4 Best Sights in Springer, Northeastern New Mexico

In the middle of nowhere (about 35 mi northeast of Springer) stands this curious 36-room log-and-masonry castle built in 1880 by Stephen Dorsey, a U.S. senator from Arkansas. It was once a social gathering place for the rich and powerful. The career of the ambitious senator, who owned the mansion for 15 years, dissolved in a mail-fraud scandal. It's not open to the public, but history buffs may want to drive by.

More than 215 species of migratory waterfowl, including many geese and ducks in fall and winter, stop for a spell at this little-visited 3,700-acre prairie refuge 12 mi northwest of Springer. Sightings of great blue herons are not uncommon in midwinter, and bald eagles are fairly plentiful at this time. Sandhill cranes usually drop by in early fall, Canada geese around December. Deer, prairie dogs, long-tail weasels, jackrabbits, coyotes, bears, and elk live here. The fishing season (Lake 13 is stocked occasionally with rainbows) is between March and October. You can camp (no fee, no facilities) near the fishing areas.

When Springer was the Colfax County seat, the 1883 structure that houses the Santa Fe Trail Museum served as a courthouse. The modest museum has a curious jumble of documents, maps, memorabilia, and other artifacts. The setup is not particularly sophisticated—it takes a bit of patience to wade through the assorted bits and pieces of the past.

Crammed with everything you'd expect to find at a five-and-dime, Springer Drug is a local hangout and the site of an ongoing gabfest. The highlight is the old (not old-fashioned, this is the original article) soda fountain, where you can order a sundae, malt, shake, cone, or even a light lunch.