Southeast

New Mexico’s Souteast Region is an excellent destination for Billy the Kid buffs as well as those who want to explore the state’s history and scenic beauty. The Kid’s grave, next to the Old Fort Sumner Museum, sits down the road from Fort Sumner State Monument and the Bosque Redondo Memorial. Navajo and Apace Indians were confined at this bygone frontier military post during the time of the 1860s Long Walk. To the south of the fort, Billy the Kid and other outlaws fought for the interests of rival cattle barons in the Lincoln County War. Visitors can see the preserved historic district and walk the streets of Lincoln where the Kid escaped from jail, killing two deputies.

Roswell, the site of an event just as wild as those involving Billy the Kid, welcomes guests to its International UFO Museum and Research Center. In 1947 a Roswell rancher found debris the U.S. Air Force’s press release later attributed to a “flying saucer” crash. Though the Air Force retracted this release and claimed the debris was from a weather balloon, locals now celebrate the event at an annual UFO Festival.

For underground fun, Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers several tours where visitors can behold chambers full of cave formations, pools and ancient reef fossils. The size of eight football fields, the Big Room, like the rest of the caverns, stays a constant 56 degrees year-round. Above ground, you can enjoy a scenic drive or hike through the backcountry surrounding the caverns.