If you think adventure and learning are two things that always go hand in hand, get out your hiking boots and some sun screen because more than 45% of New Mexico is in public ownership, meaning there are endless recreational opportunities for you to enjoy. More than 300 public land sites feature natural wonders such as hot springs high in the North-Central mountains, the world's largest deposit of gypsum sand, undeveloped caves and lava flows in the Southeast, dazzling rock formations in the Southwest, and ancient Native American ruins in the Northwest.

National Parks & Monuments Some of the most famous include Chaco Canyon, White Sands, and Carlsbad Caverns...

State Parks New Mexico's 31 state parks offer water sports, superb hiking, natural wonders, historic sites and an abundance of year-round educational and recreational activities.

State Monuments Created in 1931 to preserve and interpret important sites as part of the diverse history and pre-history of New Mexico.

The opportunities for outdoor sports and recreation in New Mexico are as varied as the state's terrain. Few states can boast six of the earth's seven climatic zones, nor are they blessed with the towering mountains that rise above New Mexico's high desert plains. With thirteen National Monuments and Parks, 29 State Parks, and five National Forests, New Mexico has an outdoor adventure for the weekend sightseer and avid backcountry explorer alike!

Diving the Blue Hole:

You wouldn't expect New Mexico, landlocked and dry, to be a scuba diver's dream. But in Santa Rosa, an unassuming small town 114 miles east of Albuquerque on I-40, you can dive year-round in the clear blue waters of a spring-fed well billed as "the scuba capital of the Southwest." View more

Outdoor Ice-Skating

Long before indoor rinks made ice skating a year-round activity, the sport was a seasonal one and the venues were natural. While most of northern New Mexico's outdoor skating ponds have fallen into disuse, there remain three noteworthy spots where skaters can enjoy the brisk winter air and inspiring mountain and forest scenery as they glide and swirl the old-fashioned way-outdoors. View more

Sky-Watching

With its clear skies, thin high-altitude air, and absence of light pollution, New Mexico is one of the finest spots in the world for scrutinizing the sky. Native Americans here have revered Father Sky for centuries, and today's visitors can join the action at a pair of star-gazing bed-and-breakfast inns or on a private sky tour. View more