What a blast walking on this cute little trail! We came mid week so there wasn't as many people as…read moresome say there is on the weekend. Cute kids looking for the doors everywhere. Lots of wildlife out when we were out. We went as far on the trail as we could before it ended, if it was a little longer would be ideal but we lived it none the less!

THIS is THEEEE BEST PARK I've ever been too !! We've been traveling in our RV & New Mexico is our…read more8th state so far and we have done so many parks. This has got to be THEE cutest park ever!! (Yes, I'm shouting ) We stayed near town to hit up White Sands & we loved it there too & wanted a park to eat, take a hike & relax. First off we parked in the wrong section ‍. We parked by the first bridge (Tom's bridge). So first you want to find the main entrance. There you will see a wonderful map of the adorable park & the fairy homes. I'll give you a clue, don't use the map, it's not that great BUT is adorable for pictures! Look on the ground for a white fairy wand & you are close to a fairy house. If you find a T, then look for a Troll home. I saw online ONE cute fairy home & thought I would surprise our teens with one cute fairy home. Boy, was I wrong! There's 10 !! We did 9/10. It starts to get into a residential area & maybe it was us buuuut a little old lady didn't look to please that we were there looking for the 10th one. Sorry Lady! They have great picnic spots, benches to sit everywhere! I'm a big big girl and I walked one way the whole thing than my wonderful husband ran back to get our car for me & the kids. We had packed a picnic & parked by the big picnic area. There's about 2 parking spots. All & all, we had a blast ! Greatest Park Ever !!

We came out yesterday, and had a wonderful time. So much so, that we came out again today! ‍…read more Bring shade! A tent, umbrella, some type of protection from the hot sun, because it is !! Parking is $10, by reservation only, on the weekends, and Monday-Thursday is first come first served, but also $10. If you have an established residence, second home, it's $10 for the entire season. Ignore the ticket taker's attitude as you drive in. We have been here three times, morning, and evening, and she's always here! Lol! She is extremely rude! She evidently hates her job because she is unfriendly and grills everyone to the third degree! Like I said, ignore her, and have fun! Registration is online at the Ruidoso Parks and Recreation website. The water park, known as The Wibit, is $20. This is a main attraction for family-fun. Life vests are required at all times while swimming, and using the water park, but they rent you one as part of the $20. Food and drinks are allowed, but of course, no alcohol is ever permitted. We most definitely will be returning, and highly recommend it!

Even though the wind harshed my picnic, making me retreat to inside my car to finish, still…read morefantastic.

We were visiting for the week and discovered this park. Far enough off the main road and completely…read morefenced in, clean and well maintained. It had two separate areas for the older kiddos and the littles. A bathroom nearby was handy. The elk roaming nearby was an added bonus. The munchkins all had a blast while their parents shopped in town. Just don't end up trying to enter from the wrong direction if it's time for the neighboring school to let out.

Great park for kids of all ages. Hidden gem. Elk grazing the area too. Easy to accessread more

I had gone here as a young child and was excited about coming back!…read more Beautiful drive to get there. Be sure to bring water, HIKING SHOES, more water, sunscreen, camera, snacks and plenty of time! It's well worth it! Very awe inspiring! The staff is super informative and friendly. Be sure to carry the map you're given so you don't miss anything! This is a must do adventure!

It definitely is an off the beaten path kind of place. It is not too far off the highway and the…read moregood part is the petroglyphs (at least some of them) are very easy to hike too. Part of the path is paved and the rest is a little rocky and tiny climb, but overall easy work to see several rocks with the ancient drawings. It is a cool little glimpse of history. Worth the side trip!

Pros: Beautiful and natural landscape..view native plants and watch the sunset…read more Cons: Many state parks and businesses close early. The park office closes early and you won't be able to stamp your travel book etc.

First tip - bring sunglasses. Serious sunglasses. Like the kind you wear after your pupils get…read moredilated at the eye doctor. The sand reflects the sun and makes everything brighter Second - heed the heat warnings. We visited on an 85 degree day. But out on the sand dunes it is hotter. There is no shade. And the white sand reflects the heat making it 10-15 degrees hotter. We actually saw a man being rescued off the Dune Life Nature Trail with heat stroke. This is only a 1 mile loop trail. That being said - this is a pretty quick visit. We drove the 16 mile scenic loop. (Any car can make the drive). Stopped quite a few time for photos. Stopped to climb the dunes. And took a walk down the Playa trail. I think we were in and out in about 2 hours. We wanted to take the Nature Life trail - but didn't want to interfere with the emergency vehicles. And the boardwalk is currently closed. If we had done one of those - that would have added an hour. But White Sands is truly an extraordinary sight. From about 10-15 miles away - you can see the white sand dunes in the distance. As you drive into the park, you see scrappy green and brown vegetation growing out of the gypsum sand and you wonder how but about 4 miles in, most of the vegetation just disappeared and you just see miles of white sand. It's crazy. It's a quick visit, but definitely a visit worth making.

Beautiful, quiet park with clean camping facilities. Has restrooms and showers. Great sleeping in…read morethe Chihuahua desert. Close proximity to White Sands and Los Alamos. There is the Dog Canyon trail, which is worth the trek. We didn't make it all the way through due to timing, but will definitely be back to finish.

Quiet and spacious campground for star gazing and close to White Sands NP. We would definitely stay…read morehere again. Friendly camp hosts. They also have sleds to borrow at the camp host station for sledding the dunes at White Sands.

Fantastic place to watch the 4th of July fireworks display in Roswell, NM. There is a little bit…read moreof traffic driving in and out of the park before and after, but it isn't too bad. There is a giant field you can bring blankets and lawn chairs to watch the field on, OR you can stay in the gravel parkinglot and watch from there. The view in the open sky from the park is spectacular. I stayed in the gravel parkinglot because I was also lighting fireworks which is another plus to being there. A ton of people who attend bring their own fireworks and they are lighting them off before and after the show. The fireworks display at Cielo Grande park is also known to be Roswell's biggest fireworks display. Definitely come here to watch fireworks if you are in town for the 4th of July!

This was my first time skiing & I honestly had so much fun here! There's levels for starters and…read moremore advance levels but I stayed in the beginners hehe. It's super cold here but with thermal wear it was much better ! The view going up was beautiful! I don't know how to add videos here but it was breathtaking! It takes a little bit of time going up but it's worth it! The place had clean restrooms and a restaurant at the top of you get hungry but you can also bring your own food and kind of picnic at the tables there instead of buying food. The skiing was so fun here & I recommend it

The Ski Apache Summer Gondola in Alto, New Mexico was one of the most overpriced tourist…read moreattractions we've experienced. At roughly $50 per person, our family of five spent about $250 for what turned out to be little more than a ride up the mountain and back down. Yes, there are views of the Sacramento Mountains, but once you reach the top, there's virtually nothing there. No meaningful attractions, no activities, no restaurant, no entertainment--just a viewpoint and a couple of folding chairs. We honestly thought we were missing something. For comparison, the gondolas in Breckenridge and Telluride are free and offer access to hiking, dining, shopping, and incredible mountain experiences. Even the Tramway in Albuquerque costs less, ($19 for children and teens $35 for adults) has a much longer and more impressive ride, breathtaking views, and a restaurant at the top. If you're searching for things to do near Ruidoso or Alto, save your money and spend it elsewhere. Charging $50 per person for a short gondola ride that ends at essentially an empty mountaintop feels like a complete rip-off. The scenery is nice, but not nearly enough to justify the cost. We left feeling disappointed, misled, and wondering where our $250 went. Update: Two season ago the ski passes were $60 Last year $90 now $195 for a small primitive ski resort this is laughable

I went camping here years ago with friends. We weren't smart and got in after dark and had a heck…read moreof a time trying to put tents up. There are some nice hiking areas around here.

We have been coming here for years and never have we ever been treated like we did this past…read moreweekend by the camp hosts. We had called and spoke to the owner to see if we could check in a bit early and be was completely ok with it. When we got there the camp host was extremely rude saying we were there too early being that no one was in our spot and there were so many other empty spots available. we then had our campfire on and eight at 10 she came and advised it was quiet time and the fire needed to be turned off due to "county law" which is complete BS mind you we were not even loud we were just hanging out and there are zero rules staring that fires need to be out at 10. The next night she again came rudely 3 minutes past 10 when we were already putting our fire out stating "REALLY 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW!!" we said we are putting our fire out and she said "well get your clocks fixed to be on time". we pay a lot of money to enjoy our time there. I feel the owner needs to look into this because the campground was not as full as it usually is and they may be running people out with that unnecessary attitude and rudeness.

Prior to reaching the Valley of Fires Recreation Area near Carrizozo, NM, we sat in traffic for…read moreabout a half hour due to heavy law enforcement presence due to what? I never found out. We stopped only for a moment to view the black lava flow that covered vast amounts of the surrounding area. It's fascinating. There were quite a lot of RV campers at the sites. Here's a quick overview I compiled: + camp host on-site + 20 RV campsites have 30 and 50 amp electrical hookups and water hookups + the above includes 2 RV sites that are accessible + group shelters + picnic shelters + tables + trashcans + BBQ grills + restrooms (also with accessibility) + showers (non-campers may use these for a fee of $6) + RV dump station + leashed dogs allowed + 3/4 mile Malpais Nature Trail "offers a close-up look of the lava surface." + visitor center, bookstore & gift shop available Hopefully someday sooner than later I'll be back to exhaustively explore this remote side of New Mexico. Works Cited https://www.blm.gov/visit/valley-fires-recreation-area

Nice camp area if you're passing through or wanting to stay away from the cities, but still near…read moreattractions in the area. Spaces for big RVs, and even solo tent spots at the very end. RV spots have water and electricity and a few also have tent pads. Reservation can be made online at recreation.gov, but a few spots are first come first serve. (See pic for FF spots) 3 vault toilets in the area, but they also have 1 main shower and restroom facility. The showers or free, but only for paying visitors. They also have a ramp that leads down into the lava flow. They actually built a trail that's handicap accessible all the way into the lava flow with some very old and faded descriptions as you go along. It's a pretty cool thing to enjoy and see but definitely go early in the day as it gets very hot and by the middle of the morning already. Park fees are $3 for single rider, $5 for full vehicle $6 for shower use. Camping fees are $19 for spots with electric and water, $12 for water only, and $7 for a tent spot. Current (Sept 2024) host is Daniel and he's a nice guy.