Hiking and Camping in NM’s Organ Mountains – What to Know!

So, this post is a bit of a throwback to my yesteryears! (slash, from 2012) I really wanted to make a post about it though, because it’s one of the few cool outdoor things there are to do in Las Cruces, NM.

The Organ Mountains of Las Cruces, NM are pretty iconic for locals around the area. They have a lot of distinguishing character in my opinion, and I enjoyed seeing them every day for the 10 months that I lived there.  When I lived in Cruces I was working an unholy amount, (I practically lived at Chili’s) and I didn’t feel like I got to do very much exploring of the city or the area. One of the few things I did get to do that I thoroughly enjoyed was going Cowboy Camping up in the Organ Mountains.

I’m not sure if “Cowboy Camping” is really an accepted term or not. That’s just what we called it because we didn’t camp out with any camping gear or a tent, we straight up laid a blanket on the bare ground, made a campfire and went to sleep under the stars. It was my first time to really ever go overnight camping, and it was pretty cool!

Aguirre Springs has 2 main hiking trails that I know of: Baylor Pass Trail, which will take you to the other side of the mountains, and the Pine Tree Trail, which is a 4-mile loop. We took the Pine Tree trail and made our overnight campsite right off it.

So for those of you wanting to explore the hiking trail, go camping, or maybe just check it out, here are the directions:

Directions:(from Cruces) Get onto HWY-70 W and follow it over the pass to the other side of the mountain range.  Turn right onto Aguirre Springs Road (there will be signs for Aguirre Springs). This road will lead you all the way up to the campground.

Restrooms: Yes

Difficulty: Moderate with some difficult inclines

Pets Ok? Horses and leashed pets are allowed

Crowds: Heavy on weekends and holidays

Fees/Permits: $5 for a day pass, $7 for camping.

Tips: Bring plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, and be aware of snakes!! Be aware that even in the summer months, the desert gets cold at night, so bring a jacket or sweater.

We started out our camping adventure by beginning our hike!

From the campground and all the way up the trail, you have sweeping views of the valley between the Organ Mountains and the Sacramento Mountains, which are home to Cloudcroft, NM. You can even see White Sands just outside of Alamogordo.

The trail climbs gradually up the mountain, and I don’t remember it being very grueling…although I was in better shape back then!

If you go around April – May, you’ll get to see the Claret Cup cactus, which has my all-time favorite cactus blooms!! The Las Cruces area has so many naturally!

We had hiked for a while until we came to the perfect spot to set up camp! It already had a ring of stones for a fire and fantastic views!

We set out our little blanket and my husband made a fire to throw our cans of food on! We roasted hot dogs and he carved a spoon out of a stick for us to eat the beans and chili!

I wanted to keep the spoon but he threw it in the fire. It was a sad day.

So in the spirit of honesty, I didn’t drink enough water and had a pounding headache all night long. So you could say I was kind of waiting for those first rays of sun! Since I was awake all night I got to hear an owl and a woodpecker!

We came here on a weekday and it was a really nice getaway.  It’s really close to Cruces but you still feel like you got to get out in nature. I definitely recommend people in the area taking advantage of Aguirre Springs!

How about you guys? Have you been to Aguirre Springs?? Are you planning on going?? Lemme know!

Until next time!