This hotspot is, and has been for a number of years, closed to the general public. The old entry-road sign off NM-185 displays the notice “Use by reservation only”. However, per rangers at the park visitor center, all public use is prohibited due to “safety issues”, possibly meaning abandoned and overturned chemical toilets at the area group picnic site, but more likely the hazards of bank cave-ins along the Rio Grande.

This is not to say there haven’t been recent eBird lists. Park rangers indicate that New Mexico State University is conducting studies in the area. But it is easy to duck under the always locked entry gate, so most of these lists, on average fewer than a half dozen per year, are probably from trespass birders. There were more lists submitted during 2011 and 2012, the first two complete years after the creation of the hotspot, than in the subsequent ten years. The initial two years of the hotspot were also the initial two years of the extreme drought that has persisted in New Mexico’s southern desert into 2023. Should the region again become wetter, one can only hope the hotspot will re-open so that birders can record changes in species and frequency.

The hotspot is bounded on the north and east by the Rio Grande, which is now dry for most of the year. A gravel road, long unmaintained, leads northeast from NM 185 to a group picnic site, also abandoned for many years. Vegetation within the hotspot is primarily creosote, soaptree yucca, four-wing saltbush, coyote willow, and Rio Grande cottonwood. Due to the lengthy drought, many of the cottonwood are stressed and covered in mistletoe.

After a short 25-minute drive from bustling Las Cruces, you’ll arrive at this quiet park along the Rio Grande.

Leasburg Dam State Park offers peace and relaxation, a beautiful cactus garden, several hiking trails, and opportunities for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and birding. Night sky programs are very popular at this park, which features an observatory.