Alto is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Lincoln County,

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, United States.

History

In June 2024, due to the rapid spread of the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire, all residents of Alto were ordered to evacuate until the fire could be contained.

Description

Alto is located at an elevation of in the

Lincoln National Forest Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest covers an extensive 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Li ...

, north of the village of Ruidoso. Alto received its name from the Spanish word "high" because of its elevation. Alto Lakes is a planned, residential and recreational community covering 1689+ acres along two mountain ridges in Alto. Alto Lakes was conceived and developed by Don Blaugrund beginning in 1967. The heart of the community is the Alto Lakes Golf & Country Club which includes two private 18-hole golf courses, dining, swimming and tennis facilities. Membership in the club is included with ownership of a home, town home, or lot within the community. The residential area of the community includes 1,150+ homes, 83 town homes, and approximately 1,000 vacant lots. Alto Lakes is governed by the Alto Lakes Water & Sanitation District and by the Alto Lakes Special Zoning District as well as community covenants.

Transportation

Airports

Sierra Blanca Regional Airport Sierra Blanca Regional Airport is a public use airport located on the Fort Stanton mesa 15 nautical miles (28 km) northeast of the central business district of Ruidoso, a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. It is owned b ...

, located approximately west of Alto.