Lake Valley Ghost Town

Sierra County, New Mexico32.7178, -107.5678

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Las Cruces District Office · Open to visitors

Nearest town
24 miHatch, NM
Mild months
Feb–Nov7 of 12
Elevation
5,890 ft1,795 m
Lake Valley, New Mexico
Photo: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lake Valley sits in Sierra County, New Mexico. People call it a ghost town, though 73 residents were counted in 2020. It lies at about 5,890 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miDemingSilver CityTruth or ConsequencesRadium SpringsHatchLake Valley
  • BLM
  • State
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Lake Valley. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Hatch, NM, about 24 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Las Cruces, NM, 53 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Nutt12 mi southeast
  2. Santa Barbara24 mi east
  3. Mowry City25 mi southwest
  4. Santa Rita29 mi west
  5. Hermosa32 mi north
  6. Cambray37 mi southeast
  7. Aleman38 mi northeast
  8. Cuchillo38 mi north

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

BLM land: Las Cruces District Office

PAD-US places this spot on Las Cruces District Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: State Trust Land. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°5525Jan6028Feb6734Mar7540Apr8348May9256Jun9262Jul8960Aug8453Sep7542Oct6331Nov5425DecJan: 0.6 inFeb: 0.4 inMar: 0.3 inApr: 0.3 inMay: 0.7 inJun: 0.8 inJul: 2.1 inAug: 2.4 inSep: 2.0 inOct: 1.0 inNov: 0.7 inDec: 0.9 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run February to May, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Hillsboro. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal in January.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Hillsboro station (USC00294009), 14 miles away. About 12.2 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationSierra County, New Mexico
Coordinates32.71778, -107.56778
Elevation5,890 ft (1,795 m)
Census counts2010: 64 · 2020: 73
Also known asLake Valley, Sierra County, New Mexico, Lake Valley, NM
SourcesWikidata Q6478225 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Lake Valley ghost town?

In Sierra County, New Mexico, at 32.7178, -107.5678. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Hatch, NM, about 24 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Las Cruces, NM, 53 miles away.

Can you visit Lake Valley?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Las Cruces District Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: State Trust Land. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Lake Valley?

Mild months here run February to May, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Hillsboro. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up; snow is normal in January.

Are there other ghost towns near Lake Valley?

Yes. Nutt (12 mi), Santa Barbara (24 mi), Mowry City (25 mi), Santa Rita (29 mi).

More ghost towns in New Mexico

All 69 ghost towns in New Mexico · Ghost towns near El Paso · Ghost towns near Las Cruces