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Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture

4.9 (13 reviews)

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Erin S.

Such a unique statue/ art fixture that brings together the local culture and environment. It is at a rest stop and there have been snakes in the area so watch out :)

Dave W.

This is an incredible, huge and stunning art work and bold statement in the desert near Las Cruces. Made completely of recycled material, it's amazing from every angle! Sneakers, keyboards and more are the ingredients to this unique sculpture! Thank you Olin Calk and Dan Smith for creating this in 1993! Life is great with unique public art!

11-20-2022
Alana M.

This humongous roadrunner is a must see work of art! It is located at the Scenic Overlook Rest Area, just west of Las Cruces at the rest area between mile markers 134 & 135. You can only access it from the eastbound direction on Interstate 10, but has better visibility from the westbound side if you are driving past it. It's definitely worth a stop here to see the sculpture as well as take in the amazing vista and surrounding mountain range. You can get see Las Cruces and the Organ Mountains from here. This area is also a rest stop with restrooms and picnic shelters with grills. You can also take a little walk on the dirt paths. This sculpture is 40ft long and 20 ft tall. It is comprised of lots of discarded items that have been recycled into the makeup of this roadrunner. It is composed of lots of old shoes, cell phones, bike parts, wires, old toys, golf clubs, and other recycled materials. It has been a Las Cruces landmark since artist Olin Calk built it in 1993. The recycled roadrunner was erected here in 2001. Due to the harsh weather, it was removed by Calk who took it to his farm and refurbished it beginning in 2012. Then in 2014, it was returned and this rendition is what we see today. The reason for its' placement at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill was to accentuate what and how much of our stuff ends up in the landfill. I'm not sure why it was moved from there to here, but it was! I'm sure it is seen by many more people from its' perch here than at the landfill. The state bird of New Mexico is the Greater Roadrunner. How felicitous it is to have such an enormous roadrunner watching travelers on the busy I-10!! This particular roadrunner is a rara avis (rare bird)! If you find yourself nearby, you should go take a peek at it up close! What items can you spot?

Van D.

There's not a lot of signage for this fun sculpture, which is located at a "scenic overlook" that's part of a rest stop, but it's more than worth a quick visit. Situated directly off the parking lot, it takes just a minute or two to walk over and admire this quirky bird for all its worth. And at 40' x 20', there's a lot to take in!

Recycled Roadrunner Statue, Las Cruces
Bruce K.

This art installation was originally located at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill and was intended to bring attention to our consumerism culture and hopefully encourage recycling. It was moved here a couple of years back and now stands with a great view of the city of Las Cruces at this I-10 rest area. The Road Runner (no Wile E. Coyote with an anvil or rocket-powered skates nearby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aewj-0wcMIo) is 20 feet tall and made up of all sorts of recycled materials. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! [Review 17477 overall - 87 in New Mexico - 995 of 2022.]

Roger T.

Eh. It's made out of junk. Literally. It's situated right off the10 freeway rest area exit and you can only access it from the east bound direction. The roadrunner is the official bird of New Mexico. My thoughts are that it's in a pretty good location. It's a good touristy selfie pic type of an attraction. Was only there to actually use the bathroom because I just happen to be going east bound on the 10 on the way to El Paso. For all the info in regards to the origins of this sculpture, go to this link. A lot of good info. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14700 Yelp 2023 Review #25 918 overall

Albert V.

Nice and clean rest area. Stopped by to take a quick stop and noticed this road runner. Also had security there as well

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6 years ago

Fun little roadside attraction. Pretty cool! Hubby and I RV through the states. Always fun to see this stuff

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Review Highlights - Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture

It is located at the Scenic Overlook Rest Area, just west of Las Cruces at the rest area between mile markers 134 & 135.

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Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument - Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument

5.0(6 reviews)
18.3 mi

This review is for Pine Tree Trail which was a ~4.2 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours to…read morecomplete. Pine Tree Trail was located 45 minutes away from White Sands National Park. This was on the way back to Las Cruces which was a good stop for a second hike. This hike was done counterclockwise; trail was a narrow path of dirt and rock with plenty of inclines! Stunning views of the surrounding mountains and desert terrain! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/9wHTPd_FhNo

I came here on a whim to explore the mountains close up. This is a fee area of $5 per car, but if…read moreyou have an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass it's a participating site. You can either show the person in the visitor center to get a receipt or display it in your car on the dash or hangtag. The person in the visitor center was helpful. The park closes at sunset (with the chance of fees if you don't leave by then) and so there's a whiteboard with the exact time you need to leave. There are a bunch of trail maps and the maps that prohibit dogs are also clearly marked. The worker recommended the La Cueva trail as there wasn't enough time for us to do the trail originally planned and gave us the back story behind it. He seemed very knowledgeable! There are gorgeous views and the trails seemed well maintained with gravel/dirt.

Photos
Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument - Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument - Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument - Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

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Dripping Springs Trail | Instagram: @telephonesmoothie

Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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