Nestled in the Organ Mountains, just off of Achenbach Trail, is a neat little hike to some Apache shelter caves. Only 3.4 out and back, this is an awesome way to explore a cave and get some fresh air.
The way there is a little treacherous over tire-popping rocks. Once you reach the trailhead, though, it is a smooth hike. There is no entrance fee.
You walk past a short stone dam. This dam is a good reminder that these mountains have been occupied for many centuries by a wide variety of people, ranging from Native Americans to Spanish missionaries to businessmen to ranchers.
The hike is relatively easy though it is uphill most of the way to the caves.
The views are quite nice. You will see rocky mountains, as well as Las Cruces and the distant mountains below.
There is plenty of Chihuahua desert flora and fauna. Here is a dead tarantula, being consumed by ants, a rather startling reminder that Nature is an endless cycle and we all serve a purpose much greater than ourselves.
You wind through rocky hills and ocotillos, eventually finding your way into a flowery meadow guarded by some interesting stone formations.
Here the trail flattens and forks into the Achenbach Loop and the Shelter Caves. Continue on the fork to the right to the Shelter Caves. Yu will cross a little dam. I could not find any information about when this dam was constructed or by whom.
It is here you catch your first glimpse of the shelter cave. It is big enough to enter.
You cross an arroyo and venture up either of two paths to the cave. The going is a little steep but not too crazy. Standing inside the cave, there is enough room to be adequate shelter from the rain.
You can find morteros ground into the stone from ancient people who once lived here and cultivated corn, possibly in the very meadow we just crossed.
You can also find soot from campfires, though it looks like the latest fire was quite recent. A rock campfire ring was present when we visited. I imagine a lot of people camp up here.
The cave is guarded by a huge rock, evidently fallen from above. There are also great views of the valley below.
This shelter cave honestly does not seem like a bad place to stay. I pictured my bed in this little corner, corn storage in that nook. Maybe life back then was simpler. Not necessarily easy, with the threats of disease, famine, and Spanish conquistadores. But simpler.
We had some confusion attempting to locate the other cave. With some binoculars, we located a very shallow cave that you could barely enter farther up the cliff from the big one. It was more of an arch than a cave. I assume that must be the other cave but I am not totally sure.
The canyon below the caves is cut by a deep arroyo heading south. It heats up like a furnace, even in September, when the temperatures can climb to the high 90s.
Navigating striped rhyolite boulders and thorny mesquite bushes, we eventually encountered a mine cut into the side of the ridge to our right. Brush disguises the entrance but black tailings are evidence of its existence. This is precisely the reason some people vanish on hikes, never to be found again.
We returned up the canyon to the flowery meadow. My hiking buddy found a huge patch of Mexican morning glories. From here, you could easily get on the Achenbach Loop and head back into the canyon, but we were tired and sweaty, so we began the jaunt back home the way we had come.
The return trip is just as pretty with some sweeping views of the Mesilla valley and the distant mountains.
This is a cool little hike and not too heavily traveled. We passed one other group on a Sunday morning. There is no shade and the trail is rather rocky, but well-worn and decent. The views are really cool as you get to explore and realize that history is not so distant after all.
