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Any favorite spots out there for Fall/Winter camping? We have a slide-in truck camper & tow a Jeep, with the Jeep unhooked we are about 24' long... Not adverse to snow but would prefer not to encounter it if we can avoid it. Self-contained so no need for hook-ups (although that would be a nice perk).
We were looking at Canyon de Chelly but wasn't sure what the weather is like this time of year. Has anyone stayed at the campground there, near the visitor center?
Cottonwood Campground on the San Juan River just below Navajo Dam. Very nice this time of year, although I'd wait until this series of storms blows through. Fishing on the river will be great, and you can do a little Jeeping not so far away. Paved, with limited hookups. It's a state park. If you don't want to fish or be near the water, I'd give the Carson National Forest a shot. There are some great spots to camp on Manzanares and Carracas mesas, but keep in mind that hunting season is underway. If it rains up there you can get yourself in a bind real easy.
The best way to do Canyon de Chelly is with a native guide. I haven't camped there in years so can't really give a current report. If you haven't been to Chaco, it's really nice this time of year too. Off road stuff is pretty much out of the question anywhere on the reservation.
Thanks... our off-road is more like off-paved roads (i.e. tooling around on logging/forest service roads)... we haven't gotten too adventurous on the off-roading, we need to join a club to learn the ropes. :-)
I haven't been to Chaco since I was a kid & my husband has never been... It's closer, maybe that's what we'll do but we'll certainly looking into San Juan & Cottonwood Campground.
Villanueva State Park South of Santa Fe use to have showers and hiking trails and old churches and a winery. They are having a Pinon Crop out in that area so if you see cars on the side of the road they are Picking Pinon. AT 20 dollars a lb i would be out there myself. If you camp for about 2 or 3 days out there your whole family can pick about 100 lbs of pinon if you find the right areas. Also southern N.M is having a Pinon crop around Ruidoso think about camping in the Ancho Area with lots of areas to Camp and explore. DANGER >>> Think about Bears and Mountain Lions and Rattlesnakes they are Still OUT and wanting to eat before they Hibernate. So Always carry a Gun and learn to shoot it fairly well out in Ancho you have a Chance to practice with it. And lots of Gold Mine Tunnels so be careful for bears in them or Cave ins or Shafts that go straight down into the Ground in the Ancho Area. White Oaks is Close by also a nice place to take pics of the Victorian homes there. THEY HAVE the No Scum Allowed Saloon There. And the Cemetery is in the Entrance to the Town. el pintada kid
We actually did some target practice with my Dad at the ranch in Eastern NM. We did pretty good - but that's with a target that isn't moving! haha
Thanks for the tips - we've heard about Villanueva SP. So, regarding the pinon crop - do you just go off and pick them yourselves? I'm assuming NOT on private land but its OK on public land??? I'm not even sure I'd know what a pinon was if it fell in my lap!
Soggy, if you want to 'kill 2 birds with 1', maybe try the NRA Whittington Center - you can camp and target practice at the same time.They have full hookups and I think it's pretty inexpensive. You don't need to be a member of the NRA to stay there. It's only a few miles from Raton. The pass from Raton to Trinidad is pretty nice right now. It's raining now and is going to be for the next few days. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you, I'll try.
Pinon is selling for like 20 dollars a pound Roasted raw i imagine about 15 dollars depending on how good the Crop is all over N.M. but prices can Vary Small pinon or Burned pinon or hard pinon could sell for less the Very best big Pinon that you pick one by one could easily be Worth 20 dollars a lb Raw. Check the Christmas Trees or pinon trees as you are driving down the Road especially if theres other cars on the side of the road there must be a Reason they are there. If the Trees have lots of Brown Pine Cones that means they have opened up and the Nuts are falling on the Ground you might have to shake the tree to get the pinon to fall. All you need is some old levis because you will get Sap on your knees and a 3 lb coffee can and a pillow case or flower sack to put the pinon in when you fill up the 3 lb coffee can. My best is 3 lbs in just a little under an hour. Maybe 12 lbs in one day picking them up one by one. But then i have to Crawl back to my Truck when i do 12 lbs in a day. Walk around and look for the Trees with the biggest Pinon on the Ground. p.s. an Indian can pick 25 lbs in one day. P.S. Soggy if you go pinon picking you better take a Shovel and a good 4x4 because youll probably create a Blizzard out there in the Mountains and ruin the Pinon Crop for everyone you cant pick pinon in a Blizzard or at least ive never tried. P.S. try not to pick up any Deer Droppings. its not too cool when your watching tv and eating pinon and you Crunch on a Deer Dropping. You eat pinon like sunflower seeds. el pintada kid
I think this time of year would be a good time to go to the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. You can camp at the park for a fee. Hike in NM's youngest lava flow. The sunrises and sunsets are some of the best this time of year. You will get the chills when you look up into the stars at night.
Day trip to the No scum allowed saloon in white oaks, Carrizozo Museum.
Three Rivers, between Carrizozo and Tularosa is nice and in the transition zone between semi-desert and alpine, so it should be still be temperate this time of year. Lots of hiking, and nearby petroglyphs, and hardly ever crowded.
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Villanueva State Park
