The US50 - A guide to the state of New Mexico

New Mexico State

Tourism

May 17, 2008

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Historic Sites
Tourist Attractions

Historic Sites

Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains 86 known caves, including the nation's deepest limestone cave-1,567 feet (478m)-and third longest. Carlsbad Cavern, with one of the world's largest underground chambers and countless formations, is also highly accessible, with a variety of tours offered year-round. Established first as a National Monument on October 25, 1923, it was made a National Park on May 14, 1930. Carlsbad Caverns National Park became a World Heritage Site on December 6, 1995. Special Notice: Flash cameras are no longer permitted at the Bat Flight program. Please leave them in your car. For information call: (505)785-2232
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Chaco Culture National Historical Park
The canyon, with hundreds of smaller sites, contains 13 major archeological sites unsurpassed in the United States, representing the highest point of Pueblo pre-Columbian civilization. Chaco is remarkable for its multi-story dwellings, which required considerable planning, organization, management and gathering of resources for their construction. The dwellings show evidence of a knowledge of astronomy. The dwellings were carefully oriented with the extensive road system. The roads were engineered, not merely worn footpaths, and their alignment shows planning. For information call: (505)786-7014
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Fort Union National Monument
Fort Union was established in 1851 by Lieutenant Colonel Edwin V. Sumner as a guardian and protector of the Santa Fe Trail. During it's forty-year history, three different forts were constructed close together. The third and final Fort Union was the largest in the American Southwest, and functioned as a military garrison, territorial arsenal, and military supply depot for the southwest. Today, visitors use a self-guided tour path to visit the second fort and the large, impressive ruins of the third Fort Union. The largest visible network of Santa Fe Trail ruts can be seen here. For information call: (505)425-8025
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Aztec Ruins National Monument
Aztec Ruins National Monument preserves structures and artifacts of Ancestral Pueblo people from the 1100s through 1200s. People associated with Chaco Canyon to the south built and used the structures, then people related to the Mesa Verde region to the north used the site in the 1200s. The monument was established in 1923, and designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. Acreage: 319.47. For information call: (505)334-6174
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Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who lived there from the 1280s through the early 1300s. The surroundings probably look today very much like they did when the cliff dwellings were inhabited. It is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies at the edge of the Gila Wilderness, the nation's first designated wilderness area. This designation means that the wilderness character of the area will not be altered by the intrusion of roads or other evidence of human presence. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, containing 533 acres, was established on November 16, 1907. Administration of the monument was transferred from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the U.S. Department of the Interior on August 10, 1933. In the spring of 1975, the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service signed a cooperative agreement whereby the Gila National Forest is responsible for administration of the monument. For information call: (505)536-9461
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Tourist Attractions

Carlsbad Caverns
For information call: (505)785-2232
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Cliff's Amusement Park
Cliff's has been a tradition in New Mexico for over 40 years. We are dedicated to providing fun and entertainment for the whole family. Cliff's has more than 23 rides; games of skill, arcade & redemption; a scrumptious variety of foods; gifts & much more! For information call: (505)881-9373
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Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano
For an experience in contrast, visit The Land of Fire and Ice. An ancient trail takes you to a perpetual Ice Cave, where natural layers of ice glisten blue-green. Another trail leads up into the spectacular Bandera Volcano. Open at 8 am every day. For information call: (888)ICE-CAVE
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National Atomic Museum
The only national nuclear science museum in the USA tells the story of the atomic age with B-29 and B-52 aircraft and exhibits ranging from medicine to robotics to unclassified nuclear weapons. Guided tours by appointment; museum store. Open daily 9 am - 5 pm For information call: (505)284-3243
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Bradbury Science Museum
For information call : (505)667-4444
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Hotels in New Mexico
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