Gypsum Dunes, Billy the Kid Country, and the Smokey Bear Trail

This 270-mile loop through south-central New Mexico stitches together two of the state's most iconic landscapes: the dazzling gypsum dunefield of White Sands and the mountain country of the Sacramento and Capitan Ranges, where Billy the Kid earned his outlaw legend and where a singed bear cub became America's symbol of fire prevention. From Alamogordo, the route runs east into White Sands National Park (the world's largest gypsum dunefield, designated a national park in 2019 after 86 years as a national monument), then climbs the Sacramento Mountains to the alpine village of Cloudcroft at 8,650 feet, where the southernmost ski area in the United States operates beside Victorian-era logging-town storefronts. The road continues through the Mescalero Apache Reservation to Ruidoso, then turns east on the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (US-380), passing through the perfectly preserved 1870s town of Lincoln (a National Historic Landmark and the entire town is preserved as a state monument), where in April 1881 Billy the Kid (William H. Bonney) made his most famous jail escape, killing two deputies and riding away while still wearing leg irons. Three months later Sheriff Pat Garrett shot him dead at Fort Sumner. From Lincoln, the route passes Capitan (home of the original Smokey Bear, a black bear cub rescued from a 1950 wildfire who became the living mascot of the National Forest Service), continues across the Valley of Fires (a 1,500-year-old lava flow), and returns south through the Tularosa Basin past the ancient petroglyphs at Three Rivers, where Jornada Mogollon peoples carved over 21,000 images into volcanic boulders between 900 and 1400 CE. The loop crosses four distinct ecosystems in a single circuit: gypsum dunefield, alpine forest, high plains grassland, and Chihuahuan desert.

Key Stops

Alamogordo The loop's hub and a town shaped by 20th-century military and space history. The New Mexico Museum of Space History on the eastern edge of town (in a striking five-story gold-cube building visible for miles) tells the story of America's space program with extensive exhibits on the Apollo program, the International Space Station, and the local Trinity test (the first atomic detonation, conducted at the northern end of White Sands Missile Range on July 16, 1945). The museum includes the Clyde W. Tombaugh Education Center and Planetarium (Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto, lived in New Mexico). Full services and the most lodging options on the loop.

White Sands National Park The drive's centerpiece: 275 square miles of brilliant white gypsum sand dunes (the world's largest gypsum dunefield), some rising 60 feet. Unlike most dunes (which are made of quartz sand), gypsum is highly soluble and rarely accumulates as sand. The White Sands dunes formed when the Tularosa Basin's drainage was blocked by tectonic shifts, trapping gypsum-rich water that evaporated and crystallized over millions of years. Wind then weathered the crystals into the sand grains visible today.

Dunes Drive pullouts (8 miles one way from the visitor center):

1. Playa Trail A 0.5-mile wheelchair-accessible boardwalk loop through a dry desert playa with interpretive panels on the unique playa ecosystem.
2. Dune Life Nature Trail A 1-mile self-guided loop with markers identifying desert plants and animal tracks. The trail climbs over and around vegetated dunes; allow 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Interdune Boardwalk A 0.4-mile elevated wheelchair-accessible boardwalk extending out over the interdune flats, with interpretive panels on the biology and geology of the dunefield. One of the easiest ways to experience the dunes up close.
4. Backcountry Camping Trailhead The starting point for the 2-mile round-trip hike to 10 primitive backcountry campsites (permit required; reserve through Recreation.gov).
5. Yucca Picnic Area Shaded picnic shelters surrounded by larger active dunes.
6. Alkali Flat Trailhead The most challenging hike in the park, a 5-mile loop across the heart of the dunefield to the edge of the prehistoric Lake Otero lakebed. Marked only by widely spaced posts; navigation is difficult in white-out conditions. Allow 3 to 5 hours; carry at least one gallon of water per person.

Sunrise and sunset transform the sand from white to pink, peach, and gold. Full moon nights are spectacular; the park hosts ranger-led moonlight programs throughout the warm months.

Park entry $25 per vehicle (free for federal pass holders). The dunes and US-70 between Las Cruces and Alamogordo can briefly close (1 to 2 hours) for missile tests at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range; check the park website before visiting.

Cloudcroft A picturesque mountain village at 8,650 feet, founded in 1898 as a logging town and refuge for southern New Mexico residents seeking relief from desert heat. Cloudcroft retains turn-of-the-century buildings, including the historic Lodge at Cloudcroft Resort (1899, where Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Pancho Villa all stayed; reportedly haunted by Rebecca, a ghostly chambermaid). The Tunnel Vista Overlook on US-82 between Alamogordo and Cloudcroft offers a striking view of an old railroad tunnel and the desert basin below. Ski Cloudcroft is the southernmost ski area in the United States.

Mescalero Apache Reservation NM-244 winds through 463,000 acres of Mescalero Apache tribal land. The Mescalero have lived in these mountains for centuries; the Apache Wars of the 1860s and 1870s ended with their establishment on this reservation in 1873. Inn of the Mountain Gods, a Mescalero-owned resort and casino, sits beside Mescalero Lake with extensive golf, fishing, and luxury lodging. The Mescalero Cultural Center offers exhibits on Mescalero history, beadwork, and the Holy Mountain ceremony.

Ruidoso A larger mountain resort town than Cloudcroft, at 6,920 feet beneath 12,003-foot Sierra Blanca (the White Mountain), the sacred mountain of the Mescalero Apache. Ruidoso (Spanish for "noisy," named for the rushing stream) has the Ruidoso Downs Race Track (home to the All American Futurity, the world's richest quarter horse race), art galleries, and dozens of restaurants. Ski Apache, owned and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, is reached via NM-532 and offers some of the best skiing in the Southwest.

Capitan A small ranching town founded in 1900, world-famous as the home of Smokey Bear. In May 1950, after the Capitan Gap Fire burned over 17,000 acres of Lincoln National Forest, firefighters discovered a badly burned black bear cub clinging to a charred tree. Nursed back to health, the cub was named Smokey and became the living symbol of the US Forest Service's fire prevention campaign. He spent the rest of his life at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, dying in 1976. His remains were returned to Capitan and buried in Smokey Bear Historical Park, which preserves his grave site, a small museum, and a memorial garden. Free entry. The Smokey Bear billboard campaign, which began in 1944 (six years before the actual bear was rescued), is now the longest-running public service campaign in American history.

Lincoln (National Historic Landmark) The drive's outlaw centerpiece and one of the most authentically preserved 19th-century towns in the American West. The entire town is a state historic site; most buildings are unchanged since the 1870s and 1880s. Lincoln was the seat of Lincoln County, one of the largest counties in the United States at the time of the Lincoln County War (1878–1881), a violent feud between rival cattlemen and merchant factions that escalated into an open shooting war. The conflict's most famous participant was William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. Key sites:

• Lincoln County Courthouse: The most famous stop, where Billy the Kid was held awaiting hanging in 1881 after being convicted of murdering Sheriff William Brady. On April 28, 1881, the Kid killed deputies J.W. Bell and Bob Ollinger and escaped on a stolen horse, still wearing his leg irons. The window from which he reportedly shot Ollinger and a bullet hole in the wall (made by his shotgun blast at Bell) are both still visible.
• Tunstall Store: The store where the Lincoln County War began with the murder of merchant John Tunstall in February 1878
• Murphy-Dolan Store (the rival faction's headquarters)
• Wortley Hotel (where Pat Garrett began his sheriff career; still operating as a hotel and restaurant)
• San Juan Mission Church (1887)

The Lincoln Historic Site visitor center provides context and walking-tour maps. Entry approximately $7 per adult (covers all buildings). The town is small (population 50) and tourist services are limited; bring cash for the sites. The Old Lincoln Days festival each first weekend in August reenacts Billy the Kid's escape.

Fort Stanton (Side Trip) A short detour west of Lincoln leads to Fort Stanton, an 1855 cavalry post that played a role in the Apache Wars and was later used as a marine merchant hospital and as an internment camp for German sailors during World War II. Now a state historic site with a museum, restored buildings, and extensive trails.

Valley of Fires Recreation Area A vast field of basaltic lava that flowed from a vent in the Carrizozo volcanic field roughly 5,000 years ago (one of the youngest lava flows in the contiguous United States). The flow covers 125 square miles and is up to 165 feet thick. A 0.75-mile paved loop trail with interpretive panels descends onto the lava itself. Day-use fee approximately $5 per vehicle. Campground available.

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site One of the largest concentrations of ancient rock art in the United States: over 21,000 petroglyphs carved by Jornada Mogollon peoples between roughly 900 and 1400 CE. The petroglyphs depict animals (bighorn sheep, fish, birds), human figures, masks, geometric designs, and astronomical symbols. A 1-mile interpretive trail crosses a basalt ridge of carvings; you can wander among them at your own pace. Spectacular views of Sierra Blanca to the east and the San Andres Mountains to the west. The remains of a Jornada Mogollon village are partially excavated nearby. Day-use fee approximately $5 per vehicle.

Tularosa Returning south on US-54, the road passes through Tularosa, an old farming village known for the Tularosa Vineyards (one of New Mexico's oldest wineries) and its restored 1800s adobe storefronts. The McGinn's PistachioLand (just south of Tularosa) hosts the World's Largest Pistachio (a 30-foot fiberglass nut) and offers pistachio products from the surrounding orchards.

Driving Tips

• The loop is best driven counterclockwise from Alamogordo: east through White Sands first (visit early morning for cool air and best photography light), then up to Cloudcroft for lunch, north through Ruidoso for an overnight, east to Lincoln the second morning, then back via Capitan, Carrizozo, and Three Rivers. This sequence saves the long desert stretches for cooler hours.
• White Sands National Park can close for missile testing on the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Closures typically last 1 to 2 hours and may also briefly affect US-70 between Las Cruces and Alamogordo. Check the park website for current testing schedules before visiting.
• The South Fork Fire of June 2024 damaged the Ruidoso area significantly. Some businesses have closed permanently; others reopened with reduced services. Verify lodging and dining options before booking, especially in Ruidoso and Ruidoso Downs.
• Summer desert heat in the Tularosa Basin (Alamogordo, White Sands, Tularosa) regularly exceeds 100°F. Visit White Sands early morning or late afternoon. Carry plenty of water and avoid hiking in midday from May through September.
• The Sacramento Mountains around Cloudcroft and Ruidoso receive significant snow December through March. US-82 over Cloudcroft and NM-48 to Ruidoso can be icy and require chains during storms.
• Lincoln has minimal services. Bring cash for the historic site admission, and plan to eat at the Wortley Hotel restaurant or pack a lunch.
• Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan is one of the most underrated stops in the Southwest. Allow at least an hour.
• Cell coverage is reliable in Alamogordo, Ruidoso, and Cloudcroft, intermittent on the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway, and spotty on US-54 between Carrizozo and Tularosa. Download offline maps.
• Watch for oryx (African gemsbok, introduced to White Sands Missile Range in the 1960s and now ranging freely) on US-70 east of Las Cruces and on the desert flats near White Sands. They are large, fast, and a serious vehicle hazard, especially at dawn and dusk.
• The America the Beautiful Pass covers White Sands National Park.
• For more information visit: New Mexico's Southeast Region