Los Cerrillos, NM was founded in 1879, but the area was earlier inhabitated by Native Americans and Spanish explorers. The area is rich in turquoise deposits. MIning was the principle reason for the town. The 3,000 miners in the area supported the 21 saloons, 5 brothels, and 4 hotels. Mining is still active but on a smaller scale. The town was also used for the filming location of the "Young Guns" movies. Nearby is the Cerrillos State Park. The 5 miles of trails takes you to abandoned mining shafts. Most of them have been filled in or covered up.
