Texas, NM, Arizona Road Trip Suggestions

[young7.3]

The lady, I, and our lab will be traveling to Texas, NM, and Arizona for about 6-8 weeks through Jan/Feb. We will be living out of our toy hauler, that we also work from, doing some boondocking and staying at state parks.

In search of cool suggestions on where to go, stuff to do, where to stay, etc. We love hiking, kayaking, fishing, and of course hunting. I know quail will be in season through Feb 11. Probably go hiking on some random NF and try to spot some game. My lady likes being near water so any rivers, lakes, ocean is a plus.

Some things we have wrote down already...

Camping at Elephant Butte Reservoir (NM)
Pancho Villa SP (NM)
Organ Mountains Wilderness Area (NM)

Parker/Yuma Arizona BLM lands (AZ)
Near Lake Havasu (AZ)

Thank you in advance.

 

[Hondo64d]

If you want some snow, Springerville and Showlow are sure to have it that time of year, and it’s a beautiful area.

John

 

[TxxAgg]

Guadalupe Mtns Natl Park
Big Bend Natl Park (chisos basin)
Garner State Park

South Padre Island for some warmth

 

[Fitzwho]

New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns NP and White Sands NP. Quail around Silver City.

Palo Duro Canyon SP (TX)

Crossing AZ, don’t miss Saguaro National Park if you find yourself around Tucson.

 

[Wyo_hntr]

Guadeloupe national park (highest point in texas at 8kft) and big bend national park. The devils river state natural area. Very cool, take a spotter for the aoudad.

 

[butcherboy]

All good suggestions for NM. If you go to northern NM you will get some serious weather that time of year. If you are north then go fish the quality waters of the San Juan river. Weather isn’t usually too bad. If it snows it will be gone pretty quickly. Enjoy NM’s unique food. It’s the best!

 

[sierracharlie338]

Palo Duro canyon state park and big bend National park are my top two suggestions.

If you hit Palo Duro then Cadillac ranch is a quick neat stop and the Big Texan steak house in Amarillo is pretty good and worth peeking at.

My favorite in the state is big bend.

 

[thegrouse]

Big Bend State and National Park. The highway between them is the prettiest drive in Texas IMHO. Problem is your toy hauler is probably to big to take on that stretch. Black Gap WMA near the North entrance to BBNP has hunting, you will need a permit. They also have free camping last time I checked.

There is incredible hiking at BBNP, you can also take a row boat over into Mexico and rent a donkey to ride to town. You will need a passport to come back if you want to do it legally. The South Rim loop is a great trail and if you want to backpack the Outer Mountain Loop is great.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Eat mushrooms at white sands then do the alkali flat trail.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

New Mexico's rivers, lakes, and ocean front are not really a strong draw. Camping at Elephant Butte Reservoir could be a mile-wide by ten mile-long beach on a river ('cuz the tide is out the past few decades).

You might be better off searching for historic and/or geologic stuff.

+1 for Carlsbad Caverns Nat Park.

"Damsite" by Truth or Consequences is a kinda cool CCC era facility on Elephant Butte Reservoir but I'm not sure about trailer spots (maybe down by the marina parking?).

+1 for White Sands Nat Monument (not convinced 'shrooms are needed though). Also nearby are ...
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site and a second campground in the hills a ways up the same road ("Trailhead" has a creek maybe, definitely not a river, much less three). Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. White Sands Missle Range Museum. Trinity Site has a couple days a year that it's accessible.

Ft Bayard Nat Historic Landmark, and the awsome mines around there. Sort of nearby is also Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument and Catwalk Recreation Area over on the west side of the Gila Mountains by Glenwood.

At the end of the NM/AZ leg you can appreciate how precious water is.

 

[TaperPin]

Watch out for the potholes in NM - I’ve never seen an interstate in such bad condition. The tire shops and tow trucks must make a killing.

 

[TxxAgg]

Watch out for the potholes in NM - I’ve never seen an interstate in such bad condition. The tire shops and tow trucks must make a killing.

Ha. We just drove through and thought the same. Also, tires and tire pieces are all over the road everywhere

 

[roadrunner]

If you quail hunt on the northern and western boundary of WSMR, you'll likely get to see some oryx.

 

[BTLowry]

Like already suggested

Big Bend parks and Palo Duro Canyon SP are both beautiful places
That time of the year Palo Duro can be miserable though

 

[CorbLand]

Carlsbad Caverns is worth it if your near by. I wouldnt wait for a long period of time but if it was 30 or less minutes, watching the bats at last light is pretty cool.

 

[Oregon]

Stop in San Antonio NM and get a green chili cheese burger at the Owl

 

[chives88]

The lady, I, and our lab will be traveling to Texas, NM, and Arizona for about 6-8 weeks through Jan/Feb. We will be living out of our toy hauler, that we also work from, doing some boondocking and staying at state parks.

In search of cool suggestions on where to go, stuff to do, where to stay, etc. We love hiking, kayaking, fishing, and of course hunting. I know quail will be in season through Feb 11. Probably go hiking on some random NF and try to spot some game. My lady likes being near water so any rivers, lakes, ocean is a plus.

Some things we have wrote down already...

Camping at Elephant Butte Reservoir (NM)
Pancho Villa SP (NM)
Organ Mountains Wilderness Area (NM)

Parker/Yuma Arizona BLM lands (AZ)
Near Lake Havasu (AZ)

Thank you in advance.

 

[chives88]

I’m partial to southeast Az. The chiricauhua natl. monument is amazing, checking out portal Az while you’re their world be a good idea as well.

 

[Jaker_cc]

Antelope canyon and horseshoe bend around Paige Arizona. Eat at the Fat Olive in flagstaff. Likely too cold that time of year, but Powell lake is amazing.

Quail hunting would be high on the list. For sure hit a green chili burger spot in New Mexico.

 

[Naiche]

Morenci AZ copper mine then over to Globe and the Salt River Canyon