Cerrillos Hills State Park

Visit New Mexico's newest state park and experience the scenic and natural land that encompasses Cerrillos Hills State Park. Trace the footprints of history as you hike the sacred grounds of the earliest Native American settlements and view the location of North America's oldest known turquoise mines.

The historical identity of Cerrillos Hills State Park

A historical landmark, this land remains much like it was thousands of years ago. Untouched by the perils of modern day urbanization, you can walk the trails and view the ridges of the low-lying mountain ranges of the Cerrillos Hills. Home of America's oldest inhabitants, you can see fossil worm tracks in shale that is over 70 million years old, along with turquoise pits and lead mines that Native Americas used for jewelry and in Rio Grande glazed-ware pottery. Still under construction, many trails are underdeveloped and open only to experienced hikers and horsemen. As new trails are marked and hazards removed, these trails are expected to open to the general public.

The Noon Analemma Sundial

While visiting Cerrillos Hills State Park, check out the Noon Analemma Sundial. This exhibit showcases the accurate nature of this early North American sundial and its complex process of the equation of time.

Natural geology and ecology of the park

The park is home to a variety of unique plants, like the pincushion cacti, annual sunflowers and scores of animals, such as the collard lizard and the black-tailed jackrabbit. Observe the flora and fauna of the area in its natural habitat. The Galisteo Creek hugs the southern edge of the Cerrillos Hills and flows east to west, while the San Marcos Arroyo cuts across the southeastern part of these hills to join the Galisteo Creek at the small village of Cerrillos. There is a very successful restoration project currently underway that aims to return these areas and their numerous natural springs back to their original form by eliminating trespassing cattle and associated grazing problems.

Cerrillos Hills Historical State Park offers you a setting where you can experience a New Mexico geological landmark in its natural form. Plan your next vacation to this historical land and take a step back in time to the ecological environment of early Native American ancestors.