Are you currently feeling the pangs of cabin fever? Now is the perfect time to plan out your upcoming outdoor adventures! If you need some ideas, here is a look at some of our favorite suggestions for places to enjoy New Mexico’s great outdoors.
Do you prefer to view your natural wonders in the dark? Make the most of New Mexico’s inky black skies by booking a stay at the New Mexico Lodge And Observatory. Read more in This New Mexico Lodge Has An Observatory That Is Worth A Trip From Any Corner In The State.
- Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness
BLM New Mexico/Flickr Sometimes called the Valley of Dreams, this isolated landscape contains an impressive collection of hoodoos, eroded cliffs, and other classic markers of badlands. The colors here are muted warm tones of red, orange, and brown, interspersed with flashes of grey, white, and black.
- Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
BLM New Mexico/Flickr Another isolated area of badlands, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is home to approximately 45,000 acres of jaw-droppingly unusual rock formations. In fact, one step onto the land here and you’ll swear you were transported to another planet.
- Blue Hole
Deborah Lee Soltesz/Flickr Deep, clear blue waters are all you really need to consider for a summer escape. Pair that with the opportunity to practice your diving skills in the middle of the desert and you have the Blue Hole, found near Santa Rosa.
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Mathieu Lebreton/Flickr Containing approximately 100 caves within the entire caverns, this national park is home to one of the nation’s largest cave chambers.
- El Malpais National Monument
Tony Fernandez/Flickr This national monument contains extensive badlands, lava formations, lava tubes, and an impressive natural arch.
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
John Fowler/Flickr Also referred to simply as Tent Rocks, this landscape is oddly filled with cone-like rocks that tower overhead. These cones—or tents—are composed of pumice, tuff, and sandstone.
- Rio Grande Gorge
mwwile/Flickr New Mexico’s own version of the Grand Canyon sits near the Colorado border. Enjoy the views from above at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge or on the canyon floor while exploring the river.
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
docbadger1/Flickr One particularly interesting area is the Valles Caldera National Preserve, located just outside Los Alamos in the northern portion of the state. This preserve is home to one of the country’s only supervolcanoes.
- White Sands National Park
Sathish J/Flickr If this iconic national park is not on your bucket list, what are you doing? Composed of gypsum sand that covers thousands of acres, it looks incredible and makes for a surprisingly fantastic spot for dune sledding.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Bloomfield, NM 87413, USAAddress: Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area, County Road 7297, Bloomfield, NM 87413, USAAddress: Blue Hole, Santa Rosa, NM 88435, USAAddress: Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carlsbad, NM 88220, USAAddress: El Malpais National Monument Visitor Center, 1900 E Santa Fe Ave, Grants, NM 87020, USAAddress: Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, 0 NM-22, Cochiti Pueblo, NM 87072, USAAddress: Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, New Mexico 87529, USAAddress: Valles Caldera National Preserve, 39201 NM-4, Jemez Springs, NM 87025, USAAddress: White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USA
BLM New Mexico/Flickr
Sometimes called the Valley of Dreams, this isolated landscape contains an impressive collection of hoodoos, eroded cliffs, and other classic markers of badlands. The colors here are muted warm tones of red, orange, and brown, interspersed with flashes of grey, white, and black.
Another isolated area of badlands, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is home to approximately 45,000 acres of jaw-droppingly unusual rock formations. In fact, one step onto the land here and you’ll swear you were transported to another planet.
Deborah Lee Soltesz/Flickr
Deep, clear blue waters are all you really need to consider for a summer escape. Pair that with the opportunity to practice your diving skills in the middle of the desert and you have the Blue Hole, found near Santa Rosa.
Mathieu Lebreton/Flickr
Containing approximately 100 caves within the entire caverns, this national park is home to one of the nation’s largest cave chambers.
Tony Fernandez/Flickr
This national monument contains extensive badlands, lava formations, lava tubes, and an impressive natural arch.
John Fowler/Flickr
Also referred to simply as Tent Rocks, this landscape is oddly filled with cone-like rocks that tower overhead. These cones—or tents—are composed of pumice, tuff, and sandstone.
mwwile/Flickr
New Mexico’s own version of the Grand Canyon sits near the Colorado border. Enjoy the views from above at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge or on the canyon floor while exploring the river.
docbadger1/Flickr
One particularly interesting area is the Valles Caldera National Preserve, located just outside Los Alamos in the northern portion of the state. This preserve is home to one of the country’s only supervolcanoes.
Sathish J/Flickr
If this iconic national park is not on your bucket list, what are you doing? Composed of gypsum sand that covers thousands of acres, it looks incredible and makes for a surprisingly fantastic spot for dune sledding.
