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Located on the western slope of the Organ Mountains, Dripping Springs is a hidden oasis and spring providing respite L for humans and animals alike. After the Civil War Confederate Colonel Eugene Van Patten was encouraged to relocate to this area by his uncle, John Butterfield, of Butterfield Stage renown. Van Patten was drawn to the rugged beauty of the Organs and in particular the "Weeping Wall" at Dripping Springs. At this site he constructed a resort in the wilderness. It boasted 16 guest rooms, a large dining room, and a concert hall.
For more than 40 years the resort flourished and many famous people including Pat Garret and Pancho Villa stayed there. The ranch changed hands and use several times from a TB Sanatorium to a working cattle ranch operated by A.B. Cox whose family ultimately sold the property to the Nature Conservancy. The old ranch headquarters now acts as a visitors center and the area offers several hiking trails. Protected from hunters - Mule Deer are plentiful in this area. The ranch is also a place to see gray fox, black tail jack rabbit, cougar, and bobcat. Seldom seen because they are nocturnal is the javelina (wild pig). Many species of birds and small animals are continually pres ent. Step carefully after summer rains as Dripping Springs is home to three types of rattlesnakes.
To reach Dripping Springs take University Ave. east which becomes Dripping Springs Road. Pass the NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum and follow the paved road until it becomes dirt , then follow the signs to A.B. Cox Visitors Center. The gate closes at 8pm.
La Cueva cave is an archeological site associated with the Jornada branch of the prehistoric Mogollon culture. In the 1800s it was also the home of Giovani Maria Justiniani, "El Ermitano, the hermit of La Cueva."
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