Socorro, TX Road Trips

The name Socorro is Spanish for "succor" or "aid," which is what 18th- and 19th-century looked for as they travelled south through the desert between Mexico and Santa Fe. During the late 19th century Socorro was the largest town in what is now New Mexico, as the result of an intense but short-lived mining boom. The bubble burst by the early 1900s, and today Socorro is a smallish town of about 9000 people, dominated by the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (a legacy of its mining days and now a well-regarded technical college) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Socorro is in a geologically interesting area, as its mining past might suggest. Scruffy mountains (one decorated with a large "M" denoting the college, formerly the New Mexico School of Mines) rise to the west, while the Rio Grande east of town flows through a major continental rift and has created a number of wetlands -- bosques -- that attract wildlife in this dry region. More ominously, a body of volcanic magma is intruding into near-surface crust not far north of town, creating an uplift that scientists at New Mexico Tech delight in studying. Even though the region has been the site of considerable volcanism in geologically recent times, not to worry; this uplift is not viewed as posing imminent volcanic hazard -- yet.

Most of the interest in the Socorro region is outside town and is covered in the "Get out" section, but a couple of in-town points of interest: 1 The Socorro town plaza. With a cute park, a fragment from Jumbo, the vessel built to contain the first ever atomic bomb which was detonated at the Trinity test site in 1945, and a few gift shops. 2 New Mexico Tech, 801 Leroy Place, ☏ +1 575 835-5434. Is on the west side of town and has a mineralogical museum, some art, and a pleasant, if decidedly low-key, campus. Many of the cultural activities in town center on Tech. (Don't visit expecting intercollegiate sports; apart from rugby and soccer, there basically aren't any, although the college does have a decent golf course.) 3 Old San Miguel Mission, 403 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 575 835-2891. Founded in 1598, San Miguel is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the country. (updated Mar 2020)

Festival of the Cranes. Held annually in mid-November to celebrate the return of the vast flocks of sandhill cranes to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (see under "Get out"). There are exhibits and activities in town, as well as guided tours to the refuge and other sites, some of which are not routinely open to visitors.

1 Desert Diamond Restaurant, 602 S Hwy. 85 (continuation of California Ave), ☏ +1 575-835-1975. 11AM-9PM 7 days. Mexican food with a "New Mexican" flavor; more of a diner-type place than fine dining, but you can't eat ambience. Their taco burgers are a drippy, juicy delight unlike any other. 2 The El Camino, 707 California Ave, ☏ +1 575 835-1180. "The Road," "Elcam," or simply "Camino" as it is sometimes called by locals, serves New Mexican and American food. All night greasy-spoon diner for the college students. Green-chile cheese fries are not to be missed and make a meal all their own, as long as you're not expecting haute cuisine. 3 Owl Bar & Cafe, 77 US Hwy 380, San Antonio, ☏ +1 575 835-9946. About 10 miles (16 km) south of Socorro in the dinky town of San Antonio (on the way to the Bosque del Apache) is this locally famous burger joint, particularly noted for its green chili cheeseburgers. (updated Nov 2015)

1 Capitol Bar & Brewery (The Cap), 110 Plaza St, ☏ +1 575 835-1193. On the plaza is as good as it gets out here. "The Cap" is rumored to have been a favorite drinking stop for scientists of the Manhattan Project travelling between Los Alamos and the Trinity test site.

California Avenue, the main drag north-south through town paralleling I-25, has the usual assortment of chain motels and motor lodges (EconoLodge, Super 8, Days Inn, etc.), mostly serviceable, none exceptional. The 1 Best Western Socorro Hotel & Suites, 1100 California Ave NE, +1 575 838-0556, has more amenities than most and is comfortable. Lodging in Socorro tends to be tight around the Festival of the Cranes, the second or third weekend of May when New Mexico Tech has its graduation, and also in early October when the overflow from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta reaches town, but otherwise is usually not hard to get.

The nearest airport with commercial air service is in Albuquerque, about 70 mi (110 km) north. The nearest train (Amtrak) station is also in Albuquerque. Buses run between Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas with a stop in Socorro. If you're driving to Socorro, access from Albuquerque and El Paso is via Interstate highway 25, with uniformly good road and full services every 50 mi (80 km) or so. If approaching from the east (US 380) or west (US 60), however, gas stations are few and far between, so plan accordingly.

There's not much town to get around in, but the motels along California Avenue do sprawl somewhat and the stores there are some distance from Tech. A bicycle is handy for Tech students, although other visitors are unlikely to need transportation other than what got them to town. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (see below) is 15 mi (24 km) away along a road that is pleasant for cycling (although somewhat narrow -- be on the alert for recklessly driven vehicles); most other outlying attractions are far enough away to be best reached by car.