Last week I finally had the opportunity to head to Cloudcroft, New Mexico for Four nights camping and hiking. The forecast was for highs in the 70's and low's in the 50's and no rain. I had read online about some dispersed campsites along a Forest Road just outside of town, so I headed there first to see what was available. About a mile down the road I found a nice secluded site that had parking just 20 feet from the campsite. No other campers were in the area so it would be nice and quiet. The only issue was that there was not a designated tent pad. I found the most level rock free site and set up my tent. the slope was gradual, but it was enough that during the course of the night I slid down feet first to the end of my tent. It was just a minor inconvenience as the location was so peaceful and beautiful. I counted over a dozen different bird species and woke to their songs every morning and had them serenade me throughout the day. I also had some great views to the north across the mountains. Overnight on two of the nights I was awakened by coyotes howling and yelping and the elk barking out warnings . It was a bit eerie as otherwise it was so silent.
A big advantage to these campsites was trail access was right there. I had a six mile hike right on my doorstep. I did that hike both clockwise and counter-clockwise. It is a combination of several trails that includes the popular OSHA trail. I also did a third hike that I had to drive to that was linked into the Trestle Rec Area. This hike was under 3 miles but had some great steep inclines. I also did a few short hikes near my campsite along the Forest Road.
No trip to Cloudcroft is complete without a stop at Cloudcroft Brewery for a Amber Ale and one of the best wood-fired pizzas you will ever eat.It was a great finish to a successful hiking trip.
Morning View from my tent.
