12/09/2016 10:27 AM EST
In southern New Mexico, surrounding the city of Las Cruces in the Río Grande’s Mesilla Valley, five iconic mountain ranges rise above Chihuahuan Desert grasslands. These mountain ranges and lowlands form the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, which was established in May 2014 to protect the area’s significant prehistoric, historic, geologic and biologic treasures. Photos by @mypubliclands.
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