More than 60 New Mexicans comprised of families, students, and community members from Las Cruces skipped the flourescent lighting and long retail lines and opted for a morning of hiking and outdoor recreation on Black Friday — November 25th, during the Opt Outside event hosted by the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks, and Latino Outdoors.
Led by our Southern New Mexico Coordinator Gabe Vasquez, hikers got a chance to hike the Soledad Canyon trail, a rugged and lightly trafficked part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument with spectacular views of the Mesilla Valley, a pristine desert grassland, a waterfall, and a historic rock house.
The Opt Outside campaign was started by outdoor retailer REI, who first organized the event with the hope that people would opt to go outside instead of shopping on Black Friday.
Did you Opt Outside this Friday? Or have a Public Lands Story you’d like to share? Email us!
