Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge - Las Vegas, New Mexico - Habitats for Wide-Ranging Wildlife

Located atop a high plateau at the intersection of the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Chihuahuan desert, the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge covers 8,672 acres. It was established in 1965 to provide habitats for a wide range of plants and animals.

There is evidence that this area was first inhabited nearly 10,000 years ago, but droughts and conquests eventually returned the region to nature. The environs vary from short-grass and tall-grass prairies to timbered sandstone canyons and pison-juniper woodlands. There are also croplands, wetlands, marshes, ponds, streams, lakes, and riparian regions.

Today, the Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 270 bird species, some 80 of which use this as their nesting ground. Other wildlife found here includes mule deer, American pronghorn, wild turkey, and coyote. There are many amphibians, reptiles, and insects, too.

The Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge is located to the southeast of Las Vegas, New Mexico about seven miles. To get there by car, follow Interstate 25 to Exit 345 and head east on State Highway 104 for 1.5 miles. Turn south onto State Highway 281 and continue 4.5 miles to the refuge office. Refuge visiting hours are from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.