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Lookout · Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway

Ruins Vista Picnic Area

U.S. Forest Service
Looking west from Ruins Vista Picnic Area. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Ruins Vista Picnic Area sits at 6,161 feet on the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway, with the terrain dropping 173 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view faces west (270 degrees), directly toward the sunset, with Granny Mountain visible to the west-northwest at a distance of 10.1 miles and an elevation of 7,717 feet. Because the overlook faces squarely into the sunset direction, sunset itself lands close to due west here; times run from 20:25 at the June solstice to 17:11 at the December solstice, with equinox sunsets near 19:11–19:25. According to USFS source material, the picnic area is located on top of a hill overlooking Lake Roberts, about 25 miles from Mimbres, NM. Santa Clara is 17.6 miles to the south, Bayard is 18.9 miles south, and Silver City is 19.3 miles south-southwest. Along the byway, this stop falls between Austin Roberts Vista and the Senator Clinton P. Anderson Wilderness Overlook.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
6,161 ft
View
West · 270°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
173 ft drop
In view
1 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
A painted redstart seen in the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico
Polinova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Stiff blue-eyed grass ( Sisyrinchium demissum ) in the United States
Alex Abair · CC BY 4.0 · source
Stiff blue-eyed grass ( Sisyrinchium demissum ) in the United States
Alex Abair · CC BY 4.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Granny Mountain7,717 ftwest-northwest · 10.1 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:1719:2518:52
June solstice06:0520:2519:49
September equinox07:0219:1118:38
December solstice07:1317:1116:33

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

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Santa Clara17.6 mi south
  • Bayard18.9 mi south
  • Silver City19.3 mi south-southwest
← Before it: Austin Roberts VistaAfter it: Senator Clinton P. Anderson Wilderness Overlook →
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From the source · Verbatim

Ruins Vista Picnic Area · U.S. Forest Service

Located on the top of a hill overlooking Lake Roberts, approximately 25 miles from Mimbres, NM.

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

How high is Ruins Vista Picnic Area?

Ruins Vista Picnic Area sits at about 6,161 feet (1,878 m).

What can you see from Ruins Vista Picnic Area?

From Ruins Vista Picnic Area: Granny Mountain (WNW, 10 mi).

Is Ruins Vista Picnic Area better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Ruins Vista Picnic Area toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Ruins Vista Picnic Area?

Santa Clara, 18 miles S of Ruins Vista Picnic Area.

What is the next lookout after Ruins Vista Picnic Area?

Senator Clinton P. Anderson Wilderness Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Ruins Vista Picnic Area.

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Ruins Vista Picnic Area — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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Field notes

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