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Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site

U.S. Forest Service
Looking north-west from Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site sits at 9,013 feet along the Sunspot Scenic Byway, facing 330 degrees toward the Tularosa Basin below. The terrain drops 621 feet within 600 meters of the overlook, giving an open view down into the basin. Alamogordo lies 10.7 miles west, Tularosa is 18.2 miles northwest, and Ruidoso is 30.0 miles north-northeast. According to USFS trail information, the vista is reached by a quick, short hike from NM6563. Daylight hours shift with the seasons: sunrise runs from about 05:56 at the June solstice to 07:08 at the March equinox, while sunset ranges from about 17:01 at the December solstice to 20:15 at the June solstice. The Haynes Canyon Vista is the previous stop along this route.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
9,013 ft
View
Northwest · 330°
Relief
621 ft drop
Photos · Real imagery only
The Sacramento Mountains are a mountain range in the south-central part of the U.S. state of New Mexico, lying just east of Alamogordo in Otero County (small portions of the range lie in Lincoln County and Chaves County). From north to south, the Sacramento Mountains extend for 85 miles (137 km), an
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
View of Colorado taken during ISS Expedition 16.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
View of Texas taken during ISS Expedition 16.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
View of New Mexico taken during ISS Expedition 18.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
Trail in Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico
uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs from New York City, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico
uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs from New York City, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:0819:1518:42
June solstice05:5620:1519:39
September equinox06:5219:0118:29
December solstice07:0317:0116:24

Local time (America/Denver). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Alamogordo10.7 mi west
  • Tularosa18.2 mi northwest
  • Ruidoso30.0 mi north-northeast
← Before it: Haynes Canyon Vista
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From the source · Verbatim

Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site · U.S. Forest Service

The Nelson Canyon Vista and trail offers a quick little hike from NM6563 to a beautiful vista (view) of the Tularosa Basin below.

Read it at U.S. Forest Service →
Common questions

How high is Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site?

Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site sits at about 9,013 feet (2,747 m).

What is the nearest town to Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site?

Alamogordo, 11 miles W of Nelson Canyon Vista Interpretive Site.

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