New Mexico Locations
Things to do in New Mexico in alphabetical order, click topic to view details
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Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Study Area
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is an area south of Farmington. It can be reached via 20 mile long dirt-road. The last 500 meter, the jeep-trail, is less accessible than the rest of the road, high clearence is needed. Still there was a van on the parking, so apparently it was doable even for normal cars. The area is a dry wash, with side washes. On the rims several groups of hoodoos can be found. Unfortunately we had to leave due to a brewing thunderstorm. This is really a candidate for a re-visit.
Aztec Ruins National Monument (2013)
Again the ruins in the park were of the Ancestral Pueblo people. This time the village had influences of Chaco Culture and Mesa Verde. Ruins of old houses and kiva’s can be viewed here.
Bandelier National Monument (2013)
In Bandelier the ruins of several types of ancient homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people can be seen. Cave dwellings, Tyuonyi (a village built in the valley), and Alcove House (high on the rock face). Alcove House is closed, because a rock fall is eminent. Bandelier is a short 45 minutes drive from Santa Fe.]
Bisti/De-Na-Zin (2013)
This wilderness is a stunning area south of Farmington. Hiking can be done in 2 dry washes that hold many hoodoos. We only visited the Gateway- or Alamo Wash. North of Alamo Wash is the Hunter Wash. Both washes can be reached via a short dirt-road.
In Alamo Wash we had GPS-positions of Chocolat hoodoos, the Cracked Eggs or Egg Factory, Bisti Arch, and Eagles Nest. Roaming in the area, we found many other beautiful places, petrified wood and hoodoos. We walked 18 kilometers, and this took us almost the whole day. So it was very beautiful! We were lucky that is was about 20 degrees Celcius, so not too warm, and there was a little wind. We took plenty of water and food, and needed it too.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (2013)
Carlsbad offers a “self guided” trail. The entrance is a 1,5 mile descent into the cave, at the bottom a large underground chamber is entered, which also has a 1,5 mile long trail. Alongside the trail and on the ceiling stalactites and stalacmites can be seen. The caves are close to Carlsbad city, in the south-east of New Mexico.
City of Rocks State Park (2013)
This small state park can be reached via a short detour when travellling from Tucson to Alamogordo. It is good for a lunch break and a small walk. It is not very spectacular, but a nice stop during the journey. In the middle of a barren landscape all of a sudden, this area of rocks appears.
Echo Amphitheater (2013)
Echo Amphitheater is no more than a short break along Highway NM84. It is not very special. The amphitheater is very close to the road, there is a large parking with picknick tables and toilets. We were surprised that parking fees were collected. Luckily the national park pass was valid, so putting it on the dash was sufficient.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument (2013)
These special rock formation are west of Santa Fe.
A 1.2 mile long trail leads to the tent-rocks. The standard trail can be extended by adding the route to the slot canyon. This is 1 mile extra, one way, The trail leads between the tent-rocks and ends high on a hill with a fantastic view.
King of Wings (2013)
King of Wings or Momo’s wing is a very special rock with a long rock extension of about 3 meters. The exact location has been a secret for a long time, but nowadays can be found on the Internet. Some effort is still needed, but that makes preparing and finding this “geo-cache” fun and exiting. It was a long-cherished wish to find the King of Wings, and ….we did it!
Pecos National Historic Park (2013)
Pecos is a small park, close to Santa Fe. We visited Pecos, because it was on the way from Carlsbad to Santa Fe. The ruins are originally Ancestral Puebluan. In 1450 about 2000 persons lived in the village. In 1584 Spanjards arrived. Spanish Fransiscans felt that the original inhabitants should be converted to Christianity. They build a church and convent that are currently restored.
Plaza Blanca (2013)
This area is not related to a specif organisation like BLM or National Park Service. Plaza Blanca is located in Abiquiu. It is allowed to visit the rocks, they can be reached via good dirt-road. We roamed Plaza Blanca for about an hour on our way from Santa Fe to Farmington.
Santa Fe (2013)
Santa Fe in the north-east of New Mexico has an old city center. Many Adobe-style houses can be found. In Santa Fe supposedly the oldest church can be seen (the San Miguel Mission, build between 1610 and 1626) and the oldest house in America.
White Sands National Monument (2013)
White Sands is very close to Alamogordo. The area is named after the white gypsum dunes. The contrast between the white dunes, blue sk and green soaptree yucca’s in stunning!
Texas: Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas) (2013)
Guadalupe Mountains is a mountain-area. There are no special features, but the park is very beautiful. We did 2 trails: Devil’s Hall and McKittrick. On the McKittrick trail the termperatures had risen to around 30 dgrees Celsius with almost no wind, so it was much too hot for a walk in the Canyon.
