City of Gallup
Grants Awarded
The City of Gallup and its partners aim to create an updated Adventure Guide and trails map to enhance community awareness of local outdoor recreation assets. By making this information accessible both in print and online through VisitGallup.com, the program intends to promote Gallup as the Adventure Capital of New Mexico, fostering increased tourism and community engagement in outdoor activities.
The Neighbor Trails Project (NTP) focuses on enhancing outdoor recreation connectivity in the Gallup community by developing four miles of new trails, improving existing ones, and creating comprehensive maps of the trail systems. By involving local youth in mapping efforts and installing clear signage, the project seeks to foster greater community engagement in outdoor activities and promote healthier lifestyles among residents. Ultimately, NTP aims to strengthen neighborhood ties and increase access to recreational spaces, benefiting both individuals and the wider community.
The City of Gallup is a municipality located in McKinley County in the Northwestern region of New Mexico. The Gallup Tourism Office, also known as Visit Gallup, works as a division of the City of Gallup. Gallup is a border community of about 22,000 residents, however, at the beginning of the month and weekends, the city dramatically increases in size with visitors coming into shop, play, and take care of business. The city is surrounded by a rich presence of Indigenous communities, including the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo. The residents of these communities often come into Gallup to socialize, shop, eat, and take care of business matters. The city has been known to increase its size to approximately 100,000 people when these influxes occur. Gallup is also known as the “Adventure Capital of New Mexico,” which was proclaimed in a House Memorial. The Memorial details Gallup’s outdoor recreation assets and outdoor events that justify the Adventure Capital moniker. From the Memorial: “…the city of Gallup and McKinley county have worked for more than ten years to develop and market Gallup as a world-class adventure tourism destination that offers an enhanced quality of life, to develop a positive image and to work collaboratively with strong cultural tourism marketing.” The City works closely with the County of McKinley, Adventure Gallup and Beyond, and other groups and individuals to maintain our existing assets and develop more assets for outdoor recreation. Past projects include the Gallup OHV Park, Youth Conservation Corps trail work, the public-private Northside Project (in planning phase), Gallup Archery Range, and a wide variety of trails for users of various skill levels across the county. The City and County also work closely to operate Red Rock Park, which features world class trails, event facilities, and is host to a number of outdoor and cultural events throughout the year. The City owns the facility and has an operating agreement with the County to operate it. This is a very close partnership the entities plan to continue leveraging to advance outdoor recreation development and promotion efforts.