LAS CRUCES, N.M. - For public safety, the Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close the Soledad Canyon Day-Use Area (Day-Use Area) access road and parking lot to all traffic, starting July 8. Currently, the BLM portion of Soledad Canyon Road and the parking lot (on the eastern end) are being prepared for paving and will be occupied with heavy construction equipment and traffic. BLM anticipates opening the Day-Use Area access road and parking lot to the public by July 13, if everything goes as planned.
The Day-Use Area access road and parking lot are part of the larger Soledad Canyon Road reconstruction and repaving being done by Doña Ana County’s contractor, Renegade Construction. The entire road project is being completed under the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP). Under the FLAP, the Federal Highway Administration grants matching funds to eligible county, state and federal government to improve access to public lands. The BLM portion of Dripping Springs Road (2.3 miles), going to the Dripping Springs Visitor Center, is an example of a road completed under the FLAP in 2017.
While the Day-Use Area road and parking lot will be temporarily closed to vehicles/bikers/hikers/horseback riders, there are other areas within and nearby the Dripping Springs Natural Area where people can enjoy recreational activities, and avoid the construction/congestion on Soledad Canyon Road. These areas are off Dripping Springs Road and include trails like Sierra Vista, Monte Vista (A-Mountain), La Cueva, Dripping Springs, Crawford and Fillmore.
For more information or questions, the public can contact the BLM Las Cruces District at 575-525-4300; or visit the office at 1800 Marquess Street in Las Cruces.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
