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This slot canyon near Las Cruces takes you off the beaten path
Slot Canyon is north of Las Cruces near Radium Springs. The trail is a roughly two-and-a-half-mile round-trip on dirt and gravel that cuts through a narrow canyon.
There's no official parking lot and you have to hop a green fence to get to the trailhead, but there's a much-visited slot canyon worth your time if you're in southern New Mexico.
This easy- to moderate-hike just north of Las Cruces is carved into the foothills of the Robledo Mountains. The hike begins in the sandy shrubs off North Valley Drive. The path meanders in and out of arroyos washed out by centuries of rainfall.
At times, it can be a hard to determine the path, but as long as you continue walking toward the Robledos, you'll come to the mouth of the canyon.
The canyon walls start small, but as you walk deeper into it, the walls grow taller until they are well over your head and sunlight barely reaches the path below.
Some parts of the trail are so narrow, it can be difficult to maneuver.
Once through the canyon, there are large slate rocks make for good resting places to take a water break.
For adventurous hikers, the trail continues further and deposits you on a plateau overlooking the North Valley and the Rio Grande.
The hiking path is on land owned and managed by the New Mexico State Land Office, according to an article from the Las Cruces Sun-News.
Slot Canyon
