Amatista Ledges

Located at the northern tip of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Southern Robledo Mountains are home to the 100th active U.S. National Monument, the Prehistoric Trackways. Within the Monument's boundaries exists the Robledo Mountains OHV Trail System. Just four short miles northwest of Las Cruces, this network of trails, including extreme OHV and mountain bike trails, is easy to get to and close to all of the conveniences and services of a modern city. Amatista Ledges and its neighbors are the trails of the original Chile Challenge event. This trail is fun in either direction, and there are plenty of small trees where you might catch a little relief from the desert sun. Ocotillo, prickly pear, yucca, and other native species adorn the trail and sidehills. The OHV areas are separate from the Monument's sensitive fossilized trackway, and motorized vehicle travel is only permitted on designated trails and roads. Official trail signage is well done and frequently placed, so it's easy to spot. The Monument includes a major deposit of Paleozoic Era fossilized megatrackways containing footprints of numerous amphibians, reptiles, insects (including previously unknown species), plants, and petrified wood dating back 280 million years.