New Mexico?

[N147JK]

Very rarely see anything posted about trips to New Mexico. Seems like a forgotten area of the country. Any suggestions for good camping areas in New Mexico?

[ShuttlePilot]

Originally Posted by N147JK

Very rarely see anything posted about trips to New Mexico.

This is why New Mexico is so good.

The first rule of New Mexico is, you do not talk about New Mexico.
The Second rule of New Mexico is, you do not talk about New Mexico.

- Eric

[N147JK]

Originally Posted by ShuttlePilot

This is why New Mexico is so good.

The first rule of New Mexico is, you do not talk about New Mexico.
The Second rule of New Mexico is, you do not talk about New Mexico.

- Eric

LOL.. got it.

[yonah]

I lived in El Paso for awhile and did a lot of weekend trips in southern NM. Definitely a hidden gem as mentioned above. CO, AZ, and UT overshadow NM and that's what makes it great, IMO. I'll share some of my thoughts and experiences if you're looking for ideas.

I spent many a weekend in Gila NF. Forest Service roads abound. Lots of elk to see and secluded meadows for camping. The area feels like southern CO to me. This was all pre-2020, so who knows what the traffic looks like now, but it was uncommon to see another vehicle in the backroads of Gila. It's probably still the same - the place is so remote and you really have to go out of your way to get there. Thinking back to that time really makes me miss that place. Remote, quiet, and beautiful. There are also some really cool two tracks to explore around the Cloudcroft, NM area. One trail leads to an old abandoned solar observatory. The dome and telescope substructure was still there when I visited many years ago.

The Otero Mesa is special and desolate. South/SE NM. Big open grasslands with yucca forests and the occasional plateau and rocky outcrop. It's nicknamed the Serengetti of the Southwest due to its open expanses and wandering herds of pronghorn.

One of trips to the Otero Mesa, circa 2016 (I think).


One cool location to check out in that area is Alamo Mountain. Petroglyphs are everywhere. There is a spring at the base of the mountain and I suspect the mountain was a natural waypoint for natives crossing the mesa. The old Butterfield Overland stage coach route snakes through that area and one of its stops is at the base of the mountain at the spring. The rock foundation of the old rest stop is still there. Here's a link to a write-up I did over on ExPo about Alamo Mountain:

https://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...ain-nm.166917/

For ideas, this guy did a good job mapping some overland/Jeep trails in the southern NM area. I think I ran most if not all of his tracks. The NM BDR is also a fun route to explore, .gpx files for the BDR should be available online, but IIRC, it starts around Dell City.

https://jeeptheusa.com/new-mexico-jeep-trails.html

https://jeeptheusa.com/elephant-butte-jeep-trails.html

https://jeeptheusa.com/las-cruces-jeep-trails.html

Also check out Chris over at Venture 4wd. He's been living out of a pop-top Jeep JKU for years and has some good Youtube Vlogs from trips in NM:

https://venture4wd.com/

[Twoxentrix]

Depending on your starting point, Consider crossing into Texas to visit Big Bend National forest (probably 6 to 8hr drive).
https://visitbigbend.com/category/bb-national-park/
https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/t...f-road-driving

[batgirls]

What kind of camping do you want to do? On the grid? Boondocking? Touristy stuff?

We've lived in NM off and on for a decade give or take. There's a nation's worth places and cultures to explore. Google some of the following.

As yonah notes, the Gila national forest is a great piece of nowhere. It has a national monument, the first wilderness area in the country, and hours of backcountry, dirt road driving if you approach from the north (which is cool if you're into radio astronomy: [URL="https://public.nrao.edu/visit/very-large-array/"]

Ruidoso and white sands are stunning. Drive about an hour-and-half east, and you're in Roswell!

Drive up the Rio Grande and you enter Pueblo lands (Acoma, Laguna, Isleta, Sandia, Zia, San Juan, Okay-Owinga, Taos) and colonial Spanish territory (Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Pecos Las Vegas, Mora).

You also reach the Sangre De Cristos range, which is the southern beginning of the Rocky Mountains. Approach them from the west and visit Chimayo, Truchas, and the Rio Grand Gorge.

Approach from the south through Pecos or Las Vegas. Head north through Mora and you can practically drive to Jicarilla peak. A little further north is Wheeler Peak and Taos/Angel Fire.

If nuclear weapons and national labs are your thing, go to Los Alamos. The camping and terrain to the west (Jimez mountains, Valles Caldera, Bandelier National Monument) is stunning. White Rock (a los alamos neighborhood) has some of the best top-rope and sport climbing in the state.

North of there is Ghost Ranch (where Georgia O'Keefe lived) and Chama.

And then there's the 4 corners region, the eastern plains, Grants-Gallup-Zuni, Route 66 …

NM is a feast. Post what you're interested in and how much time you have, and I can help you figure out an itinerary.

https://www.recreation.gov/discover/camping/New-Mexico/state
https://newmexicostateparks.reserveamerica.com
https://www.newmexico.org

[N147JK]

Thank you batgirls et al for the great suggestions. Now I can start my homework..

[REF]

Bisti Wilderness in the NW corner has lots to explore, a hike in to where there’s numerous rock formations and even an area of petrified logs remain embedded where they had washed down from forested areas above.
https://www.blm.gov/visit/bisti-de-na-zin-wilderness

[Jeffrey]

Like many have stated, NM is a wonderful place with so many diverse landscapes and topography. Here are a few wonderful memories for me:

[bigriver]

...Stunning