Virtual Tour: The Rio Grande
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This section of the Byway runs south inside the Rio Grande valley, which has for centuries been an agricultural and transportation corridor along the Rio Grande - the fourth longest river in the world. Interstate 25, the major north-south road in New Mexico, runs parallel to the Rio Grande and provides easy access to the river towns which have most of the County's population and services. The non-urban roads in this Zone are state-maintained highways with two 12-foot-wide paved driving lanes and intermittent shoulders.  |
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one of New Mexico's newest cities, is named for an ancient volcanic cone which sits in the lake and resembles an elephant's head. It is New Mexico's largest and most popular lake with outdoor recreation and events throughout the year. Elephant Butte Lake State Park has full park services, excellent fishing, swimming and water sports. Come in June for the Chile Cook-Off, September for the Annual Balloon Regatta, or check SierraCountyEvents.com for info on tournaments, regattas and on-shore activities - the weather is good year-round and there's always something to do. |
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Two Side Trips
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is home to the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway Visitor's Center and the adjoining Geronimo Springs Museum with a world-class display of early Mimbres-Mogollon pottery, Apache artifacts and culture, Hispanic heritage, ranching, mining and military displays, fossils, art, area history, and more.
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WilliamsburgIn 1949 a group of about 300 Truth or Consequences residents broke away and created the Village of Williamsburg. A disastrous flood in 1976 prompted construction of the Powey Mud Springs Canyon Dam in 1980. Its unusual washboard-like face, designed to impede the flow of floodwater and debris, is visible on the other side of I25 from much of Williamsburg. At the far end of town, you'll turn southbound onto two-lane Highway 187 and follow the Rio Grande past Las Palomas and toward the Caballo Mountains.   |
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The Village of Caballo is the gateway to Caballo Lake and Percha Dam State Parks. The town and the lake are both named after the mountains and the mountains were named for the herds of wild horses found to be descendants of the horses brought here in the late 1500s. Sierra de los Caballos literally means "Sawtooth-Ridged Mountain Of The Horses." The original community of Caballo, dating back to 1908, is under water. In 1938, when the lake behind Caballo Dam began to fill, it covered the homes of settlers. These families moved their homes to the foothills on the west side of the Rio Grande, where they continued to raise livestock.
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Side Trip to Caballo Lake State ParkAt 18-miles long, this is the second largest body of water in New Mexico. Caballo Lake State Park offers family-oriented and mostly handicap-accessible services, picnicking, nature trails, swimming, boating. Year-round fishing is popular with people who like to fish active rivers and the park is home to southern New Mexico's windsurfing enthusiasts (April through October particularly, near the dam).   |
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Built in 1879 as a station on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Engle became a thriving cattle town and shipping point for ore and supplies. The area east of town was restricted by the U.S. government when it created White Sands Missile Range in 1945, and that spelled the end. Engle lies on the Jornada del Muerto, the roughest section of El Camino Real. 
