Ruidoso Day Trips

Some 377 species of birds have been observed on the refuge since 1940. The wetlands attract huge flocks of wintering cranes and geese, the refuge's most exciting features. Many other species—notably waterfowl, shorebirds, and birds of prey—also winter in the refuge. Striking vagrants, such as groove-billed and have been found there. 

Lincoln, the most widely visited historic site in New Mexico, is part of a community frozen in time—the 1870s and 1880s. The historic site includes 17 structures and outbuildings, four of which are open year-round and two more seasonally as museums.

Visitors to this endless waterless sea can enjoy driving, hiking, visiting a museum and sledding down the huge dunes.

To get a quick taste of the diverse landscapes that surround our mountain oasis, start with these day trips from Ruidoso.

White Oaks is a Lincoln County ghost town just north of Carrizozo that became a boomtown in 1879 following the discovery of gold and coal in the nearby Jicarilla Mountains. Today, there's a small historic museum, a legendary saloon, and the White Oaks Pottery art studio. 

The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, New Mexico celebrates the significant role the state of New Mexico has played in the development of the U.S. Space Program.