r/NewMexico • u/Sanchez375 • 1d ago
Enjoyed my first visit to another National Monument this past weekend. Have you been here and what are your thoughts?
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u/Fast_Most4093 1d ago
my initial thought is amazement that u found it. its really off the beaten track(way). hope you saw some of the dino tracks in the red rock layers. they have a lot at the downtown Las Cruces museum if u didnt
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u/wenocixem 1d ago
wow never been here, please you tell us what you though and where it is?
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u/Sanchez375 1d ago
It's located on the backside of the Rio Grande, opposite of Las Cruces. I thought it was a beautiful location with some enjoyable terrain. The fossils aren't marked to keep them preserved and kind of encourage you to explore every trail and keep your eyes open. I'm sure there are places you can go where things are a bit easier to locate, but if you enjoy adventure and hiking, a good place to pack a lunch and spend a few hours.
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u/NighTborn3 1d ago
It's interesting, but I'm still mad about how it came to be. It was a major 4x4 area for a long time, and trail users were effectively kicked out with almost zero notice for it to become a national monument. Protecting dinosaur tracks is great and I support that, but closing all of the 4x4 trails that were nearby was a farce.
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u/WHB-AU 1d ago
I mean a whole bunch of the 4x4 trails are still open though?
Maybe BLM is gonna start cracking down now that they’re wrapping up the mine stabilization, but I’ve seen tons of Jeeps and UTVs over the last few years
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u/NighTborn3 1d ago
In 2009 when it was first protected, a lot were closed. More when Organ Peaks became a national monument, and again when the Sierra de las Uvas wilderness became active. There have been a LOT of trails shut down in southern NM over the past decade or so
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u/Snaillord-C 23h ago
In Trackways Monument, only two trails were closed to OHV but remain open to foot traffic. Those were closed to OHV because they crossed the fossil beds and mitigation measures were not working to reduce impacts.
A few years ago the Las Cruces 4x4 club actually helped the BLM install trial signs throughout the Monument.
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u/NighTborn3 23h ago
A lot of unofficial trails were also closed, those won't show up on any survey.
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u/SultanOfSwave 1d ago
If you enjoyed this national monument, then give Clayton Lake in NE New Mexico a try.
Back in the 1950s(?) , the state put an earthen dam on a small river. At some point later, they added a spillway around the dam in case there was ever a flood. The spillway required the removal of a few feet of rock.
Then a flood happened in the 80s and really scoured the spillway. When I dried out, over a hundred dinosaur tracks were found.
Clayton Lake State Park and Dinosaur Trackways
https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-google&sca_esv=a9831437cc3c8411&sxsrf=ADLYWIJa4HBHSDEjIFWYt862jwjHkXemXQ%3A1736197359941&kgmid=%2Fm%2F0g5qpdm&q=Clayton%20Lake%20State%20Park%20and%20Dinosaur%20Trackways&shndl=30&source=sh%2Fx%2Floc%2Fact%2Fm1%2F2&kgs=5a1170d54be0ef10