Hillsboro, New Mexico (NM) Vacation Homes Real Estate, Homes, Lots, Communities and Property

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Hillsboro is located in Sierra County, New Mexico, where the most scenic mountain and desert terrain in the Land of Enchantment is fittingly crowned by the sparkling jewel of Elephant Butte Lake. This is the largest lake of the state of New Mexico and the entire Southwestern Region. Here, where the majestic Rio Grande passes through to the Caballo Reservoir and Percha Dam, the main activity is fishing, primarily for White Bass and Walleye. Anglers also catch Black Bass, Crappie, Catfish, Northern Pike and Sunfish.

Elephant Butte Lake (36 miles long) also attracts small sailboats and windsurfers, especially in spring.  Canoeists often put into the Rio Grande just south of Elephant Butte Dam and paddle down to Caballo Lake, a distance of about 10 miles. The best swimming is on the West of the dam and in the upper flats near the North edge of the Elephant Butte State Park campgrounds.

Nearby, the agricultural village of Hatch is celebrated as the Chile Capital of the World, tempting residents and visitors alike to taste this “addictive” Southwestern food.

The town of Hillsboro sits on the banks of Percha Creek and is flanked by two mountain ridges of the East slope of the Black Range. This region of New Mexico was once home to Apaches and other Native Americans as well as Hispanic ranchers and farmers. In the 1880s Hillsboro became the center of a thriving mining district which included Kingston, Lake Valley and Chloride. Hillsboro, NM, offered an excellent transportation network, water and fresh produce for the growing mining community and a ready supply of labor, material and capital for miners and ranchers. The town became the county seat in 1884 when area mines produced millions of dollars in gold and silver. Since 1893, when silver prices plunged, the number of residents dropped from more than 10,000 to fewer than 2,000 and the county seat was moved to Truth and Consequences in 1938.

Today many historic structures still survive, and Hillsboro is home to several restaurants, shops and art galleries. Artists and visitors alike are inspired by the unique quality of light that appears to play with the shapes and colors of the surrounding landscape. There are beautiful drives through the Black Range and Mimbers Mountains leading to Silver City and Gila National Forest to the West, where Hot Mineral Springs soothe weary travelers. Active water sports can be enjoyed in the lake region to the East of Hillsboro. Easy access to Interstate 25 connects this charming Old West town to Las Cruces and El Paso in the South as well as to the attractions of the bustling cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe to the North.

Sierra County’s secret is out: it is a stunning outdoor wonderland! From striking mountain elevations, some of which are over 9000 feet, to shimmering lakes and the natural beauty of the Rio Grande, the landscape provides exciting contrasts between rugged ranges and softly meandering rivers. Flowering cacti burst with bright colors against rocky outcroppings, flocks of migrating birds speckle the horizon and red adobe buildings are caught in orange sunsets.

Hillsboro’s people, interesting shops, restaurants and art galleries, all wrapped up in the mining and cattle ranching history of the Old West provide an attractive package worth further exploration.