Your favorite place to camp in New Mexico? Why? (Gallup: driver, near)
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We ate dinner with some Canadians last night which are enthusiastic SW campers/hikers. They use a small tent pop-up trailer or backpack. They could not get to the end of the Mt. Taylor road a few days ago due to snow and ice. I think I would skip the highest peak in New Mexico for Summer time.
Thanks, I guess I'll have to agree, especially after tonight's weather. I really want to get to the hike this coming spring though. Someone told me the wild flowers are great up there.
I actually converted my Honda Element into a sort of "camper." I built a wood frame bed that fits over the seats, so at least I'm not entirely in the elements. But it still gets pretty cold in the winter even with my down sleeping bag.
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Originally Posted by aries63
El Morro also has cabin rentals which are a nice alternative, but it gets very cold there.
This time of year I would recommend heading south to Oliver Lee State Park near Alamogordo. Nice hiking trails and close to White Sands if you haven't checked that out before. If tent camping, it will be difficult to drive stakes through the hard, rocky ground.
This place actually sounds great! And any campground that offers showers is great in my book. I'm also thinking about Big Bend State Park in Texas, though that's a 9 hour drive or so.
!. The Pecos Wilderness. This is my favorite place to camp in the entire state, and I've camped just about everywhere. I love this area because it pretty much has it everything. Amazing mountain and forest scenery, including lots of wildlife. Plenty of developed and limitless primitive campsites. Showers available nearby (at Villanueva State Park and at the Tererro Store). Plus it is the right balance between remote and close to civilization. NM63 runs off of I-25 past Santa Fe and snakes up into the mountains. Along the way is a recreation corridor that follows the Pecos River with areas managed by the Forest Service and The NM Dept. of Game & Fish. The road dead-ends at Jack's Creek campground, which means that most people around will be fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Roads like that tend to filter out a lot of the yahoos, which is why I love it so much. I recommend camping at either Panchuela campground (Forest Service) or Mora campground (NMDGF). Note, camping at NMDGF campgrounds requires a special permit.
2. The Jemez Mountains. The first place I ever camped in New Mexico was at Redondo Campground up in the Jemez Mountains. Beautiful place. Although if you can snag one, try for a campsite at Jemez Falls campgroud. There is just so much to do and see in the Jemez Mountains that you can keep yourself entertained for days. Go and see the Gilman tunnels, stop by the Jemez Springs welcome center (and get some fry bread), drink some beer at Los Ojos Saloon, have a swim at Soda Dam, take a soak in one of the many hot springs, have a picnic at Battleship Rock, go sight-seeing in Los Alamos, hike At Bandalier National Monument, and go take in the magnificent Valles Caldera National Preserve. Do NOT miss the Valles Caldera, especially if you go when everything is green and lush.
3. Abiquiu Lake. This campground has two main advantages: its run by the Army Corps of Engineers, which means the facilities are top-notch and clean as a whistle, and the surrounding lanscape is absolutely stunning - a shimmering lake surrounded by a vast painted desert and enormous blue skies. This is the American West at it's scenic best, which is why so many movies were filmed here. Cowboys Vs Aliens, City Slickers, Wyatt Earp, and Silverado, among many others.
Other great places to consider: the area between Questa and Red River, the mountains above Cuba, the Manzano Mountains south of Albuquerque, and along the Rio Grande south of Taos.
Though not in New Mexico per se, there is a nice camp spot JUST over the state line into AZ in the Chuska Mountains of the Navajo Nation called Wheatfields. Wheatfields Lake isn't nearly as big as Elephant Butte, and its way out there, about 2 and a half hours from ABQ and 20 minutes from the nearest settlements, but has great fishing, swimming, hiking, wildlife, and beautiful night skies, though on occasion, the native's cattle herds pass nearby to graze, though only about a dozen strong. Amenities include picnic tables at campsites, a boat ramp, bathrooms, bear-proof trash cans, and a bait shop that sells basic supplies. The campsites themselves, other than the picnic tables are undeveloped and are not defined assigned spots; I consider this natural state of the campsites to be a desirable trait. The stream from Wheatfields Lake cuts into the beautiful Canyon de Chelle just to the east, a destination well worth the trip. There are other campsites nearby, but I have never camped them.
Where? Carson National Forest anywhere along NM518 between Mora and Penasco. Why? It's gorgeous, remote and undiscovered. Also, the last time I camped that way was in mid-September when the aspens were changing and it snowed 6 inches at the same time. That's a relatively uncommon and beautiful sight.
My second favorite is in the Zuni Mountains around McGaffey. Basically for the same reason as my first choice.
My second favorite is in the Zuni Mountains around McGaffey. Basically for the same reason as my first choice.
The Zunis are really off most people's radar. A great place to get some peace. It lacks really high peaks (though the view of the south flank of Mt. Taylor from the top of Mt. Sedgewick is great!), and it was heavily logged at one point so much of the forest is young, but there are still some groves of towering old growth Ponderosa that are terrific for primitive camping.
Due to the logging and mining, there are also some interesting remains of the operations in the form of rusted machinery, ruins of log cabins, etc. Then considering it is right on the edge of the Malpais and some sandstone formations, the Zunis are cool. And relatively close to Albuquerque, as well.
The Zunis are really off most people's radar. A great place to get some peace. It lacks really high peaks (though the view of the south flank of Mt. Taylor from the top of Mt. Sedgewick is great!), and it was heavily logged at one point so much of the forest is young, but there are still some groves of towering old growth Ponderosa that are terrific for primitive camping.
Due to the logging and mining, there are also some interesting remains of the operations in the form of rusted machinery, ruins of log cabins, etc. Then considering it is right on the edge of the Malpais and some sandstone formations, the Zunis are cool. And relatively close to Albuquerque, as well.
Yeah, I haven't been back in a few years but that's my childhood stomping ground. The Zunis are generally overlooked but the subtle scenery and isolation are awesome. When I was in high school my friends and I spent many weekends exploring old logging roads and leftover relics of cabins from the foresting days. The hidden canyons that slice through the mountains are pretty cool. Just avoid those roads during snow melt and after heavy rain, you may end up spending more time up there than you planned.
Zuni mud is the worst! It is basically clay. Sure lots of soil is clay, but I mean it gums up, clings and then turns into pottery on every surface it touches. I had to use a screwdriver to pry hardened chunks or red 'pot sherds' from my mountain bike's gears after a damp, ok, really wet and muddy ride up there.
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Where is your favorite place to camp in New Mexico? Why?
