Town · 1 hr 10 min north
Old Town Albuquerque
The city's 1706 birthplace, a walkable plaza ringed by adobe shops, restaurants and the San Felipe de Neri church dating to 1793.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Day Trippin' › New Mexico › From Socorro
Day trips from Socorro
From Socorro, the Bosque del Apache refuge is under 20 minutes away, Truth or Consequences, the Very Large Array and Valley of Fires about an hour, and Albuquerque's Old Town a little over an hour. The best day trips from Socorro, by drive time.
87 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Socorro
- ABQ BioPark Zoo 1 hr 7 min north
- Old Town Albuquerque 1 hr 10 min north
- Sandia Peak Tramway 1 hr 22 min north
- Petroglyph National Monument 1 hr 45 min north
- Acoma Sky City 1 hr 56 min northwest
- Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return 1 hr 56 min northeast
- Santa Fe 1 hr 58 min northeast
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument 2 hr 4 min north
- Mesilla 2 hr 6 min south
- White Sands National Park 2 hr 25 min southeast
1 to 2 hours from Socorro 45 spots
National monument · 1 hr 45 min north
Petroglyph National Monument
Thousands of images pecked into dark volcanic boulders on Albuquerque's West Mesa, reached by several short canyon trails plus a volcano day-use area.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- Free
Pueblo · 1 hr 56 min northwest
Acoma Sky City
A centuries-old pueblo village built on top of a sheer mesa, visited on guided tours from the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak'u Museum.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round (Fri-Mon)
- Admission (guided tour)
Town · 1 hr 58 min northeast
Santa Fe
The state capital, with adobe streets around the historic Plaza, galleries, museums and Northern New Mexico food.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
Viewpoint · 1 hr 22 min north
Sandia Peak Tramway
A 2.7-mile aerial tram that lifts you from Albuquerque's foothills to the 10,378-foot summit of the Sandias, with a restaurant at the top.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (closed Tuesdays)
- Admission
Family fun · 1 hr 56 min northeast
Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return
A walk-through, hands-on art installation where a Victorian house opens into strange glowing worlds, near the Santa Fe Railyard.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (days and times vary)
- Admission
Zoo · 1 hr 7 min north
ABQ BioPark Zoo
Albuquerque's city zoo along the Rio Grande, with animal habitats and daily feeding times.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Swimming · 1 hr 8 min south
Elephant Butte Lake State Park
New Mexico's largest state park, a big reservoir on the Rio Grande with beaches, boating and swimming.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round (swim in summer)
- New Mexico State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
2 to 3 hours from Socorro 41 spots
National monument · 2 hr 4 min north
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Cone-shaped tent rocks of volcanic ash on Cochiti Pueblo land, with a slot canyon trail that climbs to a mesa-top view.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Feb 1 to Dec 14, Thursday to Monday
- BLM ticket (per person) plus Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Access Pass
Town · 2 hr 6 min south
Mesilla
A walkable historic town by Las Cruces built around a lively plaza and the 1906 Basilica of San Albino.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Free
National park · 2 hr 25 min southeast
White Sands National Park
Rolling dunes of glittering white gypsum, with an 8-mile scenic drive, short trails and sledding on the sand.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
National monument · 2 hr 42 min northwest
El Morro National Monument
A sandstone bluff where travelers carved names and messages for centuries, with a longer trail over the top.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round, Thursday to Monday
- Free
National monument · 2 hr 48 min north
Bandelier National Monument
A canyon of cliff dwellings and village ruins carved into soft volcanic tuff, with ladders up to alcove rooms along the Pueblo Loop Trail in Frijoles Canyon.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
National park · 2 hr 49 min north
Valles Caldera National Preserve
A huge volcanic caldera of open grass valleys ringed by forested domes, where elk herds graze and trails head out from the Cabin District.
- Half day · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- National park entrance fee (per vehicle) or America the Beautiful pass
State park · 2 hr 56 min southwest
City of Rocks State Park
Volcanic rock pinnacles up to 40 feet tall laid out like city streets in the desert between Silver City and Deming, with trails and an observatory.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- New Mexico State Parks day-use fee (per vehicle)
Scenic drive · 2 hr 15 min north
High Road to Taos
A 105-mile mountain route between Santa Fe and Taos through Spanish land-grant villages like Chimayo, Truchas and Las Trampas.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round (check winter conditions)
- Free
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 87801 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.