High Rolls, New Mexico
High Rolls is a community of 1,313 people in Otero County, New Mexico.
Why visit High Rolls
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 4 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bridge A 249, Mountain Farms Fruit Stand and Mexican Canyon Trestle.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in High Rolls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About High Rolls
High Rolls is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. It is nestled within the Lincoln National Forest at the southernmost tip of the Sacramento Mountains. As of the 2020 census, High Rolls had a population of 862.
From the Wikipedia article High Rolls, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Bridge A 249
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic wooden trestle bridge in New Mexico's Sacramento Mountains, Otero County, New Mexico, just outside Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Mountain Farms Fruit Stand
Farm and orchard · 1.8 mi
961 US Highway 82, High Rolls Mountain Park
Mo-Su 08:00-18:00
Museums and landmarks2
Mexican Canyon Trestle
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Railway bridge and trestle bridge in Otero County, New Mexico
Where to stay4
Cloud Climbing Railroad Cabins & RV Park
Campground · 2.0 mi
1093 US Highway 82, High Rolls Mountain Park
Churches and places of worship2
High Rolls-Mountain Park Methodist Church Historic Site
Church · Methodist · 2.3 mi
History
Mexicans who settled in the Tularosa Basin in the mid-1880s obtained water rights to graze cattle in the fertile canyons of the Sacramento Mountains. By the 1880s, homesteaders discovered the area, bought the water rights and began establishing farms.
David M. Sutherland located in the High Rolls area in 1883 and was soon followed by Francisco Maes and Cipriano Tefoya, who came up from La Luz in 1884 and settled in the Mountain Park area. P.M. “Uncle Button” Nelson, Jack Tucker and William Karr married sisters and moved into the region in 1885. Other early settlers included I.Q. Snow, Hamilton Kimberlin, Michael Mulchay, George Van Sickle, Eugene Sullivan, Fletcher and James Thompson, J.M. Bennett, Venturo Giron, George Wofford, Charlie McClure, Antonio Vargas and Ben Wooten.
They built and maintained ditches to divert the Fresnal Canyon water to their crops and built the first dirt road from Fresnal to La Luz. Fresnal, later known as Wooten, had the first post office in the area, established in 1894.
From the History section of High Rolls, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of High Rolls
21 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 26°F | 1.2 in | 3.9 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 28°F | 1.1 in | 4.2 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 33°F | 0.9 in | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 38°F | 0.6 in | 0.7 in |
| May | 73°F | 45°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 54°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 57°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 51°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 42°F | 1.7 in | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 32°F | 0.9 in | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 26°F | 1.3 in | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mtn Park Hcn (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Otero County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2025-07-10: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2024-06-20: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding (Fire)
- 2024-06-18: Salt Fire (Fire)
- 2024-06-17: South Fork Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Cloudcroft 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- La Luz 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Twin Forks 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Alamogordo 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Boles Acres 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Mescalero 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Tularosa 16 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Holloman AFB 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Timberon 21 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Capitan 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- General Store High Rolls New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- Mexican Canyon Trestle Cloudcroft New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.