Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi all, I searched for past threads on trips to NM but didn't find much. I'm visiting NM for the first time and am looking for feedback on the trip I've planned. I'm a first time visitor - most interested in seeing the natural beauty of the state and being outdoors.
Monday - fly into Albuquerque, drive to Santa Fe for the day and night.
Tuesday - morning in Santa Fe. Leave in afternoon to drive to Gila National Forest.
Wednesday & Thursday - spend day in and around Gila National Forest and Silver City.
Friday morning - drive to Albuquerque. Can spend the day or fly home.
My itinerary is flexible. I can add a day on the front or back end of my trip if there are 'must-see' places that I'm missing. Thanks very much for any feedback! Also appreciate any recommendations for food spots in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Silver City.
I may be a bit biased, but I think you've budgeted too little time in Albuquerque for your first trip- not so much the city itself (which is excellent in its own right, with more museums alone than you have time to visit), but its immediate environs such as the Sandia mountains, volcanoes, etc.
If you're here for being outdoors vs. scenery vs. culture vs. meeting people vs. food vs. all of the above, this will help us tailor our recommendations.
In particular, if you're going camping or hiking or something, then the amount of time you've planned in Silver City seems fine. It's a bit overrepresented, otherwise.
Above all, I want to be able to see the best sights NM has to offer. I've planned on spending several days in the Gila National Forest on a ranch to hike and explore the scenery...but if the time I've budgeted for that seems excessive, I'm definitely open to visiting other areas (such as the Sandia mountains in ABQ as you've recommended).
Yep. All depends on what you like. If it's scenery and walking around some you could spend weeks just up north. The same with the Gila area in that you could spend days exploring. I guess if this is a one time visit your idea of driving from Santa Fe to Silver city may have some merit. The thing you have to remember is there are fast ways to get places and fun ways to get places. Albuquerque to Santa Fe via 25 is fast, via 14 is fun.
You might be cutting it a little close driving to the Gila area from Santa Fe in one afternoon. The Gila is an amazing place to visit, but that's a lot of driving to do at once. Unless the scenic drive is part of your plan, you might consider making the Gila a separate trip and driving from Santa Fe up into the Jemez Mountains instead.
You will not be disappointed with the scenery, and its much closer. You'll be able to spend more time in Santa Fe, and you can visit Bandelier National Monument:
Awesome recommendations everyone, thank you very much! Love the recommendation on route 14. It sounds like no matter what I do, I should add another day. Do you recommend I spend the extra day in the Santa Fe area (perhaps see Bandelier or Ghost Ranch) or spend it around Albuquerque (seeing the Sandia mountains)?
Awesome recommendations everyone, thank you very much! Love the recommendation on route 14. It sounds like no matter what I do, I should add another day. Do you recommend I spend the extra day in the Santa Fe area (perhaps see Bandelier or Ghost Ranch) or spend it around Albuquerque (seeing the Sandia mountains)?
Thanks again.
Add another day and take the High Road To Taos. Go and walk across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Then drive the Enchanted Circle scenic byway.
We don't know much about you (fitness level, age, gender, etc.) to give a great deal of advice. You will enjoy your visit to NM but, as planned, you are going to be seeing a lot of interstate which is not our most unique or scenic feature. Personally, I'd save Gila for my second visit and see what northern New Mexico had to offer. That's where New Mexico started, more or less. San Pedro Parks Wilderness in the Jemez Mountains might provide an (albeit different) alternative to Gila on this trip. The Jemez Mountains are scenic and historic and come supplied with hot springs...up in the hills or in the village of Jemez Springs. Valles Caldera National Preserve is also interesting. Santa Fe has much to offer as does Taos. Bandelier National Monument is close by as are several modern pueblos and the town of Los Alamos. The high road to Taos is nice with several stops along the way. Highway 14 south through Madrid is a scenic and fun drive to the backdoor of Albuquerque...stop in Madrid and then maybe drive up to the top of Sandia Peak. If you spend more time in Albuquerque you could take the tram to the top of the mountain (instead of driving) and see the museums and local culture, National Hispanic Cultural Center and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, hike in the Sandia foothills or at the volcanoes (Petroglyphs National Monument), or take side trips to hike the slot canyon at Tent Rocks, visit Acoma Pueblo and maybe the lava fields at El Malpais National Monument. All of these places are searchable on Google.
Hi all, I searched for past threads on trips to NM but didn't find much. I'm visiting NM for the first time and am looking for feedback on the trip I've planned. I'm a first time visitor - most interested in seeing the natural beauty of the state and being outdoors.
Monday - fly into Albuquerque, drive to Santa Fe for the day and night.
Tuesday - morning in Santa Fe. Leave in afternoon to drive to Gila National Forest.
Wednesday & Thursday - spend day in and around Gila National Forest and Silver City.
Friday morning - drive to Albuquerque. Can spend the day or fly home.
My itinerary is flexible. I can add a day on the front or back end of my trip if there are 'must-see' places that I'm missing. Thanks very much for any feedback! Also appreciate any recommendations for food spots in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Silver City.
Hi OP, I suggest visiting Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque.I went there and I really enjoyed it.Taos and the Rio Grande Gorge are also really cool.The Sandias are nice too.I hope you enjoy the Land of Enchantment.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
