The Chronicles Of Grant County

Presidents Day Trips To Area BLM Recreation Sites

The Dripping Springs Natural Area is managed by the U S Bureau of Land Management. (The photograph was provided courtesy of the U S Bureau of Land Management.)

If you're looking for places to go on a day-trip today – Presidents Day – you may want to take advantage of free admission to three recreational sites managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management – the BLM.

The BLM Las Cruces District issued a statement that it will waive entrance fees for the Aguirre Spring Recreation Area, the Dripping Springs Natural Area, and the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site today – February 20 – in recognition of the Federal holiday.

"This designated Fee-Free day is one of only five days left this year when national parks and other public lands managed by BLM will waive fees," noted the statement from the BLM. "Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees will be waived at these recreation sites and areas. Other costs, such as overnight camping and group day use will remain in effect."

The Aguirre Spring Recreation Area is located on the east side of Organ Mountains, east of Las Cruces in Dona Ana County.

 "The high wall, needle-like spires of the Organ Mountains curve dramatically around a semicircle of Chihuahuan Desert habitat at the Aguirre Spring [Recreation Area]," according to a statement from the BLM. A campground at this recreation center is "…nestled at the base of spectacular cliffs, overlooks the Tularosa Basin and White Sands National Park. Alligator juniper, gray oak, mountain mahogany and sotol are a few of the abundant plant species here. Seasonal springs and streams occur in the canyon bottoms, with a few perennial springs that support riparian habitats."

On the west side of the Organ Mountains, about ten miles east of Las Cruces is the Dripping Springs Natural Area.

The BLM indicated that "the Dripping Springs Natural Area has over four miles of easy hiking trails, including the Dripping Springs Trail, which shows off desert scrub and low elevation pinon-juniper and oak woodlands. The area also boasts excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, including excellent year-round viewing of red-tailed hawk, Gambel's quail, golden eagle, and rock squirrel. It offers very good year-round viewing of desert mule deer and coyote."

The statement from the BLM explained that a variety of birds and other animals live here, including black-throated sparrows, ladder-backed woodpeckers, verdins, black-tailed gnatcatchers, lesser nighthawks, Scott's orioles, cactus wrens, desert cottontails, and collared and tree lizards. Typically, these may be seen in the Spring and Summer months.

The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is located 17 miles north of Tularosa, and 28 miles south of Carrizozo in eastern New Mexico.

"The Three Rivers Petroglyphs are outstanding examples of prehistoric Jornada Mogollon rock art," according to a statement from the BLM. "The basaltic ridge rising above the Three Rivers Valley contains over 21,000 petroglyphs, including masks, sunbursts, wildlife, handprints, and geometric designs. The number and concentration of petroglyphs make this one of the largest and most interesting rock art sites in the Southwest."

The BLM statement continued by noting that this site "…is one of the few locations in the Southwest set aside solely because of its rock art. It is also one of the few sites giving visitors such direct access to petroglyphs…A small pueblo ruin is nearby and Sierra Blanca towers above to the east. A detailed petroglyph guide is available at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site."

By the way, today is not officially "Presidents Day." Instead, the Federal holiday is actually "Washington's Birthday" according to the U S Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The OPM describes itself as the "…chief human resources agency and personnel policy manager for the Federal Government."

"This holiday is designated as 'Washington's Birthday' in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees," noted a statement from the OPM. "Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is our policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law."

In the State of New Mexico, this day is not designated as a holiday. This, according to a memorandum dated October 28, 2022, from the New Mexico State Personnel Office. Unlike most other jurisdictions in the United States, the State of New Mexico designates the day after Thanksgiving – commonly known by many Americans as "Black Friday" – as the official celebration of "Presidents' Day."

Whether you choose to celebrate today as Presidents Day, as Washington's Birthday, or as an early Presidents' Day (at least in New Mexico), you may want to consider a day trip to one of the three nearby BLM recreation sites.

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