Plan In onX Backcountry

Hike-in Required

No

Open Year-round

Yes

ADA accessible

No

Guided tours

No

Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Tunnel Vista Observation Site is a roadside pull off that offers outstanding views of the Fresnel Canyon and the Tularosa Basin. The site is located along U.S. Highway 82, seven miles east of U.S. Highway 54 northeast of Alamogordo, New Mexico. Not surprisingly, there is a tunnel just up the highway from the Tunnel Vista Observation Site. There are several parking spots here, but the site does not have any amenities. The site does have informational signs about the geology of the area and an archeological find known as the Fresnel Shelter; one of few known prehistoric sites in southern New Mexico.

The Fresnal Canyon is located in the Lincoln National Forest. Fresnal Creek carved through layers of limestone to create the canyon. There are some wooden steps that lead visitors down near the edge of the canyon cliff.