Hidalgo County
Grants Awarded
The construction of approximately seven miles of multi-use trail and the installation of interpretive signage at the Playas Research and Training Center represents the first phase of a larger effort to reestablish Playas as a regional community hub serving the rural communities of Hidalgo County. Once a center of activity for surrounding communities, the Town of Playas has been closed to public access since its acquisition by New Mexico Tech in 2004. This project marks a meaningful step toward restoring public access to a historically significant and culturally rich landscape. The Bootheel region is currently a trail desert, dominated by large ranches and checkerboard public/private ownership. As a result, local residents and visitors alike have few easily accessible options for outdoor recreation. The proposed trail system directly addresses this gap by providing publicly accessible trails designed for hiking, trail running, and bicycling in a region where access to trails has historically been constrained. While the initial seven-mile network will function as a stand-alone system, it is intentionally designed to serve as a regional connector—linking users to the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and the broader Playas Peak trail network. This connectivity expands outdoor recreation opportunities beyond a single site, supports regional visitation, and creates a new access point to the CDT. In addition, the project will serve as an additional service center for through-hikers, providing access to an existing campground with utilities. Interpretive signage will tell the layered story of this landscape, including the ecological context of the Chihuahuan Desert, the history of the Town of Playas, and the ancestral lands and cultural significance of the Ft. Sill Apache. Together, the trails and interpretive elements are intended to foster a strong sense of place, honor cultural history, and provide inclusive, equitable access to outdoor recreation for local residents, Tribal communities, and visitors. The project will also build on existing organized walking and running events that already benefit local families. Rather than a traditional registration fee, participants currently donate food and warm clothing, which are distributed through the local school system to families in need. The expanded trail system will allow these events to grow by offering more varied and enjoyable routes. New Mexico Tech will engage high school interns from Animas High School to design, fabricate, and construct trail signage. Through this hands-on project, students will gain real-world experience in design, fabrication, and construction while applying technical and creative skills in a meaningful community setting. The partnership supports workforce development and STEM education by giving students practical exposure to project-based learning, while also delivering high-quality, locally produced trail signs that enhance outdoor recreation and community infrastructure. The primary goal of this project is to create high-quality, publicly accessible trails that increase equitable access to outdoor recreation, build community, reconnect people to the land, and lay the foundation for long-term regional recreation, stewardship, and economic opportunity in one of New Mexico’s underserved regions.
Located in the deep southwest along the borders of Arizona and Mexico, Hidalgo County began as farming, ranching, and mining communities long before statehood in 1912. With a population of 4,894 and an area of 3,445.63 square miles., it averages 1.4 persons per square mile. Hidalgo County was formed from Grant County in 1919, with the county seat in Lordsburg. Hidalgo County borders Mexico along 86 miles of its boundary. Grant County sits north and east, Arizona runs along the west. The largest populated town is the county seat, Lordsburg, which is home to about 2880 people. There are widely scattered farms and ranches in the county, which averages residents to less than one per square mile. There are only two school districts in the county, one centered in Lordsburg and one in Animas. Both pull students from surrounding areas. In 1902, Phelps Dodge and Company built the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad to tie El Paso, Texas, to the copper mines of Bisbee, Arizona, and other Arizona mining towns. New Mexico’s Hwy 9 grew along the railroad, creating a “Border Route” between Columbus and Rodeo. In 1971, many years after operation of the railroad ceased, Phelps Dodge (PD) built a copper smelter about 10 miles south of the siding. Because the area provided little housing options, PD built a town for employees of the smelter. The town maintained about 1,500 residents and became a commerce center for ranchers and area citizens. Copper prices fell and in 1999, PD made the decision to close the smelter and the town. A skeleton crew remained housed in Playas to manage the ongoing environmental maintenance as, and after, the smelter was demolished and removed. Four years later, New Mexico Tech signed a $5 million purchase agreement with PD. The town became a training arena for first responders and counter-terrorism programs and soon expanded its capabilities for military, Border Patrol, law enforcement, and research entities. As training ranges became consistently utilized, new structures and venues were built and implemented, both within the premises and on surrounding land leased from local ranchers. Today, the Playas Research and Training Center accommodates national and international training and research. Its reputation has grown and is respected in many security arenas.