Paddling near Las Cruces, NM

Seated in Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico, Las Cruces sits along the Rio Grande within the Mesilla Valley, framed by the Robledo Mountains and cottonwood bosque. The river here is a seasonal paddle, flowing only during the annual irrigation release from Elephant Butte and Caballo dams. North of the city, Caballo Reservoir (~11,000 acres) and Elephant Butte Lake (200+ miles of shoreline) anchor year-round flatwater kayaking and SUP.