You've seen it traveling on I-25 to Albuquerque. Here's the story behind Tomé Hill

Looking east from Interstate 25 between Belen and Los Lunas you’ll notice a solitary hill in the flat landscape. This is Tomé Hill, and its uniqueness has made it a landmark for more than four centuries. 

Tomé Hill came into being when southwestern North America began pulling apart. As the Rio Grande rift formed, magma bubbled toward the surface. Over time, the river and weather exposed and shaped the hill. Not much soil has accumulated on it, and its high concentration of iron and magnesium retard the growth of plants. Dust storms, summer rains and higher temperatures from exposed black rock all contribute to the adverse effect on biology. No tree grows on Tomé Hill, and there’s little grass. 

That all may seen like a bad thing, but it made Tomé Hill distinctive enough to stand out and serve as a beacon for travelers for more than 2,000 years. 

Ancestral pueblo people lived around the hillock, which became a focus of ceremonies and prayers. Their presence on Tomé Hill is known from the more than 1,800 petroglyphs. Some of the rock art represents plants; others animals like mountain lions, deer, turkeys and snakes. Masks and shields are common as are images of shield bearers, kachinas and Kokopelli, along with hand prints, spirals and geometric designs. 

In the last half of the 16th Century, the Spanish may have explored the land around the hill but, after El Camino Real was built, the hill became important to them. It was even named for a Spaniard: Tomé Dominguez y Mendoza, who established a ranch to the west. The village that grew up in the area was even called Tomé Plaza. 

El Camino Real followed the edge of the river and was important to the people of Tomé Plaza for trading their agricultural and livestock products to the south. With the opening of the Santa Fe Trail in 1821, trade was extended from the east to the rapidly expanding western frontier of the United States. Long caravans traversed El Camino Real in both directions, all of them passing through Tomé Plaza, in the shadow of the hill. 

After the land became part of the United States in 1846, even more people settled the area. Confederate forces passed the hill on their way to face the Union army at Glorieta Pass and, a month later, scurried back in defeat. In the 1880s, the railroad followed the river and, a half century later, the famous Mother Road, U.S. Route 66, passed nearby Tomé Hill, going through Los Lunas. 

No one is absolutely certain when the first Christian cross was erected on the summit. One may have been planted there by the Conquistadores. Spanish and early American settlers may have renewed efforts to keep a cross on top. Even the Penitentes are said to have carried crosses to the highest point. 

In 1947, Edwin Berry placed three permanent, metal crosses on the hill and built a shrine in front of them. The center cross is painted silver and has a halo. The other two are russet. 

In 1992, the Valley Improvement Association and Valencia County initiated a project to create a park to protect the archaeological artifacts along with the hill’s sensitive environment. Seven years later, the association, working with the New Mexico Arts Division, commissioned Armando Alvarez to create a sculpture telling the story of Tomé Hill. The Cor-Ten steel sculpture, called La Puerta del Sol, has a tall, graceful arch and groupings of kachinas, Conquistadores, padres, shepherds and miners. There are several trails to the summit of Tomé Hill Park. The main one is named Berry’s Path, after Edwin. 

To find Tomé Hill, exit I-25 at Los Lunas, Exit 203. Head east on Main Street and drive across the Rio Grande until you reach New Mexico 47. It’s the second traffic light after the river. Turn south and drive 3.5 miles. There’s only a small, standard street sign that says Tomé Hill. The hill begins where the pavement ends. There you’ll find the Puerta del Sol sculpture. 

Lots of people come on Good Friday to make a pilgrimage to the summit. It’s not a particularly difficult climb, although it’s steep. The trail is only a bit more than a quarter mile but rises 1,200 feet over that distance. However, it’s well worth the effort. From the summit, you get a 360-degree view of the Rio Grande valley. And while you soak in the spectacular sights, you can imagine all the people over time who have stood where you are now. 

Las Cruces freelance writer Bud Russo is author of Heroes and Villains of New Mexico: A collection of true stories. See his website at budrusso.com. 

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