Sunland Park is officially putting shovels in the ground on a new stretch of the Rio Grande Trail, a riverside path that leaders say will one day knit southern New Mexico straight into El Paso County. The project is billed as part scenic workout route, part practical connector tying together neighborhoods and existing trail systems along the river.
At Thursday’s groundbreaking, advocates and local officials talked up the trail as everyday infrastructure, not just a weekend pastime. “It’s not just about exercising, it’s about using trails to get from one place to another,” said Jana Renner of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, according to KFOX. Organizers framed the project as a way to highlight river views and local landmarks while expanding non-motorized access along the Rio Grande corridor.
The City of Sunland Park has lined up $499,798 from New Mexico’s FY26 Outdoor Recreation Trails+ program to push forward Phase Two of the Rio Grande Trail, which the city describes as a roughly 10-mile, multi-use corridor. Phase Two includes building a 0.52-mile concrete multi-purpose path and advancing planning and design for the first 5-mile segment from the New Mexico–Texas state line to Country Club Road, City of Sunland Park reported. Mayor Javier Perea said the funding helps the municipality “continue a project that will provide lasting benefits,” according to the city’s release.
Statewide Vision, Local Piece
This Sunland Park segment is one slice of a much bigger idea: a Rio Grande-hugging trail that runs from Albuquerque all the way to the border. The Rio Grande Trail Commission is steering that effort at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department. The commission’s meeting materials and agendas list Sunland Park and El Paso County among the partners working on the southern end of the corridor, underscoring just how regional the undertaking is, according to the Rio Grande Trail Commission.
Timeline And Next Steps
Officials say the new section is expected to be completed within about five years, a reminder that this is more marathon than sprint. The city will now move into procurement, design and coordination under state grant rules, as outlined in City of Sunland Park materials. Staff says they will follow state grant requirements as the project advances and that construction will roll out in phases to minimize disruptions along the river corridor, the city added.
What Could Complicate The Route
Actually laying down the trail along the Rio Grande comes with plenty of fine print. Builders will have to work through overlapping jurisdictions, flood-plain regulations, and existing border infrastructure, and some nearby residents have already raised environmental and access concerns in recent months. In April, controlled blasting for a border wall project near Mount Cristo Rey drew local objections, a pointed reminder that projects in the river corridor often require careful coordination among federal and state agencies, local governments, and advocacy groups, KVIA reported.
Even with the complications, officials say the trail is expected to boost outdoor recreation, public health, and cross-community connectivity while giving both tourists and locals a new way to experience the borderland. Sunland Park and El Paso County leaders say they plan to share construction updates as design work continues and as additional funding falls into place.
