Deming

Deming is a small town in the southwestern region of New Mexico, USA. It has attained a quirky sort of fame as the site of the Great American Duck Race, one of those little bits of Americana sometimes encountered in very small towns. Interesting country is nearby for the geologist and hiker.

Get in
Deming is on Interstate highway 10, about west of Las Cruces and about  east of the Arizona state line. There is no commercial air service nearby; the closest significant airport is in El Paso, Texas, east of Deming.

By car
Interstate 10 (I-10) passes through Deming in an east/west direction. Deming is accessed from Exits 81 to 85 with Exit 82 specifically into town as Gold Ave. to Pine St goes east-west as a local street (Old US 80) from Exit 81 of I-10, through downtown Deming and back to I-10 at Exit 85. The road itself continues another east to Arroyo Speedway at Exit 102 as NM-547 (Old US Hwy 80).

, &   Gold Ave goes north of town where it splits. Going west US 180 goes northwesterly to Silver City while NM 26 goes  northeasterly to I-25 in Hatch. Going east US 180 follows I-10 concurrently to El Paso. Going towards the south of town Gold Ave becomes Cody Rd which becomes Columbus Rd. It goes another south to Columbus near the Mexican border.

Buy
There's only basic shopping, but souvenirs of the Great American Duck Race are every bit as whimsical as the race itself.

Drink
Two wineries, yes, two wineries are present in this desert landscape. Neither one charges for tasting and both charge reasonable prices for their wine.



Go next

 * Rockhound State Park is about 5 miles south of town, and is notable as one of the few state or national parks where visitors are encouraged to remove natural features -- specifically the unusual minerals found in abundance there that make it a rockhound's playground. (There's a "bag limit;" check the web site for details.)  Day use $5/vehicle; there are a number of campsites (extra fee).
 * City of Rocks State Park is about 30 miles north via US 180, with weird rock formations reminiscent of the better-known Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona. Unlike at Rockhound, you can't take the rocks home with you, but they're accessible to the hiker.  Day hikes, camping, stargazing; fee.