Carlsbad Caverns vs Kartchner Caverns
After talking to several of our members that have done a lot more traveling than my wife and I have about our trip next month. Most suggested skipping Carlsbad Covens and seeing Kartchner Caverns inst...
Forum Discussion
Haven't made it to Kartchner yet. Carlsbad is really neat. Enjoyed the walk down & an easy ride up the elevators. Very interesting place. Never stayed for the bat flight.
I'd skip the Petrified Forest & do both caverns. Petrified Forest is mainly a drive through & look at the different areas with a few walks to see a few sites. Neat but not as awesome as the caverns. IMHO.
There is a whole lot to see & do between the two caverns as well if time allows:
Info for Tucson, a really neat town & area: :) Clicky an old post some links may not be working anymore.
There are two units to see at Saguaro NP, one on each side of Tucson. East unit has a paved road which loop around part of the park. Small visitor center. West unit is a dirt road, seems longer maybe ? & has a larger visitor center. Near it is also the AZ Sonora Desert Museum (very good one, more zoo than museum), a must see IMHO. Also campground near by Gilbert Ray CG. Info in the above Clicky.
If you go to Carlsbad, some of this stuff may come in handy:
Off I-10/I-25 on US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument & Alamogordo Area. This site also has info on Carlsbad......I believe I would stay at Brantley State Park to base to see the area by Carlsbad.
Las Cruces Area & Southern NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger. Video
Taste of NM Pecans: Stahmanns or Salopek
In Las Cruces: Hacienda RV Resort and Siesta RV Park are the easiest to get to, just of I-10 exit 140. Las Cruces KOA and Sunny Acres RV Park off I-10 exit 135. KOA on the mesa over looking the Mesilla Valley, Sunny Acres in the Valley. Park Reviews Siesta RV has gravel roads & pads, Hacienda RV has paved roads, maybe concrete pads. Sunny Acres more into town, maybe cramped???
Leasburg Dam State Park is about 17 miles N of Las Cruces on I-25. With Fort Selden State Mon't near by. A young Douglas Mac Arthur called the fort home while his father was post commander in the late 1880s.
To By Pass Most of El Paso:
One can use the War Road Route to bypass the Trans Mountain pass: Use Exit 162 in New Mexico (just short of the NM/TX state line) NM-404/Ohara Rd East, turn right on NM 213 S (War Road), this turns into Martin Luther Kings Jr. Blvd (FM 3255) once entering TX. Take the ramp onto Gateway S Blvd/Patriot Fwy (US 54 S) to TX 376 Turn left onto Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd (Texas Loop 375). Follow Loop 375 to the US-62/US-180/Montana Ave exit (about 12 miles). The US-62/US-180 takes you to Carlsbad Caverns. Not mountains to cross on this bypass. If you take a right on 376, then it'll take you up & over the pass.
If you want to take the Pass, just stay on I-10 on into TX. Take the exit toward Texas Loop 375/Trans Mountain Rd (about 5 or 6 miles from state line)....Turn left onto TX-375 Loop W/Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd it will take you up & over (great vistas up at the top, at a rest/viewing area). Video Drive Trans Mountain
You really do not want to drive into El Paso & do a few city streets to get to & onto very busy Montana Ave (US-180 E/US-62 E). Much worse than a mountain pass.
On I-10 after Kartchner: Between Benson & Wilcox, a mild pass with a rest area in Texas Canyon, neat rock formations - elevation 4500'.
Also In the area: The Amerind Foundation :C Clicky :C ( Amerind Art Gallery is Neat ) a ethnological, anthropological, archaeological museum and art gallery with paintings by 20th century Anglo and Native American artists. We enjoyed the art gallery and the museum. A neat out of the way, hidden site in the boulders of Texas Canyon. The Amerind is located in Cochise County, one mile south of Interstate 10, only about an hour east of Tucson, between Benson and Willcox. It is easy to find - just look for Dragoon Road exit, #318, and head south until you see mile marker 1 on one side of the road and the Amerind entrance on the other.
Cochise Strong Hold is in the same area, drove to it but did not camp, a nice setting. Cochise Stronghold
One could stay at the Kartchner state park by the cave & do a day trip to Tombstone, which isn't much now but a large tourist trap operation. The old courthouse is neat. Seeing where all the history happened was nice. Shouldn't take too long. Bisbee a short drive from Tombstone was neat. Nice mine tour there as well. One could do both in a long day trip from Benson area. We did once using a hotel in Benson using our car. We did Bisbee & the mine tour with a stop at Tombstone on way out, then drove to Las Cruces.
Chiricahua National Monument out from Wilcox is great, been there will go back. Has a nice campground as well. http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm
I-10 in New Mexico:
We have always enjoyed the Uniqueness of camping close or in the rocks at City of Rocks State Park. Very Unique Place about 30 miles from Deming, NM just off US 180.
CampsitePhotos- City of Rocks
In Deming there are Hidden Valley Ranch and Low Hi Ranch RV Park plus a few more: RV Park Reviews. 81 Palms (55 RV Park) is just off I-10 on the frontage road, west side of town.
:h Another Suggestion: One could use I-10 to get to Arizona & New Mexico, then use US 285 N from Carlsbad to Artesia & Roswell to I-40 at Cline's Corner. I-40 W to ABQ & on to Arizona & the Petrified Forest & on to CA. In other words, Leave CA via I-10, Return via I-40. Or Visa Versa. Out via I-40. Back via I-10.
One can also use US 285 N from Cline's Corner & I-40 to reach Santa Fe & I-25 (after Santa Fe use I-25 to reach ABQ & I-40 W. There is much to see & do in the Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't area of New Mexico -A Trip Report last summer.
Bandelier Nat'l Mon't is off US 285. We were there in August last year. Not too hot at all. Cools off quickly after sundown each evening. I believe we were there years ago in July. Warmer during the day, but cool nights.
Los Alamos is a very neat small city in itself. Free bus system with very neat buses. Very pretty setting up in the high country. Somewhat of a gated community as well. We only drove through & stopped at a SuperMarket. A nice town. http://www.visit.losalamos.com/
http://www.losalamosnm.us/transit/Pages/default.aspx
More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded & ABQ.
If you have a lot of time for exploring:
Side trip on the way to Santa Fe (one can reach Santa Fe from Carrizozo via US 54 to NM 3 to US 285 N to I-40 & on to I-25 then W to Santa Fe):
Take US 380 West at Roswell: :C West of Roswell US 70/US 380 to US 54 - - - - - -> US 380 runs from Roswell to Carrizozo to San Antonio, between Carrizozo & US 70 one passes Billy the Kid Country & Lincoln & Smokey Bear in Capitan all in Lincoln County & the neat Valley of Fire BLM Campground is near Carrizozo, then take US 54 south to Alamogordo. Or US 380 to San Antonio, NM & I-25. Or US 54 N to Santa Fe.
:C A really neat place is the Valley of Fires BLM Campground (near Carrizozo) is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found:
Campground . . and . . Cloudcroft, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks.
If skipping Santa Fe, take US 380 to I-25. The North to ABQ. But to skip ABQ take NM 6 at Los Lunas to I-40. A nice cut off to bypass ABQ. NM 6 was once upon a time part of the old Route 66.
Post Edit for more info on I-40 Route in NM.
Sights & Sites in Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- to Santa Fe Plus an old post some links may not be working anymore.
This was a neat place to camp and visit (have not been to in it many years), even with a museum nearby, all close to Gallup at Red Rock/Churchrock just off of I-40 east of town. It was a state park when we used it.
http://www.campingroadtrip.com/campgrounds/campground/campground/11212/new-mexico/red-rock-state-park
Blue Water Lake State Park, by Grants, west of Albu'que on I-40. Bluewater not a bad area, but more of a fishing site. But not at all bad for an overnight, even some hiking trails. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/bluewaterlakestatepark.html
NM State Parks are a good bargain. $10 without electric, $4 more for electric. Most have nice showers (no extra cost) & no entry fee or day fee on top of camping fee as in TX & CO. The one by Santa Fe is one which doesn't have showers.
El Morro National Monument is neat to see & has a small campground; there is a private campgound near by as well. Near Grants or can be reached from Gallup. We went from Gallup to Zuni Pueblo then to El Morro (we lingered too long at the Pueblo and didn't get to hike the trial at El Morro, got there too late in the day; its a neat trail too, we had hiked it before). Of course one could go to it from Grants as well.
http://www.nps.gov/elmo/index.htm
More on Santa Fe (Eating):
We had very good Asian from Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe last summer. Just stumbled onto it in a thunder/rain storm. We did carry out, but it was a very nice restaurant.
Someone at the AAA office recommended Tortilla Flats in Santa Fe; it prove to be very good as well.
Normally, we would eat on the Plaza, from Cart Vendors, such as Roque's Carnitas. Cart Cuisine, but they were not there that week-end. Due to the 'Santa Fe Indian Market', "a 91-year-old Native art market", we didn't find the normal street food venders on the Plaza. We did eat once at one of the 'Indian' vendors, but the lines were extremely long. Also at a roasted corn vendor.
I'd skip the Petrified Forest & do both caverns. Petrified Forest is mainly a drive through & look at the different areas with a few walks to see a few sites. Neat but not as awesome as the caverns. IMHO.
There is a whole lot to see & do between the two caverns as well if time allows:
Info for Tucson, a really neat town & area: :) Clicky an old post some links may not be working anymore.
There are two units to see at Saguaro NP, one on each side of Tucson. East unit has a paved road which loop around part of the park. Small visitor center. West unit is a dirt road, seems longer maybe ? & has a larger visitor center. Near it is also the AZ Sonora Desert Museum (very good one, more zoo than museum), a must see IMHO. Also campground near by Gilbert Ray CG. Info in the above Clicky.
If you go to Carlsbad, some of this stuff may come in handy:
Off I-10/I-25 on US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument & Alamogordo Area. This site also has info on Carlsbad......I believe I would stay at Brantley State Park to base to see the area by Carlsbad.
Las Cruces Area & Southern NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger. Video
Taste of NM Pecans: Stahmanns or Salopek
In Las Cruces: Hacienda RV Resort and Siesta RV Park are the easiest to get to, just of I-10 exit 140. Las Cruces KOA and Sunny Acres RV Park off I-10 exit 135. KOA on the mesa over looking the Mesilla Valley, Sunny Acres in the Valley. Park Reviews Siesta RV has gravel roads & pads, Hacienda RV has paved roads, maybe concrete pads. Sunny Acres more into town, maybe cramped???
Leasburg Dam State Park is about 17 miles N of Las Cruces on I-25. With Fort Selden State Mon't near by. A young Douglas Mac Arthur called the fort home while his father was post commander in the late 1880s.
To By Pass Most of El Paso:
One can use the War Road Route to bypass the Trans Mountain pass: Use Exit 162 in New Mexico (just short of the NM/TX state line) NM-404/Ohara Rd East, turn right on NM 213 S (War Road), this turns into Martin Luther Kings Jr. Blvd (FM 3255) once entering TX. Take the ramp onto Gateway S Blvd/Patriot Fwy (US 54 S) to TX 376 Turn left onto Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd (Texas Loop 375). Follow Loop 375 to the US-62/US-180/Montana Ave exit (about 12 miles). The US-62/US-180 takes you to Carlsbad Caverns. Not mountains to cross on this bypass. If you take a right on 376, then it'll take you up & over the pass.
If you want to take the Pass, just stay on I-10 on into TX. Take the exit toward Texas Loop 375/Trans Mountain Rd (about 5 or 6 miles from state line)....Turn left onto TX-375 Loop W/Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd it will take you up & over (great vistas up at the top, at a rest/viewing area). Video Drive Trans Mountain
You really do not want to drive into El Paso & do a few city streets to get to & onto very busy Montana Ave (US-180 E/US-62 E). Much worse than a mountain pass.
On I-10 after Kartchner: Between Benson & Wilcox, a mild pass with a rest area in Texas Canyon, neat rock formations - elevation 4500'.
Also In the area: The Amerind Foundation :C Clicky :C ( Amerind Art Gallery is Neat ) a ethnological, anthropological, archaeological museum and art gallery with paintings by 20th century Anglo and Native American artists. We enjoyed the art gallery and the museum. A neat out of the way, hidden site in the boulders of Texas Canyon. The Amerind is located in Cochise County, one mile south of Interstate 10, only about an hour east of Tucson, between Benson and Willcox. It is easy to find - just look for Dragoon Road exit, #318, and head south until you see mile marker 1 on one side of the road and the Amerind entrance on the other.
Cochise Strong Hold is in the same area, drove to it but did not camp, a nice setting. Cochise Stronghold
One could stay at the Kartchner state park by the cave & do a day trip to Tombstone, which isn't much now but a large tourist trap operation. The old courthouse is neat. Seeing where all the history happened was nice. Shouldn't take too long. Bisbee a short drive from Tombstone was neat. Nice mine tour there as well. One could do both in a long day trip from Benson area. We did once using a hotel in Benson using our car. We did Bisbee & the mine tour with a stop at Tombstone on way out, then drove to Las Cruces.
Chiricahua National Monument out from Wilcox is great, been there will go back. Has a nice campground as well. http://www.nps.gov/chir/index.htm
I-10 in New Mexico:
We have always enjoyed the Uniqueness of camping close or in the rocks at City of Rocks State Park. Very Unique Place about 30 miles from Deming, NM just off US 180.
CampsitePhotos- City of Rocks
In Deming there are Hidden Valley Ranch and Low Hi Ranch RV Park plus a few more: RV Park Reviews. 81 Palms (55 RV Park) is just off I-10 on the frontage road, west side of town.
:h Another Suggestion: One could use I-10 to get to Arizona & New Mexico, then use US 285 N from Carlsbad to Artesia & Roswell to I-40 at Cline's Corner. I-40 W to ABQ & on to Arizona & the Petrified Forest & on to CA. In other words, Leave CA via I-10, Return via I-40. Or Visa Versa. Out via I-40. Back via I-10.
One can also use US 285 N from Cline's Corner & I-40 to reach Santa Fe & I-25 (after Santa Fe use I-25 to reach ABQ & I-40 W. There is much to see & do in the Santa Fe & Bandelier Nat'l Mon't area of New Mexico -A Trip Report last summer.
Bandelier Nat'l Mon't is off US 285. We were there in August last year. Not too hot at all. Cools off quickly after sundown each evening. I believe we were there years ago in July. Warmer during the day, but cool nights.
Los Alamos is a very neat small city in itself. Free bus system with very neat buses. Very pretty setting up in the high country. Somewhat of a gated community as well. We only drove through & stopped at a SuperMarket. A nice town. http://www.visit.losalamos.com/
http://www.losalamosnm.us/transit/Pages/default.aspx
More on the Santa Fe Area Expanded & ABQ.
If you have a lot of time for exploring:
Side trip on the way to Santa Fe (one can reach Santa Fe from Carrizozo via US 54 to NM 3 to US 285 N to I-40 & on to I-25 then W to Santa Fe):
Take US 380 West at Roswell: :C West of Roswell US 70/US 380 to US 54 - - - - - -> US 380 runs from Roswell to Carrizozo to San Antonio, between Carrizozo & US 70 one passes Billy the Kid Country & Lincoln & Smokey Bear in Capitan all in Lincoln County & the neat Valley of Fire BLM Campground is near Carrizozo, then take US 54 south to Alamogordo. Or US 380 to San Antonio, NM & I-25. Or US 54 N to Santa Fe.
:C A really neat place is the Valley of Fires BLM Campground (near Carrizozo) is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found:
Campground . . and . . Cloudcroft, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks.
If skipping Santa Fe, take US 380 to I-25. The North to ABQ. But to skip ABQ take NM 6 at Los Lunas to I-40. A nice cut off to bypass ABQ. NM 6 was once upon a time part of the old Route 66.
Post Edit for more info on I-40 Route in NM.
Sights & Sites in Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- to Santa Fe Plus an old post some links may not be working anymore.
This was a neat place to camp and visit (have not been to in it many years), even with a museum nearby, all close to Gallup at Red Rock/Churchrock just off of I-40 east of town. It was a state park when we used it.
http://www.campingroadtrip.com/campgrounds/campground/campground/11212/new-mexico/red-rock-state-park
Blue Water Lake State Park, by Grants, west of Albu'que on I-40. Bluewater not a bad area, but more of a fishing site. But not at all bad for an overnight, even some hiking trails. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/bluewaterlakestatepark.html
NM State Parks are a good bargain. $10 without electric, $4 more for electric. Most have nice showers (no extra cost) & no entry fee or day fee on top of camping fee as in TX & CO. The one by Santa Fe is one which doesn't have showers.
El Morro National Monument is neat to see & has a small campground; there is a private campgound near by as well. Near Grants or can be reached from Gallup. We went from Gallup to Zuni Pueblo then to El Morro (we lingered too long at the Pueblo and didn't get to hike the trial at El Morro, got there too late in the day; its a neat trail too, we had hiked it before). Of course one could go to it from Grants as well.
http://www.nps.gov/elmo/index.htm
More on Santa Fe (Eating):
We had very good Asian from Jinja Bar & Bistro in Santa Fe last summer. Just stumbled onto it in a thunder/rain storm. We did carry out, but it was a very nice restaurant.
Someone at the AAA office recommended Tortilla Flats in Santa Fe; it prove to be very good as well.
Normally, we would eat on the Plaza, from Cart Vendors, such as Roque's Carnitas. Cart Cuisine, but they were not there that week-end. Due to the 'Santa Fe Indian Market', "a 91-year-old Native art market", we didn't find the normal street food venders on the Plaza. We did eat once at one of the 'Indian' vendors, but the lines were extremely long. Also at a roasted corn vendor.
