New Mexico
When is the best time to visit New Mexico?
New Mexico is famous for its deserts, mesas, soaring plateaus and peculiarly shaped hoodoos, but don’t expect searing temperatures in every corner of the state. Many people don’t realize that four-fifths of the 47th state sits above 4000ft (1200m), rising to a breathless 13,000ft (4013m) at the summit of Wheeler Peak.
With this raised elevation comes cooler temperatures, so there’s always somewhere to escape the heat in the scorching summer months. Even when it’s too hot to roam out in the lowlands, the verdant pine forests in the hills are deliciously cool, and it gets cold enough to ski in winter.
In fact, it’s quite possible to experience four seasons in one day in New Mexico, depending on where you find yourself in the state. Average temperatures can be misleading; summer highs can soar to 120°F (48°C) but winter lows can plummet to −50°F (−46°C).
If you plan on traveling around the state, embrace New Mexico’s diverse climate and pack for all eventualities. Bring shorts and a sun hat, rain gear, and warm layers (fleeces, base layers), in case the temperature dips.
Whether you’re here for desert adventures or winter skiing, here are the best times to visit New Mexico.
June to September is the time for festivals, high-altitude hiking and star gazing
The peak season months from June to September see the biggest crowds, and the highest prices for accommodation, but this is by far the best time to experience New Mexico’s vibrant festivals. A mass celebration of food and music takes place at the Santa Fe Railyard during the International Folk Art Market in July, and the city’s Wine & Chile Fiesta sees more than 60 restaurants and 90 wineries show off their best food and drink for five days in September. The New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque and the White Sands Balloon and Music Festival near Alamogordo also draw crowds in September.
Be sure to fuel your summer adventures with some of the local chiles. Green chile is part of New Mexico’s identity, slathered on everything from burgers and burritos to pizzas and even ice cream. Fall is the harvesting and roasting season and there’s no better place to try this spicy delicacy than the small town of Hatch, the capital of chile production in the state. The Hatch Chile Festival takes place in late August or early September, with punchy chile loaded into every dish and treat.
Although some areas are scorching hot in the middle of the day, particularly at lower elevations, nights are perfect for camping and stargazing, with clear skies and mild temperatures from dusk through till morning. The Cosmic Campground off US Route 180 is a designated International Dark Sky Sanctuary, with the Milky Way visible almost every night.
Fort Union National Monument is another Dark Sky Preserve – great for evening walks and night sky talks. Star parties are also held at the base of the cinder cone at Capulin Volcano National Monument from April to September, with park rangers pointing out stars and constellations and explaining more about what lies beyond our solar system.
Don’t miss the opportunity to jump in the Santa Rosa Blue Hole during the summer months. Around 24m deep, this stunning natural pool, formed up to 300,000 years ago by erosion, is an unexpected dive site, with visibility up to 100ft in cool, clear waters that hover at around 62°F (17°C) year-round. Water surges into the chasm at high pressure from underground aquifers, renewing the water in the pool every six hours.
Winter is best for skiing and desert hiking
Winter is the best time for an off-season bargain when it comes to flights and accommodation costs, but that’s not the only lure. Skiing is possible close to all of New Mexico’s biggest cities from December to late February.
Beginners and intermediate skiiers love the slopes of the Sandia Peak Ski Area near Albuquerque, while the retro vibe of Taos Ski Valley attracts a serious ski crowd with out-of-this-world powder (300in of snow can fall in an average year).
The smaller Ski Santa Fe area attracts both families and experts, with a base elevation of 10,350ft and tons of powder between the aspen trees. Smaller resorts include Angel Fire, with mostly green and blue runs, and the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area, which offers a unique opportunity to ski down the side of a volcano.
The cooler weather also makes hiking a joy at lower elevations. Non-skiers can walk all day on the shifting sand dunes at White Sands National Park. Many travelers visit in summer and find it’s way too hot to hit the trails, but during the winter months, temperatures are mild, and there are no crowds.
Nearby, the 32-mile-long Carlsbad Caverns are another superb place to spend a winter’s day. The area has a semi-arid climate and inside the cavern, the temperature is about 56ºF (13ºC) year-round, so it doesn’t matter when you visit to admire skyscraper-sized stalactites and stalagmites hidden 1000ft (313m) below the ground.
Museum-hopping is another great winter activity in New Mexico. The state is famous for its reputed UFO encounters, space exploration and indigenous cultures, and there are museums covering all of these themes. Head over to Roswell for detailed accounts of unexplained encounters at the International UFO Museum & Research Center.
Alternatively, if you prefer science fact to science fiction, visit the New Mexico Museum of Space History near Alamogordo to learn about the birthplace of America’s space program. You can see how astronauts live and work in space and view the largest rocket ever launched from New Mexico. For something even more trippy, visit Meow Wolf, an immersive, multimedia experience in Santa Fe, where visitors are catapulted into kaleidoscopic fantasy realms.
The shoulder seasons are the best time to visit Native American pueblos
The two shoulder seasons, from March to April and October to November, see fewer crowds across the state. This is the best time of year to delve into New Mexico’s rich Indigenous history. Kick off by viewing thousands of Native American petroglyphs at Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque.
It’s also worth checking out the numerous ancient cave dwellings in the state, including those at Bandelier National Monument, with structures constructed between 1150 BCE and 1600. It’s possible to climb in and out of some of the caverns and there are original kivas (large, circular underground rooms) to explore.
Visitors can also tour the state’s fascinating pueblos, a term that the Spanish used to describe the villages of the varied Indigenous communities they encountered along the Rio Grande in the 16th century. Zuni Pueblo is a fascinating example of a thriving modern pueblo community; local guides offer tours exploring the settlement’s history and migration story.
Alternatively, visit the Acoma Pueblo – also known as Sky City – which sits atop a 330ft-tall mesa. Visitors can tour the adobe structures in the village and learn more about the people living here today. Held near Albuquerque in April, the Gathering of Nations festival attracts members of more than 500 tribal communities from all over America, and all visitors are welcome to join in this celebration of tribal music, dancing and crafts.
New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for series “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of child sex abuse.
A judge on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a single count of child abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Times on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are brothers, during his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleaning Lady.”
“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Television said in a statement shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. … We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Busfield, who was an actor, producer and director for “The Cleaning Lady,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of the young actors multiple times during his tenure. According to the affidavit, one child actor said Busfield first touched his “‘private areas’” multiple times on set when he was 7 years old. The actor said that when he was 8 years old, Busfield touched him inappropriately again several times. He was “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the Director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” the affidavit said.
The second child actor said that Busfield “started touching them for the first two years” of his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” which filmed in Albuquerque, according to the complaint. The investigator said both children said they did not speak out about their alleged encounters with Busfield out of fear or concern for him.
The actors’ mother, per the complaint, reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services in October 2025, claiming that Busfield sexually abused her children from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police began investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
According to the affidavit, the investigation also included interviews with the children’s therapists and doctors. One of the child actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has issues with bed-wetting “along with other behavior issues,” was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and has suffered nightmares “about the director touching him,” according to the complaint.
The investigator also spoke to numerous cast and crew members of “The Cleaning Lady,” which was canceled in June after four seasons. The affidavit details the investigator’s conversations with production assistants, the studio teacher and Busfield.
Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, told the investigator that “Cleaning Lady” producer Warner Bros. Television notified him in the spring of 2025 of an investigation regarding complaints “about him from the boys.” When asked whether he had any physical contact with the two child actors, Busfield “said it was highly likely that he would have,” the complaint said. He suggested to the investigator that the boys’ mother might have sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her kids back for the final season,” according to the complaint.
Though Busfield confirmed the identities of the young actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly said later, “ ‘I don’t remember those boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.’ ”
The complaint also details Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged behavior. The studio started its investigation after receiving an anonymous tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline regarding a December 2024 incident. Busfield allegedly entered the hair and makeup trailer and “kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut.” The complaint further alleged “there are pictures of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and caressing the head and body of minor boys.’ ”
Neither Fox or Warner Bros. immediately responded to a request for comment on Sunday, but a spokesperson for the latter told the New York Times it is “aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Busfield received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elliot Weston in the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. He also appeared in “Field of Dreams,” “Little Big League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and other titles. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role in “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White House correspondent who strikes up a relationship with Press Secretary C.J. Clegg, played by Allison Janney.
In addition to television and film, Busfield is a stage actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created the B Street Theatre, a nonprofit theater in Sacramento that first began as a touring theater group for children. He also pitched for baseball team the Sacramento Smokeys and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Prior to the allegations from his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor who appeared on “Little Big League.” He denied those claims and sued his accuser for defamation. The case ended in a settlement, with a judge ordering Busfield to pay the woman $150,000.
Authorities in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant Friday for director and Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield to face a child sex abuse charge.
An investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department filed a criminal complaint in support of the charge, which says a child reported that Busfield touched him inappropriately. The acts allegedly occurred on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series Busfield directed and acted in.
The child said the first incident happened when he was 7 years old and Busfield touched him three or four times. Busfield allegedly touched him five or six times on another occasion when he was 8.
The child’s mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.
Busfield’s attorney and agent did not immediately respond to email messages seeking comment late Friday.
The arrest warrant, which was signed by a judge, said the charge is for two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor.
According to the complaint, the child, which it identifies only by his initials, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. A social worker documented him saying he has had nightmares about Busfield touching him and woken up scared.
The child was reportedly afraid to tell anyone because Busfield was the director and he feared he would get mad at him.
The investigation began in November 2024, when the investigator responded to a call from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital. The child’s parents had gone there at the recommendation of a law firm, the complaint said.
“The Cleaning Lady” aired for four seasons on Fox, ending in 2025. It starred Elodie Yung as a Cambodian doctor who comes to the United States to get medical treatment for her son, witnesses a mob killing and ends up becoming a cleaner for organized crime.
The show was produced by Warner Bros., which according to the complaint conducted its own investigation into the abuse allegations but was unable to corroborate them.
Busfield is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” the latter of which won him an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series in 1991.
He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert; there was no immediate response to an email sent to her publicist.
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