Hidden In The New Mexico Bootheel Is An Underrated City Offering Recreation And Southwestern Charm

Just 100 miles from the border of Mexico is an underrated New Mexico city that will appeal to history lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The small town of Lordsburg may be home to just a little over 2,000 people, but its name is well-known in the hiking world as it's the access point for the southern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). The CDT is part of the "Triple Crown," the three holy grails of long-trek hikes in the United States, along with the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. The CDT stretches 3,100 miles from the border of Mexico to Canada, making Lordsburg a recreation hotspot for hikers embarking on this challenge.

It's not just about hiking in Lordsburg since the town is also home to Shakespeare, a well-preserved 19th-century ghost town where Billy the Kid allegedly once worked. One could make an itinerary based just on abandoned ghost towns in New Mexico with links to Billy the Kid, and it would have to include Shakespeare. Its fascinating buildings from the 1800s capture an authentic Southwestern charm. Lordsburg itself dates back to 1880, when the Southern Pacific Railroad was built to connect states in the West and Southwest. The city was put definitively on the map in the 20th century, when it became the site of the biggest army-run internment camp imprisoning Japanese-Americans during World War II. Most of the camp's buildings are now gone, and the land is privately owned, but a small marker remains to memorialize the dark history of this facility.

Located less than 10 minutes from the center of Lordsburg is Shakespeare, one of New Mexico's well-preserved abandoned border towns that are historic snapshots of long-gone eras. In the 1870s, it was a silver mining camp that housed about 3,000 folks, but it started creeping towards death once the silver dried up. Colonel William G. Boyle bought the town in 1879 and renamed it Shakespeare, after which it had a second mining boom. About 15 to 16 saloons popped up, as well as a hotel where Billy the Kid, one of the most notorious outlaws in U.S. history, is rumored to have washed dishes. Shakespeare was a lawless place where the only rule was allegedly that if you killed someone, you had to dig their grave, which was actually quite effective at keeping people in check.

Shakespeare became a ghost town in the 1890s, and it was bought by ranchers in the 1930s. Since then, it has been privately owned, and the only way to visit it is with a guided tour directly from Shakespeare Ghost Town. It lasts one to two hours and takes you through the interiors of a handful of 19th-century buildings, including the company mining house, saloon, and blacksmith shop. Tours are given daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. based on the availability of a guide, and they must be arranged in advance. Tickets are $15 per adult, $7 for children aged 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6. Note that there is a $30 minimum for tours.

There are several ways to get to Lordsburg, making it a convenient hub for hikers beginning or ending the Continental Divide Trail there. The closest major airports are El Paso, about two and a half hours away, and Tucson, just over two hours away. Both of these locations have nearby access to Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains that service Lordsburg, which is how many hikers get there. Alternatively, the closest regional airport is Grant County Airport an hour away, which has direct flights from Phoenix and Albuquerque. 

If you're hiking the CDT, you'll need to book a shuttle from Lordsburg to the southern terminus of the trail at Crazy Cook Monument (named for a cook who killed a man in 1907 while on a survey job of the area). It's a three-hour bumpy, off-road journey to the Mexican border that's best done with a high-clearance vehicle, so book a ride with the CDT Coalition or Crazy Cook Shuttle to ensure you get there safely. You will also have to apply for a permit from the U.S. Army at Fort Huachuca a few weeks before your journey, as this area became part of the newly-formed New Mexico National Defense Area in April 2025. 

Whether you're hiking the trail or just exploring the area, you'll find a sense of expansive wildness in this place where the Big Hatchet Mountains stand tall in the Chihuahua Desert. Mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, and bighorn sheep roam the desert, while just two hours away is another of New Mexico's remote ghost towns, Mogollon, tucked away in the Gila National Forest.