For something a little different next summer to get to CO I was thinking to get off the I25 and try something new. At Las Cruces I would take 70 - 54 - 219/84 to the 25 --- maybe stop at Alamagordo or ????Have not been on this road. Any thoughts on this route or places to stay?Thanks........ happy new year.Lauren

It a very easy drive but the beauty isn't there. You could tour White Sands Nat'l Mon., drive your truck up to Cloudcroft for a look-see, perhaps check out Ruidoso (Circle B RV) and Smokey Bear Hist. Park, casino or Horse racing in Ruidoso then take 380 back to 54. From there to I-25 at Las Vegas, NM there isn't much.Where are you heading in Colorado? From I-25 at Bernalillo have your driven 550 to Hwy 4 and toured Bandelier Nat'l Mon or Los Alamos? Then you could continue on 84 to Abiquiu, Chama and to Pagosa Springs, CO.I assume you've toured Santa Fe and Taos?Can't help with RV parks as we would use public campgrounds or boondocking along the way.

Happy New Year, 2gypsies ! Well, we know CO well - lived there 8 years and been back many times since; even for about 6 weeks last summer and we are going back to about the same places. We lived in Estes Park and the crowds drove us out in 2003 - went back a couple of times and said never again. So we go other spots.So we will be a month in Buena Vista where we have been a lot. And Westcliffe. And Carbondale. And Ouray. All are - re-visits.One of the reasons we want to swing this way is White Sands in NM. Have not been there. Been to the one in CO and want to check this out. (I have an award winning photo from the one in CO). Have spent a lot of time all over CO and we still think it is the most beautiful state in the nation.Looked at Ruidoso and nothing there of interest - we don't do casinos and horse racing.I was not looking at this so much as to what is along the road - though important or we would not go this way - as to the roads. My guess is that they would be just fine.Thanks again - some day our paths will cross.

Your route has good roads and no significant hills or bad spots. Stay on your route and you will not have any problems. The reasonably priced fuel opportunities on your route are few and then vanishing. Cortez Gas just north of the 54/70 bypass and 82 junction north of Alamagordo is the last cheap fuel point. After that it gets more expensive as you go north. There is no Diesel between Carrizozo and Vaughn and none I recall from Vaughn to Las Vegas. Getting fuel in Las Vegas is best for your rig at the 84 and I-25 junction south of Las Vegas, the only almost truck stop in the area. In Las Vegas it involves getting off of the interstate and maneuvering into stations that are not RV friendly.Scenery along the route is not bad. For some parts you need to look to the mountains instead of the road side, but there are some grand vistas along the way.As far as places to stay there is Storrie Lake State Park in Las Vegas, Valley of the Fires near Carrizozo, and RV parks in Alamagordo.I have a similar rig to yours and it is a 7 hour, 5er in tow, drive from Las Cruces to Las Vegas. If you start the day in Las Cruces you may want to plan accordingly.

Thanks. We will be enroute to CO again this summer, God willing. Coming from south of Tucson I wanted to find some route different that just driving up the I25....done it lots. So thinking of first stop in Deming overnight and then Alamogordo for 2-3 nights (Boot Hill or KOA or whatever) mainly to see the Dunes (photography); have not seen them before and love the ones in CO so thought to check this out. Then Las Vegas, Raton and on up.

White Sands dunes are not as big height wise as Great Sand Dunes but cover a larger area and you can drive into the dunes. People die hiking the trails in White Sands. If you are going to hike follow the advice to take 1 gallon of water per/person. Oliver Lee state park is just south of Alamagordo and is reputed to be a good campground, although I have never stayed there. I did stop in Petroglyphs state Park 15 years ago but cannot say how it is today. Petroglyphs is north of Tularosa off of 54 and is a bit of a drive if you were planning to make that a HQ for your visit. Nice place to see though if you have time. White Sands Missile Range HQ has a missile and atomic bomb museum that some find interesting. I would stop as you are driving between Deming and Alamagordo. It is about 5 minutes off of US70 to get to the main gate. The road is at the bottom of San Augustine pass and you can park outside the visitors center in the truck lot and walk (1/8 mile) to the museum, just inside the gate.

Las Cruces to Las Vegas, NM | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

Lauren
Explorer
Dec 30, 2017
Happy New Year, 2gypsies !

Well, we know CO well - lived there 8 years and been back many times since; even for about 6 weeks last summer and we are going back to about the same places. We lived in Estes Park and the crowds drove us out in 2003 - went back a couple of times and said never again. So we go other spots.

So we will be a month in Buena Vista where we have been a lot. And Westcliffe. And Carbondale. And Ouray. All are - re-visits.

One of the reasons we want to swing this way is White Sands in NM. Have not been there. Been to the one in CO and want to check this out. (I have an award winning photo from the one in CO). Have spent a lot of time all over CO and we still think it is the most beautiful state in the nation.

Looked at Ruidoso and nothing there of interest - we don't do casinos and horse racing.

I was not looking at this so much as to what is along the road - though important or we would not go this way - as to the roads. My guess is that they would be just fine.

Thanks again - some day our paths will cross.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Dec 30, 2017
It a very easy drive but the beauty isn't there. You could tour White Sands Nat'l Mon., drive your truck up to Cloudcroft for a look-see, perhaps check out Ruidoso (Circle B RV) and Smokey Bear Hist. Park, casino or Horse racing in Ruidoso then take 380 back to 54. From there to I-25 at Las Vegas, NM there isn't much.

Where are you heading in Colorado? From I-25 at Bernalillo have your driven 550 to Hwy 4 and toured Bandelier Nat'l Mon or Los Alamos? Then you could continue on 84 to Abiquiu, Chama and to Pagosa Springs, CO.

I assume you've toured Santa Fe and Taos?

Can't help with RV parks as we would use public campgrounds or boondocking along the way.

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