Cerrillos The area turquoise and lead deposits were critical to the jewelry and pottery making of the prehistoric Indians and these mines influenced Spanish settlement. The Cerrillos mining district is one of the oldest and most marked of the Old Spanish Mineral Developments in the Southwest. In fact, turquoise mined here found its way to the crown jewels of Spain. Cerrillos was full of hearty miners who extracted gold, silver, lead, zinc and turquoise from area mines at its peak in the 1880’s. The miners supported the town’s 21 saloons and four hotels. While it was once seriously considered as the capitol of New Mexico, today Cerrillos, with its dirt streets, is a picturesque reminder of the Old West. There are shops, a Turquoise mining museum, a petting zoo, hiking and biking trails. The town has been the setting for several motion pictures. Saint Joseph’s church and shrine is the only location for mass between San Antonito and Santa Fe. (505) 471-1562.

Cerrillos Hills Historic Park/Cerrillos

cerrilloshills.org Cerrillos Hills Historic Park includes 1100 acres of tree covered hills with several miles of trails suitable for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. For well over a thousand years the hills have been a focus for Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and Territorial mining, and within the Park a dozen of the pre-1900 mines are developed as educational and historical attractions.

Ortiz Mountains Educational Preserve

Village of Cerrillos

Broken Saddle Riding Company Ride the Canyons of the Cerrillos Hills, Silver & Turquoise Mines, Missouri Fox Trotters, Tennessee Walkers. Walk, Trot, Canter or Gallop. Small groups/Private rides. (505) 424-7774.

Casa Grande Trading Post, Petting Zoo & Mining Museum 28 room Adobe Hacienda. We sell Cerrillos Turquoise - gifts, rocks, bottles. Scenic overlook. Featured on PBS' Antiques Roadshow. A must stop. 505-438-3008.
E-Mail: brownp52@yahoo.com

Scherer's Architectural Antiques Hardware, doors, windows, furniture, lighting, yard art, terra cotta, and artwork by Lori Musil, massage and yoga by Suzi Weaver. (505) 474-5841.

What-Not Shop Chock-full of old and new items of every description and utility. Celebrating over 50 years in business. Open Tuesday thru Saturday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. (505) 471-2744.

North of Cerrillos: San Marcos/Lone Butte Area

Located on a high llano (plateau), this area was once a major center for farming and pottery making in the upper Rio Grande valley, but was abandoned after the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. It is now mostly residential. There are restaurants, a gas station and other services here and a side trip on Highway 45 will lead you to explore New Mexico’s first movie ranch (over 100 movies made here!) As you drive on, look at the open range in the direction of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, you may see antelope.

Garden of the Gods: The razor-back rock formation stretching from Cerrillos to Galisteo is visible from outer space.

Garden of the Gods Sculpture Center Coming Soon! An Artist-In-Residence program and Sculpture Garden. For more information visit our website/blog.

Top of the Trail

See the Lodging, Restaurants, and Services section for Top of the Trail businesses.

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