Las Vegas, New Mexico

The city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, is located on the banks of the Gallinas River in San Miguel County.

Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "the meadows," was established in 1835, and was once a major trading point along the Santa Fe Trail. In addition to being a major trading center, it was also once an infamous haven for bandits. And Las Vegas also played a brief, but important, role in the history of the country when, in 1846, General Stephen Watts Kearny claimed New Mexico as part of the United States.

Downtown Las Vegas, with its green parks and historic buildings, is home to the Las Vegas City Museum, as well as the Rough Riders Memorial Collection, comprised of artifacts and mementos of the First Regiment of the United States Volunteer Cavalry. Las Vegas hosts a number of fairs throughout the year, among them the San Miguel County Fair in September.

Outdoor fun is always nearby, with two national forests a short drive away. The Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 8,672 acres (3,509 hectares), is situated on a high plateau at the intersection of the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Chihuahuan desert. Hiking and camping are available at El Porvenir Canyon and Gallinas Canyon, and Storrie Lake State Park is great for water sports.

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