Top 10 Camping Hidden Gems in New Mexico

Camping Gems - New Mexico Taos Ski Valley Resort With more than 300 inches of snow each year, Taos is a phenomenal place to ski.  The resort offers everything you need for a full day on the slopes with 110 trails, 12 chair lifts, and more than a thousand acres of snowy slopes and forest.  You can take a lift as high as 11,819 feet, admiring views of stunning Kachina Peak.  A quarter of the trails are designed for beginners, a quarter for intermediate skiers, and 50% for expert skiers. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Head to gorgeous Dog Canyon, where springs and seeps in the canyon walls support yellow columbines, maindenhair ferns, and orchids. Secreted in this harsh landscape is a green oasis, where water flows year-round and ferns cling to mossy rocks. This area, known as Dog Canyon, is one of many deep ravines that slice the west flank of the Sacramento Mountains in southern New Mexico. Taos Pueblo This World Heritage site and National Historic landmark commemorates an ancient community of adobe houses that were inhabited for over 1000 years.  This collection of striking adobe buildings includes churches, ancient homes, and the present-day homes of about 150 people. Visit the Pueblo for its beauty, its connection to the past, and to shop for locally made pottery, silver jewelry, moccasins, boots, and drums. Sandia Peak Tramway, Albuquerque To really get a view of the area, take a trip on the Sandia Peak Tramway. At 2.7 miles, it holds the distinction of being the longest tram in the world.  You'll have incredible views of the Rio Grande Valley and the Land of Enchantment down below. Don't forget your camera! (10 Tramway Loop, 505-856-6419) San Juan National Forest Explore the amazing San Juan and La Plata mountains of Northern New Mexico and discover a hot spot for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing.  You'll find great fishing on McPhee and House Creek, ATV paths, and miles of hiking trails. Old Mesilla (near Las Cruces) Besides being the regional headquarters for the Butterfield Overland Mail and Stage, Old Mesilla is also known as the town where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang in 1881. Today as you wander Mesilla's narrow streets, you'll find the desperados replaced with lots of neat stores like the Double Eagle, the William Bonney Gallery, Del Sol, and La Tienda. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge Straddling the Pecos River, Bitter Lake NWR is truly a jewel, a wetland oasis inhabited by diverse wildlife species. The Refuge protects and provides habitat for some of New Mexico's most rare and unusual creatures such as the least shrew, Noel's amphipod, least tern and Roswell spring snail. Here you can enjoy the beauty of this 90 foot deep lake that was formed when the roof of a small cavern caved in. Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe Enjoy bird walks, nature talks, and plenty of wildlife at this 135-acre nature sanctuary in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos.  Don't miss the historic buildings and the works of art by the late Santa Fe master. (1800 Upper Canyon Road, 505-983-4609) Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway One of the favorite drives from Taos is called the Enchanted Circle, an 84-mile drive around Wheeler Peak that's a designated National Forest Scenic Byway. To begin your journey, start at Highway 64 north from Taos Plaza to Questa, NM38 through the old mining town of Red River. Then head onto Eagle Nest Lake where you can stop and enjoy a boat ride or some great bank fishing. Then continue on US 64 to Angel Fire, home of the DAV Vietnam Veterans National Memorial, and back to Taos via the Taos Canyon. San Juan River    Considered one of the best rainbow trout rivers in the state, if not in the country, this is a terrific place to spend some quality fly fishing time.  The San Juan is also a terrific whitewater rafting river.