Sleeping Lady Hills High Point

Overview

The Sleeping Lady Hills are a small set of volcanic hills in Dona Ana county. They lie west of the city of Las Cruces and east of Deming. To the north are the Rough and Ready Hills and the Sierra De Las Uvas mountain range. To the south lies the Potrillo volcanoes and Aden lava field. The high point of the Sleeping Lady Hills is actually a small mountain with a prominence of 637 feet and an elevation of 5287 feet.

Getting There

From Las Cruces travel west on I-10. Take the Corralitos exit (exit 127). At the stop sign turn left. Drive past the gas station/trading post and you will come to an intersection. Turn right and continue straight when the road turns to dirt. This road gets a bit rough but I was still able to drive on it with no problems in a minivan. After one or two miles the road connects with a nicer dirt road. Head left on this road. After about half a mile turn right on County Road C008. After about two miles find a place to pull over and bushwhack to the top.

Red Tape

None

The Hike

When hiking this mountain beware of rattlesnakes. There is a good population of them out here and they are hard to see because they blend in well with the ground.

Although rare, mountain lions do exist in these mountains also. Even if you do see one most likely they wont attack a human. There are quite a few ranches in this area so they are already fat on cows. Still use caution if you spot a mountain lion. There is no trail to the top so you will have to pick your own route to the top. The desert landscape does not have too many bushes or trees so bushwhacking is pretty easy, but almost all the bushes that do exist have thorns on them. Even though the mountain is pretty small, it still has a great view from the top. On a clear day the Organ mountains, the Potrillo mountains, the Uvas mountains, and the Florida mountains are all visible.