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A little about Ruidoso

Lincoln County is home to a rich history, seasonal recreation and world class entertainment. Enjoy winter skiing or snowboarding at Ski Apache, summer at the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and year-round on the hiking and mountain biking trails of the Lincoln National Forest. Don’t miss a show at Spencer Theater, Inn of the Mountain Gods or from some of the local troupes. Festivals abound year-round with the Ruidoso Art Festival, Festival of Lights, Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally and Mountain of Blues Festival. Perfectly situated, our mountain resort is ideal for weddings, conventions, or family reunions and has everything including horseback riding, golfing, shopping, dining and art. Try your luck at one of the three area casinos and on the horses. Bring the family and enjoy Flying J Wranglers, Funtrackers Funpark or fishing in the Rio Ruidoso!

The history of Ruidoso

Lincoln County has been home to some of the most storied historical figures in the history of the West. The Mescalero Apache homeland surrounds us. Soldiers serving at Fort Stanton, built in 1855 to protect settlers in “Indian Country”, include a veritable who’s who of the West: Kit Carson, Blackjack Pershing, and the Buffalo Soldiers were all based at the Fort in the mid to late 19th Century. The Lincoln County War broke out in 1878 in a squabble-turned-deadly over supplying Fort Stanton, notable for the number of semi-mythical participants - Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, John Chisum and merchants L.G. Murphy, James Dolan and John Tunstall were all major figures in the war. Old Lincoln is now a restored historic district, one of Americas top 10 "True West Towns." A year after the Lincoln County Wars, gold was discovered near White Oaks, NM, and it quickly became the state's second largest city (after Santa Fe). A haven for cattle rustlers and outlaws (including Billy).

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