Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument - Las Cruces, NM

An impressive mountain grouping rises out of the desert floor on the eastern edge of Las Cruces, New Mexico. My activities and places visited within the national monument were all done with them as the picturesque backdrop.

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument

I was even able to overnight almost seemingly within touching distance. They certainly made for a fantastic setting during downtime and meals.

White Peaks

Brown Mountains

Dripping Springs Natural Area

In the beginning, I thought this day would be all about nature. By the end, I had been exposed to some local history as well.

I made a short, early-morning hike through a gap into a grass-laden canyon within the mountains. 

Trail through the Dry Grass

Equal Parts Rock, Dirt & Plants?

Sun Peaks over the Mountains

White Crags

While the high peaks dominated the scene, I found some of the smaller rock formations to be equally eye-catching.

Rocks Seemingly Emerge from the Ground

There is a Fluidity to this Hillside of Rocks

I encountered a plant new to me and a familiar animal as well.

Wheeler Sotol

Young Mule Deer
(one of several foraging on the hillside)

In 1892, Eugene Van Patten built a reservoir to capture the water coming from the ground and supply it to the nearby Dripping Springs Hotel. While it may flow noticeably at times, it was no more than a steady drip on the day I was there.

Dripping Springs

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, a resort called Van Patten's Mountain Camp stood near Dripping Springs. At its peak, it had 32 guest rooms with murals, a full-size piano in the dining room, and an outdoor garden and gazebo for entertaining.

Mostly Intact Large Building

Building Ruins

Dr. Nathan E. Boyd, a physician and businessman, established the Boyd Sanatorium in the crook of the mountains to attract health seekers. Structures included a kitchen and dining hall, cottages and tents for guests, and a house where Dr. Boyd and his family lived.

Used as a Kitchen and Dining Hall

Boyd House

Soledad Canyon

I hiked within the western foothills of the Organ Mountains where Soledad Canyon and Bar Canyon meet.

View from the Canyon Entrance

Rear of the Canyon

The trail looped within a ring of mountains and hills dotted with rock formations.

Mountain with Wheeler Sotol in the Foreground

What Made the Rocks Form that Way?

The plants were mostly unspectacular. Small birds flitted about and serenaded from the brush.

Silverleaf Nightshade

Black-Throated Sparrow

I came across the remains of a house built from rock. Unfortunately, I don't know any of its story.

Rock House

At the rear of the canyon where the rock walls rose steeply, a waterfall had been reduced to some wet and water-stained rock.

Seasonal Waterfall