Area Attractions

Very Large Array
The Very Large Array, one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna is 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter. The data from the antennas is combined electronically to give the resolution of an antenna 36km (22 miles) across, with the sensitivity of a dish 130 meters (422 feet) in diameter.

El Morro National Monument
Imagine the comfort and refreshment of finding water after days of dusty travel. A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a sandstone bluff made El Morro (the headland) a popular campsite for hundreds of years. Here, Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish and American travelers carved over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs.

El Malpais National Conservation Area
The El Malpais National Conservation Area was established in 1987 and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The adjoining El Malpais National Monument was also established at the same time and is managed by the National Park Service. The 231,230 acre NCA includes two wilderness areas — West Malpais and Cebolla — covering almost 100,000 acres.

La Ventana Arch
A short, easy hike to New Mexico's second-largest natural arch. If you are in the area, make the short stop needed to see the arch.

Ice Cave & Bandero Volcano
For a real experience in contrast, visit the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano, "The Land of Fire and Ice." Situated on the Continental Divide you walk through the twisted, old-growth Juniper, Fir and Ponderosa Pine trees, over the ancient lava trail to the Ice Cave. Here the natural layers of ice glisten blue-green in the reflected rays of sunlight. Another trail winds around the side of the Bandera Volcano to view one of the best examples of a volcanic eruption in the country. Located in the heart of El Malpais, the historic Ice Cave Trading Post displays ancient artifacts as well as contemporary Indian artwork.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is a leading provider of wolf and wolf-dog Rescue, Sanctuary and Education.

The Lightning Field
The Lightning Field (1977), by the American sculptor Walter De Maria, is a work of Land Art situated in a remote area of the high desert of western New Mexico. It is comprised of 400 polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array measuring one mile by one kilometer. The poles -- two inches in diameter and averaging 20 feet and 7½ inches in height -- are spaced 220 feet apart and have solid pointed tips that define a horizontal plane.

Acoma Pueblo
Discover the traditional Native American culture and living history of Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. The Sky City Cultural Center is the gateway to our Pueblo and Museum exhibits. Take a guided tour of the ancient pueblo village atop a 367-foot sandstone bluff, shop at the Gaits’i Gift Shop for beautiful Native American jewelry and Acoma pottery, have lunch in the Y'aak’a Café, or join us for feast day celebrations and other annual public events.

San Estevan del Rey Mission Church
Throughout the 17th century, the Spanish struggled to keep New Mexico within their empire, and the mission system was central to their colonial plan. The conquest of New Mexico began in 1598 when Don Juan de Oñate established the first European settlement in there. Throughout the 1600s, Catholic priests built missions to convert the Pueblo people of New Mexico to Christianity and to establish bases for Spanish colonization. In 1629, Franciscans founded the San Estevan del Rey Mission Church, a National Historic Landmark, to control and acculturate the people at the Acoma Pueblo. This ancient Acoma village sits atop a mesa, over 360 feet above the ground and is one of the oldest continuously occupied places in the United States.

Local Museums and Galleries
Grants - Cibola County Chamber of Commerce.
Grants is a diverse community of 10,000 people descending from many cultures and backgrounds.
Our climate is mild year round, typical of the high desert. We are located 1 hour west of Albuquerque on I-40.  Our area offers low property taxes, inexpensive housing, the convenience of a nearby large city, and an abundance of open space.

Quemado Lake
The 800-acre Quemado Lake Recreation Area is located approximately 20 miles south of Quemado. The recreation area includes the 131 acre manmade trout lake with two ADA fishing piers, two boat ramps, seven developed campgrounds, one primitive campground, and links to more than seven miles of hiking trails. The lake is nestled between piñon-juniper woodlands and pine forests at an elevation of 7860 feet. Quemado is stocked all with rainbow trout in fall, winter and spring months. The lake offers year round trout fishing and warm water fishing for channel catfish and small mouth bass during the summer months. Fishing in NM

Golf New Mexico
A Course Guide to Golf in the Land of Enchantment.