New Mexico gives way surprisingly to a vivid burst of oranges and yellows as the fall colors take over the region.
New Mexicans from all over the state venture into places like Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Lincoln National Forest for an often brisk hike to see the rare change from the brown scrubland and arid shrubbery that typifies the landscape for most of the year.
There’s still a week or so left to see the fall colors, officials said, and the cooler weather could afford a nice day hike before the cold winter weather sets in and the leaves begin to fall.
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Here’s where to see fall colors in southern New Mexico.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The latest foliage report from Guadalupe Mountains National Park on Nov. 16 said multiple areas were peaking in fall colors, leaving another week to two weeks to enjoy.
This included the popular McKittrick Canyon trail, before Pratt Cabin and up to the Grotto and at Smith Spring.
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McKittrick Canyon
McKittrick Canyon features a series of short to long hikes that display the fall colors, with trips ranging from 2 to 6 hours.
It’s a popular trail, and park officials said to expect crowds on weekends and recommended a visit during the week.
Smith Spring
The Smith Spring Trail loop begins at Frijole Ranch down the road from the park’s visitor center and is an easier trail about 2 miles long with 402 feet of elevation.
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Smith Spring also provides good views of desert vistas and rare desert streams, and the sought-after fall colors.
Devil’s Hall
From the Pine Springs Visitor Center, the strenuous Devil’s Hall Trail is about 4.2 miles out and back with about 548 feet of elevation.
It takes about 3 to 5 hours, and there’s a lot of loose rock and scrambling required to get to the famous slot canyon at the end, crossing multiple desert washes, with fall-colored trees throughout the hike.
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Lincoln National Forest
Sitting Bull Falls
Sitting Bull Falls is a popular portion of Lincoln National Forest to visit and see blossoming fall colors.
The recreation area sports the well-known waterfall, along with hiking trails nearby.
The falls have modified visitor hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for day-use only.
There are also sheltered picnic areas and accessible paths for those using wheelchairs.
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Cloudcroft
One of the region’s most popular tourist destinations, Cloudcroft is a village situated within Lincoln National Forest and the Sacramento Mountains.
There are several hiking trails like the Trestle Trail that leads visitors through the woods with fall colors exploding along the path, to an historic wooden train bridge.
The nearby Osha Trail is a 2.5-mile loop near the village with an about 413 elevation gain that also runs through several wooded areas where fall colors can be seen during the season.
Ruidoso
Ruidoso is known for its beautiful forest hikes and is also a popular place for weekend getaways throughout the year.
Alongside the village’s bevy of shopping and dining options, Ruidoso features several wooded hiking trails within Lincoln National Forest.
One of the most popular Bonito Lake is also a popular camping site, but features multiple easy to challenging hikes through the wooded area surrounding the uncommon desert lake.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: You still have time to catch peak fall colors in southern New Mexico
