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Las Cruces, NM

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Scenic Overlook Rest Area

4.5 (17 reviews)

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Scenic Overlook Rest Area, Las Cruces
Bruce K.

I was pleased and surprised to find a rest area that actually permits overnight parking. A couple of campers were here and looking like maybe they had been here for a day or so. I parked, used the restroom, enjoyed the fabulous view of Las Cruces, and then realized that I was hungry. Dang it. Great view, easy access from the west, and because it's at the top of the hill, easy acceleration to get back onto the highway. [Review 17476 overall - 86 in New Mexico - 994 of 2022.]

And this is how they did it.
Ron L.

Okay, this is unique. How do you get close to a roadrunner? Unique up on it. Unless the roadrunner is made of rubber. That is, rubber shoes, rubber tires, rubber balls, and a few computer keyboards thrown in. Then just walk up to it. The Hunny and I saw this bird along the freeway west of Las Cruces, and wanted to stop to see it. It's only when we got close that we saw how unique it was. Whether it's pure Las Cruces or a piece of pop art, it got our attention. The roadrunner is part of a rest area on East I-10. Complete with restrooms, picnic areas, RV parking, and views of the city and the Organ Mountains. All shade is manmade, few trees in this area. A good place to rest up before the long trek across West Texas. (No coyotes were harmed in the writing of this review. Beep beep.)

Roadrunner made from upcycled waste materials
Susan E.

This is a really cool rest stop along eastbound I-10 a few miles west of Las Cruces. There are covered picnic areas, scenic views, and a 20 foot tall roadrunner sculpture made from materials salvaged from thrift stores. The 1600 pound sculpture was originally positioned at a nearby landfill in 1993 to call attention to waste and moved to its current location in 2001. The roadrunner is New Mexico's state bird.

Shoes as chest
Kyle A.

I love this kind of thing! So cool they put this recycled road runner at a restaurant stop. You can walk right down to it and can see that it truly is recycled materials such as shoes for chest and piece of tire for legs and talons!

Fabulous view plus this amazing roadrunner!
Teri G.

Don't pass this up! A rest area with a circle drive and this fabulous recycled roadrunner. The feathers are old flattened tennis shoes! Really a fun stop and great leg stretcher. Easy on and off, and incredible panoramic view of the Las Cuces basin.

the view in question!
Ness C.

the state of new mexico is peppered with solid rest stops, most of which are at historic sites. however, this one is- dare i say- a cut above the rest. i was sleeping out of my car on a road trip adventure and this was the destination i decided to bed down at on night two, and i couldn't have made a better choice! the full scoop: it was populous but safe (everyone kept to themselves but also kept a respectable distance), restrooms (of which were were plenty) were super clean and well-stocked on both soap AND toilet paper, water fountains were delectably fresh, AND the view over las cruces was STUNNING. additionally, for the trans folks in the crowd: i felt fairly comfortable and unhassled. i'm like. whiteboy-adjacent so that may have helped but i did want to throw that in there, because there were a few new mexico rest stops where i felt like hitting the bathrooms earned some side-eyes. anyway, let's all gas up the nmdot for this one, folks!

Christopher H.

Las Cruces, New Mexico. Home to the iconic Roadrunner Statue made out of recycled metallics. This is just a standard rest stop heading East I-10 near Las Cruces city limits. Has plenty paved parking, restrooms, and trash cans for a breather, take pictures, stretch, relieve oneself, walk around and all that. The overlook sits on top of a hill (hence overlook) and you can get a vantage point of the surrounding topography. Access/Roads: Paved. Parking: Plenty for cars, rigs, etc. Distance: Las Cruces (Downtown) is 10 miles east. El Paso, Texas is appx 60 miles south. Phoenix (Metro), Arizona is appx 400 miles west. Albuquerque, NM is appx 225 miles north. Los Angeles, California is appx 750 miles west. The overlook and roadrunner is only accessible heading Eastbound on the I-10. You will lose appx 10-15 minutes if you pass it. Costs: Free Nearby Attractions: Silver City and White Sands Missle Base is nearby. Large Array of Satellites is less than two hours north (think of the movie contact). If traveling eastbound from Arizona - Tombstone, and Bisbee are a short detour and worth the trip. Also near the AZ-NM border is Chiricahua, Indian Bedrock (Formation) & the location for Fort Bowie w/ Cemetary, and a bunch of ghosttowns, stagecoach locations and the sorts. Further into Eastern New Mexico are Roswell & UFOs, Alamogordo et al & Space Travel/History, and Lincoln County & the infamous Billy the Kid outlaw shaninigans. Travel safely my friends. @cigarcpa

Big Roadrunner made out of recycled items

Peaceful place to relax and stretch your legs after a long drive. Clean peaceful rest area.

Roadrunner
Paula K.

Nice and quiet. Perfect place to rest up. Not too many spots for truck and trailer. Seems to fill up fast. Beautiful views, nice and clean. Kids loved the roadrunner

Roadrunner statue overlooking the city & the Organ Mountains.

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6 months ago

The security guard, Randy Martinez, was very nice and gave me a shortcut for getting from here to San Antonio

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Review Highlights - Scenic Overlook Rest Area

“And there's a cool sculpture of a roadrunner that can be turned into a woodpecker if you take a pic and turn it sideways...”

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Big Chile Inn - Worlds largest chili, pepper, Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 1, 2023

Big Chile Inn

(131 reviews)

$

So happy they had last minute availability's, and were priced right…read more It's not a bad motel, room was clean, outside areas are clean. It's quiet and they close the gates at night, you can still get in and out but you just gotta go pull it open and close it back. Also love the big ol chili out front

am extremely disappointed and upset with the way I was treated at the Big Chile Inn & Suites. I've…read morebeen sick and in the hospital for 6 months, and I was just released. Last night, I got sick again and was transported back to the hospital. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. I can barely get around without struggling with my oxygen. I simply asked for a little help so my caretaker could get some important paperwork I need. Instead, the manager shut me down and wouldn't allow it. Now I have to spend an extra hour getting back to the hotel, grabbing what I need, and then getting an Uber or Lyft just to make it to my appointment. What happened to empathy? What happened to kindness? It's sad that someone can see another person struggling this badly and still not even try to help. Sometimes people stay in a position for so long that they forget the person standing in front of them is human. I hope the person responsible realizes how wrong and hurtful that was. She should be ashamed of the way she treated someone who was already struggling just to breathe. I expected basic compassion and understanding. Instead, I was made to feel disrespected and dismissed. Big Chile Inn and Suites, this was not the kind of assistance or humanity I expected..

Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces - Large room with king size bed

Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces

(242 reviews)

$$

The rooms were clean and comfortable. We did find that towels were scarce, but the housekeeping…read morestaff was generous when we asked, and they were equally helpful with coffee. One note: microwaves and refrigerators are only available on request and were all taken during our stay. It would have been helpful to know this at the time of reservation so we could have planned accordingly. But here's what really made our stay special: the night desk person, Madi. We nicknamed her "Ms. Sparkle" because she literally sparkled--cheerful, genuinely happy to help with anything, and radiating the kind of warmth and energy that makes you feel welcome. She responded promptly and effectively to every request. Madi absolutely deserves five stars. Hotel Encanto is a solid choice, but if you stay here, ask for Madi at the front desk. Her exceptional service transforms a decent hotel stay into a memorable one. We'll definitely return.

The hotel in itself is beautiful, clean and very nice rooms, but if you ever have anything stolen…read moredon't expect them to do anything about it. We were there 2 weeks ago for a military couples retreat and came with our children as we were in informed there'd be childcare. We have twin toddlers so a stroller wagon is very necessary. In short it was stolen/moved or removed from the childcare area while we were away and when asked the front desk staff was extremely unhelpful. We were met with "there's nothing we can do" "we can't check the cameras until Monday" and my favorite "we'll let you know if we see anything" without taking down a phone number, room number, or asking my name. Since leaving the hotel I've called several times and not only has no one checked cameras, but no one even recalled or mentioned to the general manager that my wagon had gone missing.

Drury Inn & Suites Las Cruces - Coffee, DIY waffle machine and more...

Drury Inn & Suites Las Cruces

(114 reviews)

$$

Our stay was wonderful - from check-in to check-out! We are a family of 3, and the room was clean…read moreand spacious for our needs. Drury Inn had food available (chicken fajitas, sodas, alcoholic drinks for over 21 of course) for 1.5 hours in the evening. Breakfast was great too. My favorite thought was how sweet and kind every employee was! Loved our stay!

This is a GREAT place to stay! Mom and I were in Las Cruces to visit family. She wanted to be close…read moreso she chose this hotel. I had never heard of Drury Inn, but this was her choice. When we arrived I asked the receptionist for other rates based on senior discount, first responder, etc. She took the time to run comparisons and told us Mom had booked the cheapest rate. I appreciate her effort!! She also explained the "happy hour" of sorts and provided a ticket that allowed us free drinks. Although we were headed out, that's a bonus. The room itself was nice. The beds were very comfortable! Our room had a refrigerator and microwave, both of which we used. The bathroom was a generous size with lots of counter space. AND, the water was HOT! I love a nice hot shower after traveling. The next morning we had the included breakfast. Talk about a TREAT! You can choose between full-sized waffles or those baby versions (you make your own), the sausage was delicious, they had potatoes, biscuits & gravy (my favorite), eggs, red & green chili, oatmeal, fruit, fresh juices, coffee, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It was MORE than a continental breakfast. We only stayed one night, but when we return I'll definitely stay here!

Scenic Overlook Rest Area - reststops - Updated October 2026

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