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New Mexico is going to be covering a lot since Albuquerque is definitely not a vacationer’s dream…. But the surrounding area? Absolutely.
Wait… let’s back up because I actually started in Southern New Mexico.
Where Do You Want to Stay?
I stayed at Cloudcroft Hostel for around $30 a night (at the time of writing). The hostel was almost completely empty and was a very chill vibe. This spot was only 30 minutes from White Sands National Park, and ridiculously close to some super cool hiking trails in Lincoln National Forest. Cloudcroft Ski Area is also just around the corner, but I didn’t have a chance to check that one out. It was snowing when I arrived, since this spot is around 8000 ft high, but the roads were pretty well taken care of.
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Surprisingly, There’s Plenty to Do Here
White Sands National Park is a good place to start. You’ve probably seen pictures of this picturesque park, and I’m here to tell you that it is entirely as, if not more, beautiful. There are a ton of trails to check out, but you have to consider that the whole place is genuinely just piles of sand. Be prepared to get a little lost though, cell service is spotty and when you run over a dune, your car gets lost from your sight… and there aren’t exactly any markers.
Also, heed my suggestion of staying at Cloudcroft Hostel, because you can borrow a sled from there for FREE, so you can sled down all the dunes, which is pivotal for the experience. You can also rent one at the shop, but it’s $10-20 and they close pretty early. While I loved White Sands, going solo made the fun short-term, so I wouldn’t expect to spend a whole day here solo. With friends, you could make this trip last for hours without running out of laughs.
Another thing you’re going to want to keep in mind is timing. While this place is beautiful during the day (and quite hot), the best time to see it in my opinion is when the sun is setting. When you’re atop one of the dunes, there is a 360 sunset view, and you’re not going to want to miss it. Make sure to watch park hours, because sometimes sunset happens out of hours.
Have you ever heard of the Lincoln National Forest? Yeah, me neither… but it’s a great spot to checkout if you’re down here since it offers some incredible views of the mountains from a high elevation. It’s only a few minutes away from Cloudcroft Hostel (by car). I hiked the Osha trail (it was late November in the mountains, so it was a bit snowy). If the Trestle trail is open when you visit, I’d recommend that spot. If not, the Osha trail (pictured on the left) is another beautiful hike.
There is a little scenic stop on the drive to White Sands from Cloudcroft Hostel (by car), and I highly recommend stopping. It’s right after you go through a little tunnel, you can’t miss it. There is a placque there with information as well that discusses the history of this spot.
Cloudcroft Hostel is still a 3 hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns, so that’ll be a long day trip, but worth it when the bats aren’t hibernating. I decided to postpone a trip to the caverns since I was only in southern NM for a day and a half. Another cool spot to check out that is around 2 hours away is the town Truth and Consequences. While I heard it’s not worth totally going out of your way for, there are some hot springs over there that could warrant the trip, or even a detour when headed north.
Are you interested in some libations?
Food and Drink? Cloudcroft certainly isn’t known for their libations, but I made do. I checked out Dave’s café, and while it was affordable, it was probably one of the blandest breakfast’s I’ve had. Makes sense though, since it’s one of the few places open before 10am. I suggest making the detour into town for breakfast, especially if you’re looking for a good coffee. I ended up making the 20 minute trip into town to get food at Chilis (because it was the only spot I could find with good happy hour deals).
I spent that Monday doing work in the town, it’s called Alamogordo by the way. I started at a little coffee shop called Plateau Express. I would definitely recommend, it’s super cute and has GREAT views of the mountains, especially from the seats outside. Afterwards, I ended up grabbing lunch and the best wine I think I’ve ever had at D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro. They have a really good lunch special, so I would not miss this spot if I were you. I headed up to Albuquerque after this visit, a 3.5 hour drive.
I stopped at the World’s Largest Pistachio, and the store has some very good pistachios that you can taste test and buy. It’s a great spot to get a cute picture, as well as picking up some souvenirs, and especially grabbing some pistachios! There are lots of samples, and other snacks to try inside!
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