Hillsboro: Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, New Mexico

HILLSBORO was founded in 1877 when gold was discovered nearby at the Opportunity and Ready Pay mines - the beginning of a tempestuous and colorful life. Six million dollars worth of gold and silver came from the area's mines, and the village quickly grew despite fierce Indian attacks. Hillsboro became the seat of Sierra County in 1884, a distinction that was subsequently given to Hot Springs in 1938 (twelve years before that city changed its name to Truth or Consequences). There were stores, a public school, churches, hotels, restaurants, saloons, a bank, newspaper, an assay office, three stamp mills, and many other businesses. Today Hillsboro is a well-known community of writers, artists, ranchers and miners. This picturesque tree-lined village features the must-see Black Range Museum stuffed with artifacts dating from 1875-1900... the 120-year-old General Store (now operating as a restaurant)... two churches, a post office, lodging accommodations, shops, art galleries, a small grocery store... and remnants of a former glory. Many old adobe houses are still occupied along the unpaved town roads, and ruins of the jail and courthouse (where the famous 1899 murder case of Judge Albert J. Fountain and his nine-year-old son was tried) survive. The cemetery is worth a respectful visit as well, for those with a taste for that sort of thing. Every Labor Day weekend Hillsboro hosts the Apple Festival, a venerable New Mexico tradition, and the sidewalks overflow with merchants, vendors, and seemingly more visitors than can fit. The Second Saturday In May In Hillsboro is a smaller, more locally-oriented rummage sale. About 225 people live in Hillsboro today.
	Please note that there is no gasoline available on the Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway west of Truth or Consequences / Williamsburg and Elephant Butte. This is the majority of the Trail, which runs through some very remote countryside. Fill your tank before you leave! Gasoline is available on Side Trip 5; or, if you choose to follow the Alternate Loop, gas is available at Silver City. Please also note that bridges between Caballo and Hillsboro bear twelve-foot, six-inch height restrictions; and the Forest Service advises not only that trailers over twenty feet are unsafe on Forest Development Road 150, but that low-clearance / non-four-wheel-drive vehicles travel that section of the Trail at their own risk.
What's on the web about Hillsboro?
(This will take you to our Links page.)
Next stop on the E-Tour: a side trip to the ghost town of Lake Valley...
	Enjoy the nature, history, and culture of southwest New Mexico - but don't disturb the natural, historical, and cultural sites. Do not remove, destroy, or deface anything on any site; strict laws protect artifacts on State, Federal, Indian, and private lands. Buying, selling, trading, or transporting these stolen items is also illegal. Please report looting and vandalism to federal land management authorities or the local sheriff. Hide all traces of your travels as the Apache hid their passing so these wildlands may remain unspoiled, the historical sites may remain true to their history, and the developed sites may remain clean and pleasant. Thank you.