Hello,I'm planning a trip from central Florida to Albuquerque, to attend the balloon fest this October. I would like to stop in Carlsbad to see the caverns and also Rosewell, on the way. Can anyone give me some input/suggestions on campgrounds in those areas? (Or other things to see/do?)Thanks,Andy

We just stayed in the KOA in Carlsbad, it is a long way from the caverns and the best in town. We did a day trip from there to Roswell - not really much to do there. Where are you staying for the fest? We just stayed 45 days this winter in NM in several cities. We liked American RV Park in Albuquerque

We spent a night at Bottomless Lake State Park a few miles outside of Roswell a couple of years ago. Nice park for a day or two and you are really out in the open country, which is what we wanted. After all, we were going to Roswell to see if we would see "them" :).My DW went along with all this and we both actually enjoyed the UFO stuff. Kind of a hoot. If you go from Roswell on up to the Baloon Festival, you might think about going through Ruidoso. Nice NF campgrounds around there and Lincoln, NM, is an interesting look into the past and right on the way.

Not really a lot to do in Roswell, one afternoon and your done. UFO museum is about it. There is a campground in town, can( remember name of it. Bottomless Lakes is interesting, and does have a campground.

the KOA in Carlsbad is your best bet.Roswell Alien museumcross the mountains on 70 and 380. this route takes you through some of Billy the Kid's country.there's a nice little federal campground just west of Carrizozo. elec, water and dump station. going up I 25, there's a real nice rv park at the Isleta Casino. golf course, water, fishing, walking, and it's right on the light rail service which is pretty reasonable to use. the rv park costs around $35.00 a night. a shuttle will take you up to the casino where they have fair to middling dining.this place is just south of Albuquerque, so it's not far from the balloons gathering.

For Carlsbad, Brantley Lake State Park is a nice place to stay. For the Balloon Festival, the best place is right on the grounds, not in an RV park. You'll have all the action right in front of you without having the traffic and parking problems to contend with. You'd also have a chance to crew for a balloon operator if you wish and would probably get a free ride! Have a good trip!

New Mexico visit | Good Sam Community

ovrdrawn
Explorer
May 08, 2013
Thanks to everyone for the input. I've added an extra couple of days to the trip and plan 2 days at Brantley lake state park, 1 at Bottomless lake SP and 1 at Valley of Fires Recreation Area before heading to the balloon fest where we stay inside the grounds. Also will take a day trip to Santa Fe, and somewhere get a green chili cheeseburger. :)
2gypsies1
Explorer III
May 08, 2013
Your trip sounds absolutely perfect. Enjoy!!!
eubank
Explorer
May 08, 2013
Ok, if you're coming up from Valley of Fire on Hwy 380 to I25, you're going to be driving right through San Antonio, NM. That's where you'll find The Buckhorn, whose owner beat Bobby Flay in a green chile cheeseburger throw-down! (People will tell you to eat one at the Owl across the street in San Antonio. Granted, the Owl has a lot more history to it, but I think the Buckhorn's burgers are better.)

:)
Lynn
NCBounder
Explorer
May 09, 2013
If you happen to change your mind about going to Roswell, you could go through Guadalupe Mts State Park and over to Las Cruces then head north. Plenty of great scenery and stuff to do that way too. I think NM is one of the most underrated areas for tourist in the country. Beautiful!
loggenrock
Explorer
May 10, 2013
Glad you opted for Brantley Lake. We used Trailer Village right in Roswell for the night - yes, 1 day was totally adequate, but it was fun! (isn't that the idea???). A brother firefighter STRONGLY suggested we NOT go from Carlsbad down to El Paso, the obvious route and what we had been planning. Very real safety concerns (at least in 2010 when we were there) even travelling along I-10 in that area - cartels were flexing their muscles along the border. Instead we headed west over 82 (?) thru Cloudcroft and down to a beautiful SP in Alamogordo, then on to White Sands, etc. Have a great trip - and yes, stay right on the grounds at the balloon festival like 2gypsies mentioned - it was a great experience! ST
eubank
Explorer
May 10, 2013
Ah, I'm not a great fan of El Paso, but its safety record is actually pretty astounding:

http://www.kvia.com/news/El-Paso-again-ranks-as-safest-U-S-city/-/391068/18410136/-/g0jb03/-/index.html

:)
Lynn

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