When people visit the Alamogordo area, White Sands National Monument is usually the first thing they want to see. Fair enough. It’s spectacular. However, this concentrated focus on White Sands means that people often overlook the nearby Oliver Lee Memorial State Park.
This 640-acre park is set against the astoundingly beautiful Sacramento Mountains. The park offers dramatic canyon hiking, a trail that weaves beneath cottonwood trees by pools of water, historic buildings, and night skies so clear that it feels like you can view the whole universe from this one spot in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The park contains the remains of Oliver Lee’s ranch home, which dates back to the 19th century. Lee was a rancher who became involved in the rough political scene of the New Mexico Territory.
There are two popular hiking trails (leashed dogs are welcome). The Riparian Nature Trail is easy and only a half-mile or so long. It leads down into the valley, hugging the path of an arroyo.
The second path is the Dog Canyon Trail, a challenging day hike that means ascending 3100 feet in the span of 5.5 miles. Before that information scares you off, remember that you can turn around at any time.
