lake valley historic townsite

Fun place to lose track of time! You can almost feel the people of the town beside you… peeking out the windows …

Maybe not as expansive as other sites, but relatively well preserved and rich in variety. The former school holds a number of objects from the glory period of Lake Valley, and the resident guardian is a delightful person to talk to. He was very knowledgeable and informative, and took time to discuss with us about history and evolution of the place. Please consider leaving an offer, we did.We had trouble locating Lake Valley, and ended up asking people around for the proper location (map here is completely misleading). GPS coordinates are: N32 43.047 W107 33.945

There aren't all that many buildings left standing here but it's a great location up in the mountains. The resident 'guardian' was welcoming, friendly and informative - we were the only visitors there at the time. It's a pity that parts of the 'town' are off limits as they are on private land, but given that it was over 100 degrees and the height of rattlesnake season we weren't going to be wandering about all that much! The school house has been restored but a true sense of history and Americana inside. Worth a detour if you're in the area.

If you're into ghost towns or mining history you won't want to miss this one. This old mining town is well preserved. It also features a great little museum full of local history. This attraction is just a little off the beaten path. Be sure to ask the docent how to get to the cemetery, it's worth the visit. On your drive in or out of the town, keep your eyes peeled for pronghorn, we spotted several. This is a true ghost town. There are no living residents other than the ranger who will supply you with an interpretive brochure. I'd recommend it to anyone. Take the kids and take your camera!

Lake Valley is a wonderful, off-the-beaten path place to spend an hour or two. It's quiet and you can walk around and imagine what it was like to live there. The schoolhouse museum is great and the volunteers enjoy sharing the towns history with you.We were there a long time ago - 2009 (but I wasn't able to pick that date on the review) I'm sure it hasn't changed much since then. After all, the town's been there a long time. :)

We went there several years ago and enjoyed the exhibit at the museum in the old schoolhouse. You can walk around the streets and see what is left of the town. It's interesting especially if you know the history of the area.

I went here last weekend and was pleasantly surprised! It's a great little attraction. It's about an hour north of Las Cruces so it's a bit of a drive but it's very pretty and well worth it. I was a little surprised by how few ruins there were when I initially drove up but upon a little exploring you realize there's more than meets the eye. We drove right up to the school house and were greeted by a wonderful employee who knew a lot about the site and took the time to tell us stories and answered all of our questions. I was actually surprised by how much information the school house had. It's a great little museum. Some of us went out on our own and explored the ruins after the museum. It was a beautiful day and a great walk. The trails are clearly marked and there were little tons of little surprises along the way. Be on the look out for an endless pile of tin cans that trails off into the dessert and a similar pile of glass bottles behind one of the houses. We really enjoyed seeing the mine (from a distance) and exploring the houses. I definitely recommend this site for history lovers or those that are enamored by the (recent) wild west!

We went with friends and enjoyed exploring the old town and the museum. The displays were informative and the history is fascinating!

I'm not sure why this is listed as Las Cruces when it is more than 40 miles outside the city. However, it is an interesting hour or so (at the most) visit. I was a bit surprised that this property is managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.And, FYI, it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

We happened to be passing by and noticed the old town site. We were glad we stopped. We started our visit in the old school house which was opened up for us by the knowledgable park volunteer. ( Just ring the bell and he comes right away.) We thought we would only spend ten minutes or so but we ended up staying well over an hour and could have spent much more time if we hadn't needed to be on our way. We walked around the old town site and could see the mines and remnants of the railroad. Plenty of informative signs to read. The buildings are losing some ground to the elements a little each year so be sure to visit these places before they are gone for good. A word of caution, stay on the trails. The place is noted for an abundance of rattlesnakes but we were told the trails are pretty safe. There is no fee but we left a donation in the place provided by the school door.

What's left of the town of Lake Valley is being preserved. There are a few old buildings, an old gas station complete with the "Conoco" sign still there, and the schoolhouse, which has been restored and is the "headquarters" for a visit. A visit might take 1/2 to 1 hour total, and it's worth it if you're passing by. The town's cemetery is on the other side of the highway and is worth a stop, too, as old, abandoned small-town cemeteries have much history to offer as well.

It was very nice. Unfortunately, it seemed to be just a bunch of dilapidated buildings. I've been to ghost towns and historic sites and this was hot and pretty boring. As far as ghost busting, usually, I can feel a presence or two-- I got nothing. The last permanent resident left in 1994 so there are places that technically aren't even antiques.... The museum is small but well maintained. The cemetery was nice, but it's not any better or worse than any other western cemetery. I was more interested in the windmills on the way.

A nice easy drive out there. Take HWY 26 through Hatch, then turn off on HWY 27, north 12 miles. You can't miss it. Watch out for free range cattle on HWY 27. It is clean and well manicured. There is a box for a map of all the bldgs and a nice trail. I took my dogs, they must be on a leash. Interesting history. Worth the drive!

You can actually feel a presence or many presence............we had fun and learned at the same time!

Once a booming mining town, Lake Valley is now a ghost town. This is the second ghost town that I visited on this trip and this one is certainly worth the visit. The town began in 1882 and the last permanent resident left in 1994.There are brochures so you can do a walking tour of the town. Not everything remains, but Lake Valley has much more than most true ghost towns have left to see. The things to see include some old homes that are still standing, the water towers, the coal sorter, and the schoolhouse which is now the museum. You can visit the cemetery and see the mines up in the hills (private land). You can also see the old railroad bed. Most of it is owned by the state and run by the Bureau of Land Management. They are very helpful and friendly and will be glad to give you some history. There are also portions that are privately owned and fenced off. Lake Valley is not open everyday so if you plan to visit check the website. The website also has directions. The drive is along the Lake Valley Back Country Byway (NM 27) and it is just beautiful.