New Mexico

Drive 12 miles west of Taos, New Mexico on US Hwy 64, and you'll drive directly onto the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge that spans 1,280 feet. There's a rest area to the west of the bridge with a parking lot, sitting area, and if you're lucky like we were, a converted sky blue bus selling homemade desse...

A mile up in elevation and only a few miles into Lincoln National Forest from Alamogordo, take off on the scenic Sunspot Highway that leads to the solar observation center before a short detour off a dirt road that arrives at Bluff Springs Waterfall (camping is free on all dirt roads). There you'...

Begin this trail from the Cerro Gordo Trailhead which is only about 10 minutes from Santa Fe Plaza. You can park in the lot near the intersection of Cerro Gordo and Upper Canyon Rd. The lot will fill up on the weekends so arrive early. From the lot, take the short Nature Conservancy trail to the ...

There are no trails or marked vista points in the wilderness so you're free to explore in any direction you please though the odds of stumbling upon anything interesting are fairly slim if you're just wandering around aimlessly. Most visitors heading to Bisti are usually on the hunt for the infam...

75 minutes north of Albuquerque, Las Conchas is a trailhead that sits right off the highway with two accessible, although small, parking lots.  Right out of the gate the wide and well worn trail drops down to follow the river north through a wide mountain valley lined with large stands of trees, ...

Situated on the border of Arizona and New Mexico is an ancient throat of a volcano. You can see Shiprock for miles, as you approach the quiet New Mexico town. It's jagged edges and large spine, that extends to the South, cut straight out of vast flat landscape that surrounds it. You cannot miss i...

10K trailhead springs from it a whole handful of beautiful trails.  With access to a rocky path that leads off into raw wilderness, a clean and smooth walking, hiking, and mountain biking trail covered by tall pine canopy, or a wide cut service road ideal for easy strolls, you have plenty of opti...

Park at the end of the 15 in the parking area. Walk all the way to the end of the road where you will find the trailhead.  This is rugged New Mexico wilderness so make sure you have proper shoes, hat, and plenty of water. This trail is very close to the Gila Cliff dwellings, which you will not wa...

Starting on the floor of the San Juan Basin and behind Pueblo Bonito, follow the signs up a twisty and dusty path that leads to a narrow gap between a very large boulder and the mesa wall. After an easy scramble through the gap, you will gain the top of the mesa. Once on top, follow the sporadic ...

Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary (CCIDSS) is the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary located on National Forest System lands and also in North America.  Situated on the western edge of the Gila National Forest & Wilderness the Cosmic Campground offers a 360-degree, unobst...

After driving the winding mountain road from Silver City to Gila Hot Springs, I knew I had to do more than just see the Gila Cliff Dwellings (which are stunning, don't miss them). The Gila Wilderness is the first designated wilderness in the world, championed by Aldo Leopold. A hike into this rem...

Park in the Parking area at the end of Aguirre Springs Loop. The trailhead is across the road. The trail will take you in a loop. Enjoy the diversity of plant life and the varied landscape. There are numerous interesting geological and ecological features in these foothills. 

The Carlsbad Caverns have a self-guided tour sections and a handful of guided tours you have to pay extra for.  For $7 for adults and $3.50 for children, a park ranger puts on an act and even dresses the part of the late Jim White, founder of the Carlsbad Caverns, while taking you on an adventure...

Hyde Memorial State Park yurts are nestled high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains amongst the ponderosa pines, and sleep six and provide a modern setting with roots in ancient tradition. Their location in the State Park provide easy access to park's vast trail system.Each bed has  an encapsulated...

Petroglyph National Park - Amazing Rock Art - Petroglyph National Monument has one of the biggest, and easiest to find group of petroglyphs in the United States. There are over 20,000 carvings in this monument. It is on the western side of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is easy to reach. The vast m...

Fairly easy trail on an old railroad bed. The trail is not steep and has nice scenery. The waterfall is sall but scenic, it is nice to see soe running water in the desert.