The Cibola National Forest covers more than 1.6 million acres in the top half of the state of New Mexico, and extends into Texas and Oklahoma, with elevations ranging from 5,000 feet to over 11,300 feet. The mountains in the forested area include Mt. Taylor; the Datil, Gallinas, Magdalena, Bear, Manzano, Sandia, San Mateo, and [...]

Around 5,000 years ago, a volcano known today as Little Black Peak, erupted filling the Tularosa Basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow was 44 miles long and 6 miles wide and, in many places, 160 feet thick. Only a ridge of Dakota sandstone overlooks the lava, extending to low hills over 10 miles [...]

Sometimes called “The Land of Fire and Ice,” Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave is in a unique location in New Mexico. 10,000 years ago, Bandera Volcano erupted in a violent explosion. It poured out about 20 miles of lava flow through a lava tube system over 17 miles long. One of the finest examples of [...]

Spectacular palisade cliffs and mountain streams dominate Cimarron Canyon State Park located in New Mexico’s high country. Cimarron is Spanish for wild and untamed. The word originally referred to the bighorn sheep that roam the north-central mountains and has been adopted name the park. Cimarron Canyon State Park is part of the 33,116-acre Colin Neblett [...]

Bottomless Lakes State Park is located 14 miles southeast of Roswell, New Mexico, on the east edge of the Pecos River valley. The biggest question to Bottomless Lakes State Park is are the lakes really bottomless? In point of fact, the lakes are formed from sinkholes … caverns that have collapsed and filled with water. [...]

Located in the lower Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park is the state’s largest and most popular park. The 40-mile-long reservoir offers all sort of watersports, including boating, water-skiing, fishing, scuba diving, swimming and canoeing. Lovely sand beaches and quiet coves offer solitude to enjoy the beauty of nature and [...]

Despite the bulk of the state being classified as arid or desert terrain, New Mexico bursts into bloom in the summer months, particularly in the mountains. Almost anywhere in the mountains you’ll see some wildflowers and, of course, all of these locations are also great places to beat the summer heat. Like any of the [...]

Set at the desert foot of the dramatic Sacramento Mountains, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in New Mexico is a great place to camp during the Spring, Fall and Winter months. The view from the campground includes the White Sands, the Organ and the San Andreas Mountains, as well as the nearby Sacramento Mountains. Water [...]

Nestled in the stunning Sangre de Cristo (which means blood of Christ) Mountains just a few miles from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ski Santa Fe is 660 acres and 72 trails of sheer skiing fun! With a base area elevation of 10,350 feet, Ski Santa Fe is among the highest ski areas in the continental [...]

Located on the central Rio Grande River flyway, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park is a fun place to view the thousands of birds (dozens of species) that migrate south for the winter. The park is home to Canadian geese, Sandhill Cranes and various species of ducks and other waterfowl. [...]