Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture

I LOVE this concept, art from trash. We first discovered this roadrunner while planning a "return to grad school post COVID quarantine" trip. This time it was a "return home after graduating with a PhD in physics" road trip that brought us down I-10 from Tucson. We had to make a stop. The roadrunner is like a three dimensional I-SPY experience. It's fun for any age. I wish more rest areas across the country did things like this. It's a free display that's a must see. Stop for a restroom break; stay a while for an art appreciation experience.

What a piece of junk!! And I say that in a good way! It's hard to tell from the interstate but this sculpture is made out of junk items. I have seen this sculpture many times and this is the first time stopping to see it up close. You can only get to it from the rest area going east bound on I-10. Which is why I keep missing it! This time I put it in my gps. It's something cool to check out!

Great rest area. Plenty of room to stretch our legs and walk the dogs. Picnic areas available. Very clean. The roadrunner sculpture is wonderful. Worth a stop.

Really cool, take your time and see what you can find in this sculpture! Went back at sunrise and ate breakfast overlooking the city

When not in a hurry, it's a nice diversion and well worth your time. Free, self guided. ***Poorly marked*** Use the GPS for directions. Access is only available for eastbound I-10 traffic. Dumps you back into eastbound I-10. You'll have to double back both ways if traveling westbound. Located between the rest stop parking lot and the l-10 easement it does require walking about 100' on dirt which has some shifting grades. It is not remotely difficult to get to but wear stable shoes. What you see from the pavement and what you see at the sculpture are in complete contrast. Well worth your time.

Super neat art exhibit at an “award winning rest area” (that’s what the sign boasted). You could look at this sculpture for 30 mins and still not see all the intricate parts! Very talented designer!! The rest area provided shaded picnic tables, spotless bathrooms, and semi truck/RV parking. Worth stopping by to see while in the El Paso area.

This was the best rest area I've ever had the opportunity to stop at. Not only was the sculpture very interesting, it allows you to overlook the near by town, and the view is absolutely stunning. The wildlife was not abundant but I did get to see some local birds scurring about and the plant life was very abundant and interesting to check out. On an odd note, I found this pumpkin in the bush, which I picked up to photograph and returned to its original location. Hopefully whoever put it there enjoys the fact it found its way online to live on for a very long time. Thanks to whoever dropped it there for an odd but wonderful find in the middle of the desert.

Well worth a visit, such a great vantage point, especially at night.

On a road trip from Houston to Phoenix, we stopped for a night on day two in Las Cruces. Before leaving town the following day, we made a pit stop at the Recycled Roadrunner Sculpture. One of the nice things is that it's a convenient stop. It's right off of I-10 and it's at a rest stop. We parked our car and then made our way to check out this work of art. And boy is it cool! The sculpture is made out of recycled material, no surprises there, like sneakers and tires. It's quite impressive in sign and overlooks the highway with the mountains in the background. Take a few moments, appreciate the art, snap a photo or two, and then you're on your way. A must visit in Las Cruces!

This is an incredible, huge and stunning art work and bold statement in the desert near Las Cruces. Made completely of recycled material, it's amazing from every angle! Sneakers, keyboards and more are the ingredients to this unique sculpture! Thank you Olin Calk and Dan Smith for creating this in 1993! Life is great with unique public art!

There's not a lot of signage for this fun sculpture, which is located at a "scenic overlook" that's part of a rest stop, but it's more than worth a quick visit. Situated directly off the parking lot, it takes just a minute or two to walk over and admire this quirky bird for all its worth. And at 40' x 20', there's a lot to take in!

This humongous roadrunner is a must see work of art! It is located at the Scenic Overlook Rest Area, just west of Las Cruces at the rest area between mile markers 134 & 135. You can only access it from the eastbound direction on Interstate 10, but has better visibility from the westbound side if you are driving past it. It's definitely worth a stop here to see the sculpture as well as take in the amazing vista and surrounding mountain range. You can get see Las Cruces and the Organ Mountains from here. This area is also a rest stop with restrooms and picnic shelters with grills. You can also take a little walk on the dirt paths. This sculpture is 40ft long and 20 ft tall. It is comprised of lots of discarded items that have been recycled into the makeup of this roadrunner. It is composed of lots of old shoes, cell phones, bike parts, wires, old toys, golf clubs, and other recycled materials. It has been a Las Cruces landmark since artist Olin Calk built it in 1993. The recycled roadrunner was erected here in 2001. Due to the harsh weather, it was removed by Calk who took it to his farm and refurbished it beginning in 2012. Then in 2014, it was returned and this rendition is what we see today. The reason for its' placement at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill was to accentuate what and how much of our stuff ends up in the landfill. I'm not sure why it was moved from there to here, but it was! I'm sure it is seen by many more people from its' perch here than at the landfill. The state bird of New Mexico is the Greater Roadrunner. How felicitous it is to have such an enormous roadrunner watching travelers on the busy I-10!! This particular roadrunner is a rara avis (rare bird)! If you find yourself nearby, you should go take a peek at it up close! What items can you spot?

Eh. It's made out of junk. Literally. It's situated right off the10 freeway rest area exit and you can only access it from the east bound direction. The roadrunner is the official bird of New Mexico. My thoughts are that it's in a pretty good location. It's a good touristy selfie pic type of an attraction. Was only there to actually use the bathroom because I just happen to be going east bound on the 10 on the way to El Paso. For all the info in regards to the origins of this sculpture, go to this link. A lot of good info. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14700 Yelp 2023 Review #25 918 overall

This art installation was originally located at the Las Cruces Foothills Landfill and was intended to bring attention to our consumerism culture and hopefully encourage recycling. It was moved here a couple of years back and now stands with a great view of the city of Las Cruces at this I-10 rest area. The Road Runner (no Wile E. Coyote with an anvil or rocket-powered skates nearby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aewj-0wcMIo) is 20 feet tall and made up of all sorts of recycled materials. Reduce! Reuse! Recycle! [Review 17477 overall - 87 in New Mexico - 995 of 2022.]

Nice and clean rest area. Stopped by to take a quick stop and noticed this road runner. Also had security there as well

Pretty nice peaceful area that's pretty cool how they made a giant Roadrunner out of recycled stuff

One of the most fascinating sculpture I've ever experienced! This well worth stopping to see work of art stands overlooking the Las Cruces valley region, watching over I-10 as if looking for it's next meal. It's intricately design and composition of recycled items one would never think to see within a bird is incredible. From tennis shoes for the breast, to its tail feathers made of crutches are just a few of the captivating human trash used to create this formidable and unique statue up on the hill! A must see!

Fun little roadside attraction. Pretty cool! Hubby and I RV through the states. Always fun to see this stuff