Lincoln, Capitan, Nogal Peak and Ruidoso, New Mexico
My oldest daughter, Shilo, and I took a quick day trip to visit the base of Nogal Peak in August of 2021. I thought I would post a very abbreviated highlight of activities to do in Lincoln, Capitan, Nogal Peak, and Ruidoso, New Mexico. We didn’t have time to visit much, but these locations are full of history in New Mexico.
Our first stop on the way was in Lincoln, New Mexico. If you are not aware, this town is famous for Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War. There are several historic homes in Lincoln, as well as the famous Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits. You can walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid, Pat Garret and other characters from the west. They have some cute shops too. This was the first time (since I moved to New Mexico in 1980) that I saw the Torreon was open to the public, so that was a treat. Just outside of Lincoln is a historic graveyard. One of the most interesting things about this was the thousands of irises someone had painstakingly planted. I can’t imagine how beautiful it is when they are blooming. I recommend people attend the Old Lincoln Days – usually the beginning of August. They have reenactments and a huge festival. The Friends of Historic Lincoln, New Mexico have some great information if you plan on visiting.
Only a short twelve miles from Lincoln is Capitan, New Mexico – birthplace and burial site of Smokey Bear. Spend some time in the Historical Park and Visitor Center and the Museum and Gift Shop. All great family attractions.
Then it was on to Nogal Peak. We try to go every year since my husband passed away in 2015. We visit to remember my nephew, Steven and my husband, John. We placed a geocache up there and we love to see all the visitors who have signed it. This year, everything was exceptionally green because of all the monsoon rains we have been receiving. It was a perfect day for a short hike up to part of the base. My daughter was married at the trailhead and is expecting her first child, so it was especially sentimental.
We spent at least an hour there and then drove to Ruidoso. Just outside the road leading to Nogal is a beautiful horse-head gate. I don’t know who built it or if it is for a development, but it was definitely worth taking a photo of. Ruidoso has so many quaint shops, bars, restaurants and family fun. It is definitely a town that relies on tourism to survive. In Ruidoso Downs, where the racetrack is located, is the Hubbard Museum of the American West. I don’t think it has opened since COVID, it may have, but it was closed when we visited. They have a beautiful sculpture garden with oversized horses of different breeds displayed throughout.
On the final stretch home I stopped to take a few photos of the churches in San Patricio and a final image of Tinnie Silver Dollar. It was originally build in 1873 as a general store and is now an upscale steakhouse.
