Fly the Friendly New Mexico Skies
CHRIS DAHL-BREDINE CHASES THE LIGHT. “I’m moved by sunrises and sunsets,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like the beautiful New Mexico light, and I just want to be right there in it.” Flying high in…
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These Spots Are Paradise For Bird-Watchers
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: BEGINNER Rattlesnake Springs. You want a desert oasis? This is a desert oasis. Managed by Carlsbad Caverns National Park, these spring-fed ponds and streams were once an extensive…
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Elevate Your Birding Game
A SWAINSON’S HAWK LIFTED FROM THE CANYON rim and dropped below my own perch, 1,000 feet above the Canadian River. A light breeze hissed over the grasses. The hawk caught the wind, turned into a…
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Meet Expert Hiker Cindy Brown
I N HER EARLIEST MEMORY , Cindy Brown was on a trail. “My parents took our family out hiking, camping, fishing, and boating,” she says. “I always loved being outside. Anyone looking for me could find me…
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Dust Off Your Boots and Hit the Trails
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: BEGINNER Soledad Canyon Loop. This easy, four-mile loop northeast of Las Cruces offers a rich experience of the Chihuahuan Desert microclimates of the Organ Mountain–Desert Peaks…
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Hike Flag Mountain for Panoramic Views
THE TRAIL DISAPPEARED INTO THE OLD BURN SCAR. Young aspen and oak, regrown since the 1996 Lama fire, shimmered in yellows, reds, and oranges. We pushed into the growth and scrambled up the ridge…
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Three Hikes for Fall Color
Above: The Brazos Cliffs are made of some of the oldest rock found in New Mexico. Photograph by Jim O’Donnell. Jawbone Mountain A moderate 6-mile out-and-back hike along Placer Creek leaves from a…
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Take a Fall Road Trip West of Taos
MY SON JUMPS THE CREEK, barely a foot wide. He kneels among the brassy, waist-high grasses, gently pushes aside downed aspen, elm, and oak leaves colored in scarlet, coral, and a buttery gold, and…
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Best Bird Identification Apps
Bird identification apps can help birders track and identify their favorite birds. Photograph by John Duncan/Unsplash. Audubon Bird Guide The big name in birds packs its app with more than 800 North…
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Become a Better Birder
Join a community science project to help spot and identify birds of all types. Illustration by Chris Philpot. IT’S ALL ABOUT TEAMWORK. Community science, also known as crowd-sourced science, citizen…
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