Originally built in 1947 to house construction workers for the United States Atomic Energy Commission, the community of White Rock, New Mexico became a suburban community for those who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lying south of Los Alamos, White Rock’s current community supports a population of about 6,500 residences. Torn down and replaced by permanent structures, the current appearance of the settlement developed during the 1960s after the destruction of many of the originally buildings.

In addition to providing a community for those to live in, the areas surrounding White Rock offer natural attractions, such as White Rock Canyon, Red Dot Trail, and the Blue Dot Trail for recreational purposes. White Rock Canyon owes its appearance and natural formation to lava flow, landslides, and the flow of the Rio Grande River. The canyon averages, from its rim to the river below, about 1,000 feet. Additionally, the canyon houses four rare plant species, and offers views of the untouched landscape.

The Red Dot Trail and Blue Dot Trail both connect to the White Rock Canyon. The Red Dot Trail, the elder of the two trails and formerly named the Pajarito Springs Trail, follows the springs of the Pajarito Canyon to the Rio Grande River. The Blue Dot Trail, which originated during the 1930s as a livestock passage, connects to the Red Trail by forming a loop, which skirts the White Rock Canyon and Rio Grande River. The Red Dot and Blue Dot Trails run 7.8 miles in length and offer the chance to see Native American petroglyphs that cover many of the rocks found in the Canyon area.