Cosima and I love the Jemez Mountains snow that comes with winter.  However, we start to wish for warm weather and wildflowers by early April each year.  This year as part of our third wedding anniversary, we left the last remnants of winter and headed for southern New Mexico to find warm water, warm air, and spring wildflowers.  In the process we visited New Mexico's beautiful "Spring Canyon State Park" on April 16, 2005.

One View of Spring Canyon State Park.

In addition to wildflowers, we found  nice hot springs at Truth or Consequences (Riverbend Hot Springs) and another just north of Deming (Faywood Hot Springs), as well as warm weather.  Spring Canyon was ablaze in natural beauty during our trip in April.

This dramatic canyon (elevation 4,500 feet) is surrounded by the rugged peaks of the Florida Mountains.  Once in the canyon, we realized a serene beauty and complete sense of isolation.

Activities:  Hiking, bird watching, and wildflower viewing are excellent, but camping is not permitted.  Very nice picnicking facilities are available.   The gate to the park closed at 4:00 pm when we were there.  Ibex, wild goats originally shipped from Iran, may be encountered but we saw only scat.

Habitat:  Pinon, juniper, oak and Chihuahuan desert scrub are prolific.  We were fortunate to see many large flowering Agaves on this trip (see our Spring Canyon photo gallery at the bottom of the page).

Birding:  Spring Canyon State Park is a unit of Rock Hound State Park and is the more interesting area for birders, although the list of birds seen at Rock Hound is also impressive.  Fall, winter, and spring are the best times for viewing.

Resident or wintering species include: Gambel’s Quail; Hutton’s Vireo; Western Scrub Jay; Bewick’s, Rock, Cactus, and Canyon Wrens; Western Bluebird; Ruby-crowned Kinglet; Townsend’s Solitaire; Phainopepla, Greentailed and Canyon Towhees; Brewer’s, Rufouscrowned, and Black-chinned Sparrows; and Lesser Goldfinch.

Summer breeding birds include Lesser Nighthawk and Common Poor-will.

Getting There:  From Deming, take NM 11 south 5 miles and head east on NM 141 passing the entrance road to Rock Hound State Park.  Follow the signs to Spring Canyon.