National, State, and Community Partners Unite to Enhance Safe Recreation Access Near Las Cruces, New Mexico
A short drive from Las Cruces, New Mexico, sits a long-distance recreation trail in the Land of Enchantment: The Sierra Vista National Recreation Trail. Stretching for 30 miles between Las Cruces, NM, and El Paso, TX; bridging the Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument (OMDPNM) and Franklin Mountains State Park, it’s an iconic public lands destination, offering year-round opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. And for Southern New Mexican communities, it also offers a point of connection to the desert landscape right in their backyards, and is enjoyed by more than 45,000 visitors every year. But along portions of the trail safety challenges have made the experience more difficult to navigate. The good news is that’s about to change, because the community coming together to reroute nearly 12 miles of the Sierra Vista Trail that currently follows utility and ranch roads shared with motorized vehicles, giving hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians a safer route.
With an investment of resources from the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Southern New Mexico Trail Alliance (SNMTA), and Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico – this area will be more welcoming to Americans. To ensure safe access for non-motorized users, who currently share an 11.5-mile stretch of the trail with motorized users, the partners will reroute a portion of the Sierra Vista Trail.
Managed by the BLM’s Las Cruces Field Office, the Sierra Visita Trail is free to access for all members of the public. Said office has already invested in improvements to the parking areas and trailhead access. With the support of the state, the Foundation, and numerous SNMTA volunteers, the BLM and SNMTA will build 11.5-miles of trail to ensure safe access, for the benefit of cities like Las Cruces and El Paso, and rural communities like Mesquite, Vado, Anthony, La Union, and Chaparral. The project, which will also commission the Public Lands Interpretive Association (PLIA) to design signage, represents an impact of more than half a million dollars.
“The Bureau of Land Management is pleased to work together with our partners to deliver critical safety upgrades to the Sierra Vista National Recreation Trail,” said Joseph Tumidalsky, Outdoor Recreation Planner at the BLM’s New Mexico State Office. “This collaborative effort builds stronger relationships across organizations to ensure a safer, more inclusive experience for all trail users while preserving this public resource and creating more enjoyable outdoor recreation experiences for multiple user groups.”
SNMTA members already enjoy annual mountain bike races on the Monumental Loop – a route that will include the updated trail – and host clean-ups alongside the BLM, Friends of Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks, and Las Cruces 4WD Club. For current trail users, the potential for events, community connection, and safe outdoor adventures offers a special value in itself.
“This trail is literally where the Trail Alliance began,” said Dan Carter, President of SNMTA. “The annual Sierra Vista Trail Runs provided the support to start the all-volunteer organization that is the voice and resource for trails in the region. SNMTA is excited to be a part of this very exciting project and look forward to sharing some dirt time with our great trail community here in the borderlands!”
Dan’s “dirt time” includes annual Trail Runs and the Dangerbird bikepacking event along the Monumental Loop, which follows the Sierra Vista Trail. These events and the Sierra Vista Trail introduce people to the beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert and the special experiences that can be found on trails. “Completing the 12-mile reroute on the southern part of the Trail will greatly improve these experiences!” Dan added.
To ensure visitors from near and far can access this new route safely, the Public Lands Interpretive Association (PLIA) will work with the BLM to offer directions in English and Spanish. “PLIA is excited to contribute to the Sierra Vista Trail reroute by developing the maps, signage, and visitor information that will help locals and visitors alike safely enjoy this remarkable landscape,” said Executive Director of PLIA Aryn LaBrake.
“We’re thrilled to work alongside the Foundation, BLM, partners, and volunteers working together to create safer, clearer, and more welcoming access to these public lands.”
The award comes from New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s Trails+ Program, which invests in trails and outdoor infrastructure. It’s a program created to help communities invest in the outdoor infrastructure that improves quality of life and supports economic opportunity, according to Karina Armijo, Director of the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.
“The Sierra Vista Trail reroute is an excellent example of that vision in action by creating a safer, more sustainable trail system that welcomes more visitors while protecting the landscape and strengthening southern New Mexico’s recreation economy,” Karina told the Foundation.
The project will kick off phase one of construction over the coming year in coordination with local partners, volunteers, and the BLM.
“Public lands bring communities together, and this investment will make the Sierra Vista Trail safer and more accessible for people in Las Cruces and nearby communities,” said I Ling Thompson, CEO of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands. “We are grateful for the support of the Trails+ program. As the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management, we are proud to work with the state of New Mexico, the BLM, and local partners. Together, we support efforts across the country to help more Americans get outside and enjoy their public lands.”
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR AMERICA’S PUBLIC LANDS
As the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Foundation for America’s Public Lands serves as a convener, partner, and fundraising catalyst to help ensure the health and stewardship of America’s public lands and waters today, and for the future. To learn more, visit americaslands.org.
The Foundation funds projects that solve real-world problems for local communities and public lands. To date, the Foundation has leveraged more than $20 million in 88 on-the-ground projects across the country. Support for these investments is made possible by federal and state funding, as well as the generous backing of charitable partners and donors.
