San Miguel County
photo by LG
San Miguel County is beautiful, friendly and waiting. Experience authentic southwestern cuisine, rodeos, fiestas and a dose of deep-seated culture. Feel the ambience — from the smell of roasting pinon to the silent dignity of ancient Indian ruins. A taste of New Mexico's finest awaits the visitor to San Miguel County.
The terrain of San Miguel County varies widely from 11,800 foot peaks in the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the western portion to broad, flat plains of less than 4,000 feet in the east. Between the mountains and the plains is another distinct region known as the Las Vegas Plateau, while Glorieta Mesa in the southwestern corner represents still another distinct zone. The sources of the Pecos River and its tributaries are located in the Sangre de Cristos and flow in a southeasterly direction. The Canadian River has been dammed to form Conchas Reservoir.
San Miguel is a relatively poor county with a low per capita income. Agriculture, primarily cattle ranching, contributes to the San Miguel economy. Government is an important economic sector. Major government facilities include New Mexico Highlands University, Luna Vocational-Technical Institute and the Las Vegas Medical Center, all located in Las Vegas. I-25 passes through Las Vegas, the largest community and county seat.
Fast Facts
County Seat
Communities
- Montezuma
- Pecos
Land Area
- Square miles: 4,717
Climate
- Elevation: 6,470 feet
- Mean Temperature in January: 32.2
- Mean Temperature in July: 68.9
- Annual Precipitation: 16 inches
County Population
- 2000: 30,126
- 1996: 28,703
- 1990: 25,743
Economy
- Average per capita income, 2002: $19,851
- Median household income, 2000: $26,524
For Outdoor Enthusiasts
San Miguel County has a treasure chest of things to do and see in the outdoors. Camping, fishing, trail riding, water skiing and windsurfing are just a few of the diversions which await during the warmer months. But there's no reason to stay away when it's cold. Iceskating, sledding, cross country and downhill skiing are just around the corner. San Miguel County has national forests, a national park, a national wildlife refuge and two state parks. A wealth of outdoor adventure awaits, with breathtaking vistas and the quiet serenity of the wilderness.
Golf
Three different golf courses are within easy drives from Las Vegas:
New Mexico Highlands University Golf Course
Located in Las Vegas, the New Mexico Highlands University course is open to the public year-round. It is designed on a high plains meadow with scattered trees.
New Mexico Highlands University Golf Course
Mills Avenue
Las Vegas, NM 88416
505-425-7711
Pendaries Lodge and Country Club
Located 25 miles north of Las Vegas (and 13 miles south of Mora) in Rociada on Hwy 105 is Pendaries Lodge and Country Club. The 18-hole golf course is open from May 1 to October 31. The privately-owned facility also has horse stables and fishing, and the lodge offers rooms and a restaurant.
Pendaries Lodge and Country Club
P.O. Box 820
Rociada, NM 87742
505-425-6076
Conchas Lake State Park Course
The nine-hole Conchas Lake State Park course is 76 miles southeast of Las Vegas and open year round.
Skiing
Cross country skiing opportunities are available on designated trails in the National Forest within minutes of Las Vegas.
Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort
Someone looking for a new run every time down the mountain should ski elsewhere, but someone looking for charm and an old-fashioned mountain experience should try Sipapu. Conveniently located from Las Vegas, runs on this mountain intersect so often that skiers can pick a variety of ways to reach the bottom. Operated by the same family since the resort opened in 1952, employees are likely to know skiers by name. The facility is open until March 31.
Statistics
865 feet of vertical drop; 19 trails (20% beginner, 50% intermediate, 30% expert); one triple and two surface lifts move 2,900 skiers per hour.
Cost
Adult $27, $19 half-day; children 6 and older $20, $15 half-day; children 5 and younger ski free. Seniors 65 to 69 $20; Seniors 70-plus ski free.
For a different powder experience, take a telemarking lesson or rent snowshoes for treks into the surrounding Carson National Forest or Pecos Wilderness.
Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort
505-587-2240
Hiking
A variety of hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult exist in San Miguel County in National Forests, National Parks, the National Wildlife Refuge and State Parks. USGS and Forest Service maps are available at the Las Vegas Forest Service Office (425-3534).
Llama Trekking
The Shining Star Ranch (425-1072) offers llama treks into the wilderness for overnight and day excursions.
Guest Ranch
The Surprise Valley Ranch (425-8028) open May 1 through October 15 offers hiking, fishing, and other activities.
Mountain Biking
Biking the back roads of San Miguel County has become very popular, especially the challenging and beautiful roads between Santa Fe and Las Vegas and in Carson National Forest.
Hunting
The Pecos Wilderness, accessed by foot or horseback, offers a wide variety of game.
Fishing
Fishermen of all levels can find quality fishing throughout San Miguel County. Game species such as rainbow and German Browns are stocked in many local rivers and lakes.
Storrie Lake State Park
The man-made reservoir of Storrie Lake is a recreational mecca for boating and windsurfing enthusiasts. Storrie Lake, located six miles north of Las Vegas on Hwy 518, is a popular lake for people from around New Mexico with consistent winds, warm waters and few insects. On-site boat and windsurfing rentals are not available but can be arranged in Santa Fe or Albuquerque.
Storrie Lake State Park
HC 33, Box 109 #2
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-7278
McAllister Lake
McAllister Lake is eight miles east of Las Vegas on Hwy 104.
Villanueva State Park
Villanueva State Park is 31 miles southwest of Las Vegas via I-25 and Hwy 3. This is a small park that offers two exceptional hiking trails: Canyon Trail takes hikers across the Pecos River and features interpretative signs of 19th century life along with a spectacular view from the top of the canyon; El Cerro Trail challenges the hiker with its steep, rocky moderately-difficult path to the top of the canyon. Its length out and back is about one mile.
The park has full facility camping sites, a picnic area, a visitor center, fishing, and a full range of wildflower and wildlife viewing. The attraction of wildflowers in the spring, and red scrub oak against yellow cottonwoods in the fall along with temperatures ranging from upper 60s to 70s make these seasons particularly attractive.
Villanueva State Park
P.O. Box 40
Villanueva, NM 87583
505-421-2957
Gallinas River (Canyon) Recreation Area
Gallinas River (Canyon) Recreation Area is 15 miles north of Las Vegas on Hwy 65.
El Porvenir
Access Pecos Wilderness through Santa Fe National Forest, 15 miles north of Las Vegas on Hwy 65
Conchas Lake State Park
This large and beautiful body of water is just 60 miles from Las Vegas off Hwy 104. With an overall length of 25 miles and more than 60 miles of varied shoreline, the clear, blue-green water of Conchas Lake offers anglers and boaters alike a unique experience. Windsurfers, swimmers, snorklers and land-bound anglers should find the "south" and "central" areas hard to beat.
With dozens of camping sites at or near the water's edge, many with shelters, access is barely a stone's throw away. Rock formations and underwater cliffs near the dam offer divers and snorklers the opportunity of adventure just outside their camp.
Shallow, tapering flats, which make great swimming areas for young and old, also give bank-fishermen the chance to cool off from the hot sun during the day and provide excellent night fishing for catfish or walleye. Conchas has traditionally been known as one of the best walleye and smallmouth bass lakes in the southwest, but an abundance of bass, crappie and bluegill also thrives.
Two modern marinas provide facilities for boating, fishing and water skiing. Camping and picnic facilities are located on the south side of the lake. Full hookups are available on the north side of the lake, where rental cabins, a trailer park with hookups, a marina, a store and a restaurant are also available.
Conchas Lake State Park
P.O. Box 976
Conchas Dam, NM 88416
505-868-2270
Las Vegas Wildlife Refuge
Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, four miles east of Las Vegas on Hwy 104, has 18,750 acres of grassland, cropland, marshes, canyons, ponds and streams, providing a natural paradise alive with native animals and plants. A variety of migratory birds use the refuge as a central "flyway" area: among them are sandhill cranes, long-billed curlews, rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and numerous shorebirds. Visitors can travel the rugged trails at the refuge - a "must visit" for nature photographers and birdwatchers
Las Vegas Wildlife Refuge
Route 1
Box 399
Las Vegas, NM 87701
505-425-3581
Part of this information is reproduced from the Las Vegas-San Miguel Tourism and Relocation Guide, Legacy Publishing, Inc. 1-800-559-0426.
Driving Tours around San Miguel County
Santa Fe Trail Scenic Byway
During its colorful history, the Santa Fe Trail was used by traders, merchants, mountain men, gold seekers, military expeditions, immigrants and a few early-day tourists. Follow the old Santa Fe Trail and honor the thousands of men and women who bravely pioneered across the unknown plains in modern-day San Miguel, Mora, Colfax and Union counties.
America's Roadway: Historic Route 66
Many curiosities that made Route 66 intriguing to travelers have fallen victim to interstate highways, but much of the route's character can still be seen in Quay and Guadalupe counties, providing authentic slices of the Mother Road's motels, cafes and gift shops. Route 66 aficiandos might also explore the remaining segments of a pre-1938 alignment that travels north from Guadalupe County to Las Vegas hence to Santa Fe. Although the path of Route 66 did not pass through Las Vegas, the community was cited as a diversion or day trip from Tucumcari or Santa Rosa.
