If you are looking to escape the crowds in Colorado for a nearby adventure, I encourage you to look south to New Mexico. The Southwest is a gorgeous place with such a unique landscape. If you are used to lush, green surroundings…brace yourself. Here is an easy itinerary to visit three National Parks, or “America’s best idea.”
I departed Denver on a Sunday morning. I planned my trip on a Sunday through Wednesday in May to avoid crowds. It’s a beautiful drive as you ascend Raton Pass and descend into New Mexico. I was on a National Parks trip, but I did see several signs indicating Federal sites in northern New Mexico. Las Vegas, NM, is a good stopping point for gas and food.
Roswell, New Mexico
My first stop other than gas was Roswell, NM. I needed to stretch my legs by then since it’s about 7 hours from Denver. Aliens and UFOs have never occupied much of my headspace, but this town doesn’t let you think about much else! I stumbled upon the Visitor Center, which is very nice. The ladies working were very friendly and even took a complimentary photo of me with two aliens. They also have a clean restroom for public use. I walked a few blocks south and paid the $5 admission fee to walk through the International UFO Museum. I’ll admit it did prompt me to question who has visited our planet from beyond.
Ironically, not long after my visit, 60 Minutes did a story on potential information about UFOs our government may be withholding. It’s fun to imagine the possibilities.
Sunset Reef Campground
Sunset Reef was my targeted campground for Sunday and Monday night. It’s a free Bureau of Land Management campsite and a little under 2 hours from Roswell. I stopped in the town of Carlsbad for gas and ice cream. Gas is hard to come by around Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I loved Sunset Reef! Each spot has a shelter, picnic table, and grill. There are around six tent spots and six RV spots. The best feature is the clean bathroom. It’s very accessible via an easy dirt road that leads to the camp. In researching the area, I kept seeing comments about high wind. So for this trip, I put an air mattress in the back of my truck and skipped the tent. That turned out to be a good call!
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
I got up with the sunrise to make my coffee and hit the road to GMNP, which is only 25 minutes from the Sunset Reef. This park is just across the state line in Texas. I stopped at the Pine Springs Visitor Center. It wasn’t open yet, but I caught a ranger putting the flag up to inquire about my chosen hike. She also grabbed me a park map, which I collect every time I go to a park. I like to mark what I did on the visit with a Sharpie. Most visitors like to hike Guadalupe Peak because it’s the tallest peak in Texas. I chose Hunter Peak because I had read it had better views. I hiked the loop counterclockwise so I would have the steepest part on the climb up. It was a 9-mile hike with 3,100′ of elevation gain and stunning views. I essentially had the trail to myself.
It was a warm, windy day. The trailhead offered a dish sink for campers, so I stuck my sweaty head under the faucet to wash my hair. On my drive back to Sunset Reef, I stopped at Frijole Ranch and McKittrick Canyon. I was lucky enough to meet a lady whose relatives lived at Frijole Ranch, and she gave me a great history lesson. McKittrick had a short nature trail and longer day hikes, but I was worn out. So I returned to camp and made ramen noodles!
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Due to the pandemic, Carlsbad was still on a reservation system. I had pre-booked my ticket for 8:30 a.m., which was the earliest slot. I had a leisurely morning since it is also only about 30 minutes from the campground. I arrived at the Visitor Center by 8 a.m. to use the restroom and secure my map. You cannot take any food or trekking poles into the cavern, so I made sure those items were out of my daypack. You can take water in. I also suggest a coat as the temperature in the caverns is in the 50s. There is an elevator to access the caverns, but I highly recommend taking the natural entrance in and the elevator out at the end. It’s the same path, so you won’t see anything new by walking out.
The caverns are a pretty spectacular sight! I spent about 2 hours inside. You could potentially spend a bit more time when the scenic rooms reopen. I didn’t have great luck with my photos turning out. There is an evening bat flight to watch, but due to drought, the bats were not around when I visited.
White Sands National Park
I left Carlsbad by late morning and headed west to White Sands. Most of my trip was at or above Denver elevation. This drive took me over a pass at Cloudcroft. My intent was to camp there and see White Sands the next day, but I had so much time left in the day I continued to the park. That was the right decision. I got to the park mid-afternoon and it was still scorching hot. I stopped at the visitor center to get my map and talk with a ranger (you now know my National Park routine). As I was driving to my first hike, Dune Life Nature Trail, I spotted something red and gorgeous out of the corner of my eye along the road. The Dune Life Nature Trail is only a mile, but that was enough with the heat. I did hike barefoot, which was comfortable. As I drove further into the park, I noticed they had to plow the gypsum like snow to keep roads clear. I made stops at the Horse Area, Backcountry Camping Loop Trail, and the Interdune Boardwalk, which is very accessible. I met a photographer who said there was a boondocking spot right outside the park that he was planning on utilizing. This was a relief because I wasn’t thrilled with the spot I had scoped out around 30 minutes south of the park. With that information, I decided to stick around the park to see the sunset. To kill time, I went in search of that red beauty along the road. It was the Echinocereus coccineus, or Scarlet hedgehog cactus.
There were three of them grouped together and I didn’t see them anywhere else in the park. White Sands typically has sunset ranger walks, but those were on pause during my visit. I made my way to the Alkali Flat Trail for the sunset view. After quick ramen in the trailhead parking lot, I walked out about a half-mile and waited for the show. It was spectacular! I followed my new friend’s directions and made a right turn out of the park, and right there was the boondocking spot. Although this particular lot comes with a warning…
Return to Denver
I had planned to hit the road pretty early for the drive home, but my alarm clock wasn’t what I expected. Just south of the park sits White Sands Missile Range. I had noticed warning signs along the road that it can be shut down when missiles are launched. My alarm clock was a police siren with a friendly officer warning the boondockers that if we wanted to leave, we should do so now. The road would be shut down for a launch. So at 5:30 a.m., I jumped into the front seat and pointed the truck toward Alamogordo for coffee and a bathroom. I then headed north to Denver. I noticed on my drive home that New Mexico offers a lot of pull-offs for boondockers or truckers to park overnight, which is nice.
Next Time
I always like to keep a “next time” list after a trip. One should always have a reason to return!
- Trinidad is a small town in southern Colorado that seems to be beckoning me. It has a historic downtown that Dana Crawford is helping to revitalize. Dana has been a game-changer in Denver, so I know big things are happening when she’s involved.
- Las Cruces is a larger city in New Mexico and less than an hour from White Sands National Park. I didn’t want to take the time to visit on this trip but would like to spend some time there. It’s home to New Mexico State University and the former home of the late, great Lou Henson.
- I was planning to camp in Cloudcroft on my route from Carlsbad to White Sands, but I forged on when I made better time than I thought. It looked like a cute little ski town and I would love to spend a day in that area.
No matter where you live, I hope you will consider exploring all that New Mexico has to offer. The state slogan is, “It grows as it goes,” which should be just odd enough to pique your curiosity.
the single minimal(ist) 