After our day at White Sands National Park, we explored Las Cruces. Like in Tucson, we found local art to appreciate. Our server at dinner recommended a local hike – Drippings Springs. I heard there was a waterfall and was in!
After a yummy breakfast at Village Inn, we headed out for our hike.
Dripping Springs Hike
Dripping Springs Natural Area is in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. It is on the west side of the Organ Mountains.
Dripping Springs Natural Area
2023 Price: Free due to my Annual Pass (Fee would have been $5 for day use)
Dripping Springs Trail is about 3 miles round trip. I would rate it as a moderate hike due to the incline once you get closer to the mountains. The path is loose gravel which I find slightly harder to hike on than dirt or sand. Benches shaded by trees are along the path, so you have the opportunity to rest and relax.
The trail was empty in the morning but quickly filled up in the afternoon. It went from only three cars in the parking lot to completely full. We had beautiful light on the mountains in the morning which is another reason to show up early.
History of the Trail
This trail is named for the natural spring in the canyon where water flows from the rock walls into the pond at the base of the cliff. There was very little water when we visited, which fits its common nickname – the “Weeping Wall” – because it looked more like a wet wall than a cascade. If there has been a lot of rain, it becomes an actual falls.
It was this natural spring that drew a local entrepreneur, Eugene Van Patten, to build a mountain camp here in the 1870s.
As you near the mountains, the trail passes the camp’s wooden livery, mercantile, and chicken coop. Stagecoaches would have followed this path on their way to the resort. It had 16 rooms, dining, and concert halls.
Dr. Nathan Boyd rented land adjacent to Van Patten’s resort to build a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. Tuberculosis was a leading cause of death in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The only treatment at the time was dry, sunny climates and high elevations.
Dr. Boyd started building the sanitorium in 1910 when there was still high demand for tuberculosis facilities. New vaccines and treatments soon emerged however, and he sold the property in 1922.
Signs along the route direct you to the springs and the remains of Van Patten Mountain Camp and Boyd Sanatorium.
At the sanatorium, take the stairs around the kitchen/dining hall to view the caretaker’s house.
There were dozens of birds in the trees along the trail including Woodhouse’s scrub-jays, canyon towhees, Townsend’s solitaires, American tree sparrows, chipping sparrows, ruby-crowned kinglets, and lesser goldfinches. We also spotted orange, white, and blue butterflies.
Art in Las Cruces
There is a ton of fantastic art around Las Cruces. Below are just a few of the works we enjoyed.
Murals
The ‘Color Me Cruces’ mural is a postcard mural à la the greetings murals found around the United States. It’s easy to find on the north-facing wall of Insta-Copy along Main Street.
At that same intersection are two other beautiful murals. ‘Go●Thrive●Be’ designer Dana Apodaca says the mural celebrates classic New Mexican style in a fresh, colorful way.
The north-facing wall of COAS Books has a mural by Coy Lowther. A tree and river of words flow into a swirl of blues that remind me of The Great Wave and The Starry Night.
Las Cruces is also well known for its colossal water tank murals.
Roadrunner Sculpture
For those looking for more three-dimensional art, look no further than the Recycled Roadrunner! New Mexico’s state bird is a roadrunner, which explains why artists Olin Calk and Dan Smith chose it.
This 20-foot-tall, 40-foot-long roadrunner watches over I-10 and visitors can easily get a closer look from the Scenic View rest area.
The sculpture is made of old shoes, cell phones, bike parts, keyboards, crutches, golf clubs, and other recycled materials. Before moving to its current location, it stood at the landfill to bring attention to how much we throw away and the power of recycling.
Originally built in 1993, it has been stripped and replaced with new ‘junk’ twice.
If you have some time to explore Las Cruces, please consider taking in the local art or hiking on one of several trails in the area. You won’t be disappointed!
So descriptive! We felt like we were there! Thank you Steph Purk for taking us along.