According to New Mexico True, the state is home to over 400 ghost towns. They write that, “most were mining towns, where men lusted after the earth’s riches — gold, silver, turquoise, copper, lead and coal. A few were farming communities that flourished for a time and mysteriously fell silent. Literally hundreds of towns not only died, they vanished.” Here are some that I’ve had the chance to visit, organized as closest to furthest from Albuquerque:

Contreras: forty-five minutes south of Albuquerque, the school may date back to the 1930s

Kelly: an hour and forty minutes south of Albuquerque, “in 1866, prospector Patrick H. Kelley laid claim to zinc, lead, and silver deposits in southwestern New Mexico, making him the de facto founder of Kelly. Once established, the town included schools, banks, churches, saloons, a medical clinic, and general stores. Three miles north, Magdalena was established along the railway line for miners to deliver the precious ores that would be hauled away for processing.”

Yeso: two hours southeast of Albuquerque

Cuervo: located two hours east of Albuquerque, Cuervo was founded in 1901. Like the nearby Tucumcari, it became a Route 66 stop for travelers and also went into decline with the coming of the interstate. The most notable buildings that remain today are an old school house and church.

Loma Parda: two hours northeast of Albuquerque

Chloride: two and a half miles south of Albuquerque

Elizabethtown: three hours north of Albuquerque, the 19th century mining town was home to the serial killer Charles Kennedy. Very little remains. Below you can see a photograph I took of the Mutz Hotel in the summer of 2021, the photo afterwards was found here, taken in 2004.

Glenrio: three hours east of Albuquerque

Dawson: three and a half hours hours north of Albuquerque

Shakespeare: four hours south of Albuquerque