This is the hottest of New Mexico's regions. When driving cross-country or hiking, make sure you have an ample water supply, and monitor yourself for heat problems. Other weather- and climate-related hazards are less likely to be a concern, but the region can get occasional tornadoes, some of them severe, at practically any time of year. If it's stormy, check radio or TV for tornado watches and warnings. The violent thunderstorms that harbor the twisters can also produce incredibly intense, if shortlived, rain and hail, which can cause dangerous flash floods in arroyos even a number of miles downstream of the storms. You probably won't have to face danger from these floods (it's a desert, after all, and the storms are rare), but use caution if there are thunderclouds about. You probably won't see a tornado either, but check the Tornado safety page if you're concerned, or just curious, about the possibility.
Desert flora and fauna are inimical to mankind; a high proportion of plants and animals here are spiny, thorny, or poisonous. There are any number of varieties of cactus here that will cheerfully leave spines in you when contacted, and if you've ever had a lechuguilla (relative of ornamental yucca) spine in your leg, you'll go well out of your way to avoid another one. Hiking boots are a good idea when you're on the trails, as are long pants to deflect the spines, even if they're uncomfortably hot. Rattlesnakes are common in the region but are rarely encountered and pose little threat to the hiker, as long as you don't poke limbs into crannies and crevices, and take a little extra care at sunrise and sunset.
Towns of the region are small enough not to have serious crime or other urban problems. Like all of New Mexico, there are problems here with drunk driving, exacerbated by the long distances and open roads that encourage driving too fast. Use caution and avoid highway hypnosis that can cause you to lower your guard when an intoxicated motorist comes your way.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Southeast New Mexico
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Southeast New Mexico - updated May 2024
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Southeast New Mexico Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
