Visit USA > New Mexico > Northeast Region

Long ago in the 1540s, Franciso Vázquez de Coronado and his expedition of conquistadors scoured the rugged and rolling terrain of the Northeast Region for the Seven Cities of Cibola. History tells us that he never found gold, but he did come upon the treasure of Pecos Pueblo. Today you can explore the ruins of this abandoned pueblo, which at one time towered up to five stories. Today, all that visibly remains are the ruins of an adobe Spanish colonial church.

Remnants of the romantic Old West abound in the northeast, which had more than its share of cowboys and outlaws. Still visible in many locations are deep wagon-wheel ruts left by travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, which was established 175 years ago and stretch from Missouri to downtown Santa Fe. Visit Fort Union National Monument, where the ruins of a large Army outpost remind of the soldiers who protected pioneers and traders on the trail.

Billy the Kid was known to ride through here and a whole host of other gun-slingers and outlaws downed whiskey and let the bullets fly at the St. James Hotel in Cimarrón, where people like Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley and Zane Grey stayed. A visit to Las Vegas will take you to streets that have seen more than their share of historical and contemporary characters, including President Theodore Roosevelt, Gov. Lew Wallace, Vicente Silva, Prince Charles, Tom Mix and many others.

Alongside the memories of the past, the mountains and rolling plains of northeastern New Mexico are dotted with many lake oases. The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa is a scuba-diver's paradise with an 81-foot deep pool that maintains a 63 degree temperature year-round. And nearby Conchas and Ute lakes both provide an angler's fill of pike, bass, catfish and trout, while also offering boaters their fun.

Every spring and fall, a variety of magnificent waterfowl and birds of prey can be seen making their seasonal commutes through the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge. Hike or drive to the top of Capulín Volcano National Monument, where on a clear day you can see Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. The northeastern landscape is a living monument to the centuries of past people and it awaits the adventures of generations to come.