Reason: Cache AND Location
Terrain: Easy-Medium
Difficulty: Tricky

This is a very creative hide in La Llorona park.  This park (located off Picacho Avenue) is very neat in itself- it's essentially a trail along the Rio Grande.  To get to this cache, you have to walk, bike, roller blade, or other means approximately 1 mile from the parking lot.  The container is a bit tricky to find- it took me several trips out here.  I got a lot of use out of the trail, though.

COY KOI

Reason:  Location
Terrain: Easy (probably not handicapped accessible)
Difficulty: Medium

Located at the rest stop on the West Mesa of Las Cruces, this spot provides a great view of the city just as you enter it.  Unlike many other views of the city, this one is very easy to access.  It also shows off an interesting piece of artwork that overlooks Las Cruces.

Found 'em

Reason: Cache
Terrain: Easy (not handicap accessible)
Difficulty: Tricky

I've probably felt every square inch of this little rest area (a bench and shade).  It took me probably a dozen trips out here before I managed to find it.  If you're looking for a challenging cache, this is one you'll want to go to.

Gimme __E__E_

Reason:  Location
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Medium

I thought it'd be a good idea to include at least one cache on the campus of New Mexico State University, since it's a big part of Las Cruces (I'm a student there, so I might be biased in that statement).  This cache is located in front of Skeen Hall in a beautiful court yard, complete with pond.  As the name implies, it can inspire someone to write a haiku.

Haiku Cache

Reason:  Cache
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Tricky

You might go insane trying to find this one.  It is camouflaged very well in a palm tree.  You'd think it'd be easy, but it's not.  Plan several hours for this one.

HAIRY PALMS

Reason: Location
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Easy

Located north of Las Cruces off of Jornada Road, this cache puts you right in the middle of a lake... or right by one... if it was ever actually full.  This once was the site of a lake.  It's long gone, but you can still make out the edges of where the lake once stood.

Lost Isaack Lake

Reason: Location
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Easy

Take a few minutes to reflect on those brave men and women who have served in the armed forces here.  It's a wonderful memorial and is often very peaceful.

Memorial Park Cache

Reason: Cache
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Moderate

This cache is a bit north of Las Cruces, just outside of Doña Ana.  This cache kept me coming back many different times.  You'd think that it'd be easy to find a cache when there's (apparently) not much in the area.

No Dumping Allowed

Reason: Location
Terrain: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy

The hike to get to this cache is fairly easy, along an old road that runs by Modoc Mine.  It offers a closer up view of the Organ Mountains.  You'll also be able to get some good views of Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley here.


Organ Mountain Camera Cache

Reason: Location

I still haven't actually found this one, so I can't rate the difficulty or terrain.  I'm including this cache because of the historical significance of the location.  You'll be able to learn about Pat Garrett, the officer who shot Billy the Kid.  

Pat Garrett's Ghost

Reason: Location
Terrain: Medium
Difficulty: Easy

This cache is located on the Pine Tree Trail in Aguirre Springs (admission $3 to the park).  It's very beautiful.  If you want to escape into a different ecoregion than cacti and mesquite bushes, this is perfect.  It's along a well-established trail, so the terrain isn't too difficult.  It is a 4-mile hike round-trip, however.

Pine O' Mine

Reason: Cache and Location
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Tricky

You wouldn't think a bus stop would be worth visiting, but this one is different.  It's a very beautiful area, complete with murals that show the history of the area.  You'll have plenty of time to take in the artwork as the cache is a bit tricky to find (at least it was for me).

Route 1

Reason: Cache
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Easy

This was the first puzzle cache I did.  In that way it's an automatic favorite.  Even if it wasn't, I think it's shows off an interesting piece of artwork in the city that, even though the palm trees are very apparent, you might not take a second look at.  I also think this was a very unique container.  It always makes me wonder when I walk by one of them.

Silver Palms

Reason: Location
Terrain: Medium
Difficulty: Easy

This area is surprisingly riparian.  I certainly wasn't expecting anything like that when I visited this.  It certainly made my premium membership worth it to find this one.  The area is especially great for birding.  If you have dogs, they'll probably love it, too- but you might want to bring a towel.

The Bosque

Reason: Location
Terrain: Difficult
Difficulty: Medium

Description:
Tortugas "A" Mountain is one of the sights of Las Cruces - this hill (compared with the Organs to the east) can be seen from a good amount of the caches in the area.  You can see the giant "A" from almost anywhere on the ground- so why not do the reverse and see the whole area from the top of the A?

"A" Mountain is especially well seen from the New Mexico State University campus, where the mascot is the Aggie.  Every year, students will go on top and whitewash the rocks in order to keep the "A" a visible part of the community.

Top of the "A"

Top of the List

Trees in the Desert

Reason:  Location
Terrain: Easy
Difficulty: Medium

Las Cruces translates as "The City of the Crosses."  This location is an important piece of artwork in the landscape of the area, as it shows the three crosses which has become the icon of the city.

Tres Cruces Revisited

West Mesa Stash

Visiting Las Cruces?  New to the area?  New to geocaching?  I've tried to provide a diverse list of some of my favorite caches in the area that I'd recommend for anyone, which hopefully accommodates the variety of needs for everyone.  Some of these caches are very creative hides.  Others will show a beautiful view or are important for cultural reasons.  Hope you enjoy your visit to the City of the Crosses.

For this list, I rate all the caches based on my experience.   The level of difficulty and terrain are relative to other caches on this list.  For example, the most physically challenging to get to is probably "Top of the "A"" due to its mountain location.

Recommended Las Cruces Caches.list-details-1wr9x6v{text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;}@media screen and (min-width: 600px){.list-details-1wr9x6v{font-size:1.25rem;}}.list-details-1wr9x6v.shareable{color:#87705a;}.list-details-1wr9x6v.public{color:#00b265;}Public

Recommended Las Cruces CachesPublic