Interpretive Zone 1, Part Two: Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway, New Mexico

INTERPRETIVE ZONE 1 (NORTH) is an exercise in contrasts: the emptiness of the desert hills giving way to an urban setting... the stark dry mountains towering over the blue lake... The primary roads in this Zone are state-maintained highways with two 12-foot-wide paved driving lanes and intermittent shoulders. These roads are in good repair, and safety conditions are good for the posted speed limits. The area around Elephant Butte Lake between Interstate Highway 25 and Truth or Consequences is the only part of the Byway where significant congestion can be expected for no reason other than that it's a summertime weekend or holiday. This Zone re-enters "civilization." The rapidly-growing city of Elephant Butte, New Mexico's newest city, is on the shore of Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico's biggest lake. Side trips to Elephant Butte Lake State Park and the nonexistent town of Engle are available. Almost immediately after re-entering Zone 1 you'll begin to catch glimpses of Elephant Butte Lake - New Mexico's biggest - at the foot of the Fra Cristobal Range. Driving toward it, the city of Elephant Butte suddenly engulfs you with modern conveniences: welcome back to the twenty-first century. Spending some time rejuvenating at the waters of Elephant Butte Lake State Park may interest the weary traveler; or you may wish to press onward across the dam to the last side trip of the Byway: Engle, situated along the Jornada Del Muerto (Journey of the Dead). A ghost town more ghostly than this doesn't exist. With new appreciation and a deeper understanding of this vibrant scenic and historic area, a return trip to the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences is recommended. It will be an even richer visit for your experience.
	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.
Next stop on the E-Tour: the city of Elephant Butte...
	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.