Datil Well

Datil Well RA https://www.blm.gov/visit/datil-well-recreation-area-campground https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datil,_New_Mexico Datil Well Recreation Area Campground includes one of 15 water wells along the old Magdalena Livestock Driveway. The old cattle trail was established in the 1800s and stretched 120 miles from Springerville, Arizona, to Magdalena, New Mexico. The area includes 3 miles of hiking trails in piñon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands, with scenic views of the San Augustin Plains. The trail and vistas also offer an occasional glimpse of wildlife in a setting of quiet and solitude. You can close your eyes and almost hear the cattle lowing as they settle in for the night.Please leave a clean camp and respect the facilities and natural surroundings. Pack it in. Pack it out.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! = ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 7 ! [ ! Ft 75 15 52 FT 11 49 FT 9 52 FT 16 14 12 6 ! ! ! Ft ! ! ! 7600 9 ! ! ! ! ! ! 18 46 FT 13 48 FT 5 ! Rocky Point Overlook ! ! ! ! ! ! 17 Ft 4 46 FT ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 0 ! ! ! 20 52 FT ! ! ! ! ! [ 0 ! ! ! ! ! Datil Well Campground 19 00 3 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 74 2 37 FT ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Starting at Gazebo Outer Loop : 2.63 North Loop : 2.21 South Loop : 1.64 Ft ! !! San Augustin Overlook ! 1 7400 ! 22 = ! TRAIL MILEAGE Total all trails : 3.42 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management 00 21 ! ! ! ! Campground Sites 10 8 ! ! ! ! ! ! 60 Ft 7500 ! 7600 Ft £ ¤ ! ! I 40 [ 0 ! ! Crosby Canyon Overlook ! ^ § ¦ ¨ ! ! Location Map Albuquerque ! ! ! ! ! ! 7500 Ft Datil _ ^ £ ¤ ¬ « 12 Datil ^ § ¦ ¨ I 25 Socorro ^ 00 Ft Feet 0 250 500 750 No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual or aggregate use with other data. Original data were compiled from various sources and may be updated without notification. Ft 00 75 Ft 00 6 7 1,000 Ê Scenic Overlook = ! Visitor Center 9 ! Group Campground 0 ! Shelter State Highway Datil Well Loop Campground Loop ! Trail Ft 0 750 t F Bureau of Land Management Socorro Field Office 901 S. Highway 85 Socorro, NM 87801 575/835-0412 or www.blm.gov/new-mexico [ ! Datil Well Recreation Area 00 ¬ « Ft 76 7400 12 0F t 180 ! £ ¤ 750 76 00 Ft 60 76 Bureau of Land Management Private State US Highway US Forest Service The Datil Well Campground is located one mile west of Datil, New Mexico and is accessible from both Highway 60 and Highway 12. Built in June of 1968, and managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the campground provides a peaceful place for weary travelers or a destination to come, stay, play and enjoy the smell of the pines. The water that feeds the campground is from one of the original wells drilled by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) for the Magdalena Stock Driveway. Datil Well is a scenic area located at 7,400 feet elevation that borders the Cibola National Forest. The campground offers 22 single-family campsites as well as a group site for large gatherings. The Group Site has two covered pavilions, group-size fire ring, group-size cooking grill, prep table and a vault toilet. This site takes reservations. Campground facilities include graveled sites for back-in’s and pull throughs and have picnic tables, upright cooking grills, fire rings and a short walking distance to vault toilets. Hydrants provide drinking water and a small visitor’s center offers WiFi when not out hiking, birding, observing wildlife, or star-gazing. All sites are on a first come basis and the entire campground is a fee site. The Datil Well Campground area has 3 miles of scenic hiking trails. There are three miles of hiking trails winding through piñon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands, with scenic views of the San Augustin Plains and Crosby Canyon. Interpretive signs along the trail assist in tree-identification. The trail and vistas also offer an occasional glimpse of wildlife in a quiet and solitude setting. accumulations of up to a foot of snow may be possible with temperatures in the 40s during the day to a low of zero at night. Safety Rules •The use of weapons is prohibited within and adjacent to the campground. •Observe speed limits within the campground and keep all-wheeled vehicles on established roadways. •Trails are for hiking. Motorized Very Large Array The Very Large Array (VLA), located 15 miles east of Datil, is a radio astronomy observatory located on the Plains of San Agustin between Datil and Magdalena. It comprises of 27 radio telescopes in a Y-shaped pattern, and each is 82 feet high and weighs 230 tons. The VLA has been used by more astronomers and has been mentioned in more scientific papers than any other radio telescope in the world. Weather Conditions A bit of snow covers the ground at Crosby Canyon Overlook vehicles, horses, and mountain bikes are prohibited. Pets must be keep on a leash. •Keep pets on a leash. Other Important Information •Any dead and down firewood found Datil Well Campground within the campgrounds can be collected and used. •Use grills, fire rings, and trash cans provided at each camp site. Radio telescopes use radio waves instead of light waves to make images of the sky. Temperatures, like most mountainous areas, vary greatly. During the summer, daytime highs in the 80s are normal, dropping to 50s in the evening. Summer rains (monsoons) occur in the area; however, use caution since lightning often accompanies the rain. The campground is open year round, with diminished amenities during the colder months. Snow •Respect the quiet setting of the campground. Quiet hours

The Magdalena Trail The picturesque Sawtooth Mountains rise to an elevation of 9,240 feet. Kelly Gatlin, La Luz Photography A Livestock Driveway The Magdalena railroad depot was built in 1915 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It now serves as the village library. The newly renovated Boxcar Museum is on the north side of the depot and open to the public. The stockyards, shown as they appear today, were the destination for untold thousands of cattle and sheep. Example of a trough installed by the CCC— this one is at BLM’s Datil Well Campground. Quemado’s Sacred Heart Church Leave No Trace: Plan ahead and prepare - Travel and camp on durable surfaces - Dispose of waste properly - Leave what you find - Minimize campfire impacts - Respect wildlife - Be considerate of other visitors. U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Magdalena Stockyards circa 1885 THE CCC: In July of 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp DG-42-N was established between Magdalena and Datil in anticipation of work projects to improve the Driveway. The camp was under the jurisdiction of the Division of Grazing, as indicated by the “DG” in the camp name. Courtesy Palace of the Governors (MNM/DCA) neg. #147671 In 1916 the Stock Raising Homestead Act was passed, allowing for much larger homestead claims of 640 acres —a square mile each. Stockmen were worried that these large homestead claims, especially if fenced, would block the trail. They petitioned the Secretary of the Interior for formal withdrawal of the lands for moving livestock to the railhead or between summer and winter range, which was provided for within the Act. This withdrawal designated the trail as a Stock Driveway, and most accounts refer to it as the Magdalena Stock Driveway after this designation in 1918. CCC construction of Stock Driveway fence In the 1930s, drought and overgrazing threatened to reduce western rangelands to a dustbowl. In response, the Taylor Wells were established by the CCC at 10-mile intervals along the Driveway. Ten miles was considered one day’s War raged between the U.S. Army and the Apache and Navajo in Territorial New Mexico, with varying intensity, for 40 years. Much blood was shed on both sides. After the Civil War, Black Regulars (also known as Buffalo Soldiers) came west to serve in the frontier army, and some were among those who fought the Apache here. After Victorio and most of the Warm Springs Apache band were massacred at Tres Castillos, Mexico in 1881, a remnant band led by Nana (who was lame in one foot and about 80 years old) went on a revenge raid over a vast portion of New Mexico, Nana, Warm Spring Apache covering about 3,000 miles in two months. They eluded their pursuers leader, ca. 1885 for the most part, and won the seven major engagements that did take place. Several of the battles occurred in this area. OCEAN TO OCEAN HIGHWAY: Well before Route 66, the Ocean to Ocean Highway spanned the U.S. from Santa Monica, California to Virginia Beach, Virginia. In New Mexico it stretched from Quemado to Clovis. It followed an old wagon road from Springerville, Arizona to Socorro, New Mexico—a road that may go as far back as Kit Carson in the mid-1800s. Modern Highway 60 follows the general route between Socorro and Springerville. Take your time, exploring as the side roads beckon. Remember whose footsteps you follow—Native American hunters and villagers, great Apache warriors, a retreating Confederate army, cowboys, sheepherders, outlaws, and Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry. Slow down, get comfortable and think of those who came before. Remember to honor private property rights and federal and state laws as you cross these lands, and please do not move or remove any natural or manmade object from its place in this very The New Buffalo Soldiers portray Comspecial landscape. pany D, 9th Cavalry in a re-enactment. In the early 1920s, World War I veteran Clyde Norman, a Texan who liked to bake, began making dried apple pies at his business on a rocky ridge on the Ocean to Ocean Highway, later to become U.S. 60. The word got out that the best pies anywhere were to be found in what came to be known as Pie Town. You can still satisfy your pie craving at one of several eateries in Pie Town. Featured in the movie Contact, The Very Large Array (VLA) is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. One of the world’s premier astronomical radio observatories, it consists of 27 dish radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustín. Each antenna is 82 feet in diameter. The data from the antennas are combined electronically to give the resolution of an antenna 22 miles across. There is a visitor center just south of Highway 60. Photo by Pam Kogler In addition to the VLA visitor center, a selfguided walking tour features informative signs and a trail leading to the base of one of the giant dish antennas. Eagle Guest Ranch dining room at the Datil Crossroads

Alien Run Mountain Bike Trails NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO The 7,242-acre wilderness is in a badland area of rolling, water-carved clay hills. The area, rich in fossils, has yielded numerous specimens important to science. Alien Run Mountain Bike Trails Ojito Wilderness Alien Run consists of three looped mountain bike trails that cover more than 26 miles. The original loop and the Outer Limits Trail encircle a rumored UFO crash site. The trail features swooping flow trail, rim riding, slickrock sections, and tight turns through the piñon-juniper woodland. The Alien Run Outer Limits extension features rocky climbs and plunging downhills. The trail is known for including one of the largest selections of slickrock in New Mexico. Deep, meandering arroyos offer miles of terrain in which to wander amid canyons, cliffs, and some colorful geological formations. Summer monsoon rains often provide just enough rain to make this area flourish with blooming desert plants. Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Angel Peak Scenic Area Within this 10,000-acre area rises the scenic Angel Peak, at nearly 7,000 feet. A short nature trail leads to an overlook of blue and gray shale badlands formed from floodplains of ancient rivers. Angel Peak has three picnic areas with ADA accessible toilets. The campground has nine sites available for tent camping. There are ADA accessible restrooms. No drinking water or electrical hookups are available. Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness A favorite with photographers for its hoodoo formations, the wilderness is a remote, desolate area of steeply eroded and colorful badlands. Time and natural elements have created strange rock formations here and some of the most extraordinary scenery in New Mexico. Dunes Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area More than 800 acres are available for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts in this sand dune area. Glade Run Recreation Area The Glade Run Recreation Area offers many miles of motorized and nonmotorized trails through piñon-juniper woodland with sandstone bluffs, sandy arroyos, and badlands. Jeeps, utility-type vehicles (UTVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes, mountain bikes, equestrians, and hikers will all find a place to play. Ten designated campsites are available at the Brown Springs Campground, which has shelters, picnic tables, campfire rings, two vault toilets, a group shelter with large grill, and a tot lot track for kids on dirt bikes or ATVs. Designated and dispersed camping in the recreation area requires a free permit from the BLM. The recreation area is known for its national class rock crawling, having hosted the Grand Nationals Rock Crawling Championships for many years. The oldest continuously held mountain bike race in the United States, the Road Apple Rally, also takes place here. Details are available in site descriptions or on the map side charts. Bring plenty of water for you and your pet. Many BLM sites do not offer facilities or drinking water. NM Statewide Recreation Brochure BLM/NM/GI-19/006+8000 Looking for a map, book, permit, or recommendation to explore your public lands? Visit the Public Lands Information Center at the BLM’s New Mexico State Office; 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Call (505) 954-2002 or (877) 276-9404 (toll free), or visit www.publiclands.org. Head Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area Follow us on: www.facebook.com/blmnewmexico www.facebook.com/blmlascruces www.youtube.com/blmnewmexico www.flickr.com/photos/blmnewmexico www.twitter.com/blmnewmexico Bureau of Land Management BLM New Mexico State Office 301 Dinosaur Trail Santa Fe, NM 87508 (505) 954-2000 www.blm.gov/new-mexico/recreation In the “Land of Enchantment,” the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees outdoor recreation and many other activities on more than 13 million acres of public land. New Mexico’s public lands are diverse, encompassing high deserts, rugged lava flows, badlands, deep canyons, wild and scenic rivers, wilderness, and other distinctive landscapes. The majority of BLM-managed public land is open for recreational use, and opportunities abound for hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, horseback riding, off-roading, and other activities. The BLM also manages National Conservation Lands (NCLs), public lands with exceptional qualities. These special areas are managed to conserve and protect nationally significant landscapes recognized for their outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values. They also contain some of New Mexico’s most spectacular landscapes. New Mexico’s NCL units include four national monuments; two national conservation areas; three national scenic and historic trails; two wild and scenic rivers; 18 wilderness areas; and 47 wilderness study areas (WSAs). Those WSAs with legal public access are listed at the end of each mapback section. WSAs are places that are characterized by “naturalness” and that Congress is considering designating and protecting as wilderness—places that offer outstanding opportuni