It was a quiet weekday in Mesilla (a suburb and historic downtown of Las Cruces) when we arrived but most things were open. The town square has some fun history, cute shops and great place for lunch. We stopped at El Patio Cantina. The food was decent but the reason to go is the décor inside along with the exotic birds near the entrance.
Mesilla
Headed northeast out of town, was just an hour’s drive up and around the Organ Mountains Wilderness to what seemed a very remote location, Aquirre Springs Recreation Area and Campground. I was surprised to see how many campers and RVers there were in the area, but there were plenty of spaces and lots of privacy. This is a primitive campground (no water or electrical connections), but very reasonably priced and in a beautiful spot nestled into the eastern flank of the Organ Mountains.
There are several trails that leave directly from the campground, but we made our way counterclockwise around the 4 mile, Pine Tree Loop Trail and enjoyed majestic mountain views all day. It was winter, so we didn’t see a lot of animals, but the pines in the area provided a splash of color and contrast to the otherwise desert landscape.
Campground
