and the Jornada del Muerto
Armendaris Tour
CARTA Armendaris Tour
SCHS Armendaris Tour
Website courtesy of the Socorro County Historical Society, P.O. Box 921, Socorro, New Mexico 87801
Socorro County Historical Society offers occassional history auto tours throughout the year. Using your own car, a qualified
SCHS guide leads you to various historical sites and areas of interest in Socorro County.
Our
local tours generally don't venture too far away from Socorro to explore nearby interesting and
historic
sites. In many cases, you might have driven by or near these sites for years, or heard about them, but unaware where they
are or their historic significance. Driving along in your own car, your guide makes stops at the sites with historic presentations
on the area. This is an opportunity to learn some of Socorro County's fascinating history by seeing and learning with "boots
on the ground."
Most local tours are $25 per person, $20 for SCHS members, and take 2–3 hours to complete.
TOUR 1
Parida Hill-Tio Bartolo
TOUR 2 – Armendaris Ranch tour
TOUR 3
San Marcial and
Valverde battlefield
TOUR 4
Penjeacu Pueblo
Location: Bosquecito Road
and Pueblito area.
Tour includes visit to Eva
Hilton-Lewis ranch, Parida townsite, Bishop Tamaron
1760 campsite, Parida Hill & overlook, and a small 1300's Piro pueblo.
Location: Between Socorro and Luis Lopez.
A trip to Penjeacu pueblo. This is one of the few partially excavated Piro pueblos
in Socorro County.
The general outline of the pueblo, and some of block rooms, can be seen. The site overlooks the town site of Las Huertas
and the west bank El Camino Real.
Location: San Marcial and
Black Mesa area.
This tours answers the question, "Where was San Marcial?"
San Marcial was destroyed by the 1929 flood. The tour visits some of the remaining ruins and where the town once stood. There's things to see -- if you know where to look. The tour also includes a good view of the Civil War battlefield of Valverde and a brief description of the 1862 battle.
Tour also includes a look at a couple of visible segments of El Camino Real trail and the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway down Johnson Hill.
Click here for Information packet and tour map
Scroll down
Next Tour:
View from atop Parida Hill
Collapsed wall of the pueblo
Some ruins at San Marcial
Location: South on Fite Ranch road to Valverde, Black Mesa, Armendaris Ranch to Paraje and along the Jornada del Muerto
Duration:
This is an all-day trip, departing and returning Socorro, about 140 miles round trip, mostly on dirt roads.
The Armendaris Ranch
tour is our premier tour. By special permission of Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch, this all-day auto tour travels through the
ranch and the famed Jornada del Muerto to visit numerous historic sites normally closed to the public. Pending ranch permission,
this tour is generally offered twice a year for a Spring and Autumn excursions. Tour fee is $100 per person ($80 SCHS members) for
this day-long adventure into seldom traveled very remote and pristine country.
Some of the historic stops on this tour includes:
> Valverde townsite, ruins of Valverde church, WPA schoolhouse and cemetery
>
Trip atop Black Mesa for scenic vistas, overview of Valverde battlefield, and Indian ruins
> Historic Santa Fe Railroad stops at
Pope Siding and Lava Station (with ruins)
> Lava Camp, El Camino Real Lava Gate, and Paraje Fra Cristobal on the Jornada del Muerto
> Walk a few segments of El Camino Real trail and landmark Mesa del Contadero
> and more ...plus a chance to see wildlife, birds,
ornx, and buffalo (if lucky)
Next Tours:
The next tour of Valverde and the Armendaris Ranch will be
mid-October . Details to be announced on our
homepage.
Arriving at Lava Camp
Atop Black Mesa
Typical tour stop
Walking El Camino Real
Click here for the last Armendaris Ranch Tour brochure, information packet, and tour map (typical for all tours)
One of the most fascinating experiences in Socorro County is to watch the bat flight from the remote Jornada lava tubes on the Armendaris
Ranch. We are often asked about sponsoring a tour to the bat caves.
There are no tours authorized
to the bat caves at this
time.
The best bat flights are during May and June. Should a tour to the bat caves be authorized, it will be announced
on our
home page.
of a recent visit to the bat caves.
SCHS GUIDED HISTORY AUTO TOURS
Exploring Socorro's history with "boots on the ground"
Photo Gallery
Tours
We are planning a tour to San Marcial and Ft. Craig for
early June. Details will be on our
homepage
The next tour of Valverde
and the Armendaris Ranch
will be mid-October 2016
