New Mexico Adventure Activities

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier is an easy park to visit. In the Park Guide they give you at the entrance there are several suggestions about seeing the park depending on how much time you have. You can see a lot in an hour, but hopefully, you'll want to spend at least 3 or more hours in this fascinating park. And, if you have several days, that's even better. Remember those 70 miles of backcountry trails. Buy the excellent trail guide sold in the visitor's center. The guide leads you through the 21 numbered stops on the one and one quarter mile trail through the Frijoles Canyon. Along this trail you'll see many of the things that Bandelier is noted for. The cliffs will get your attention immediately and the first man made structure you will discover is the Big Kiva. Read more at Exploring Bandelier National Monument

Catwalk Riparian Forest in the Gila National Forest

This unusual path within Gila National Forest hugs sheer canyon walls above invigorating Whitewater Creek. In frontier times, this box canyon was a hideout for Butch Cassidy and Victorio’s Apaches. It follows an old water pipeline constructed in the 1890s by gold and silver miners to feed the mining town of Graham. From the parking area, ruins of old Graham Mill appear on the north side of the canyon. Only disciplined men with the balance of a cat could walk this 18-inch-diameter pipeline. Hence, the name stuck. Today, the metal walkway with four-foot-high metal mesh sides atop the pipeline and approximately 30 feet above the stream gives an innocuous sensation of being suspended in midair. It has been rebuilt several times since and parts of the trail were upgraded for handicapped access in 2003. Read more at Catwalk Trail - Gila National Forest

Cibola National Forest

Cibola (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) National Forest and National Grasslands stretches over 1.9 million acres and three states - New Mexico, western Oklahoma and northwestern Texas.

This is one of the states gems. The National Forest sections are in New Mexico and are beloved for their diversity and beauty. Whatever it is you seek in a place of wild beauty, it’s here. From desert up through juniper, pine, and spruce-fir forests. It’s an oasis of coolness in the heat of summer with easy access by paved roads and yet trails into the backcountry for hiking. The Cibola National Forest is made up of several ranger districts. Read more at Cibola National Forest

Petroglyph National Monument

Petroglyph National Monument. Black volcanic boulders have tumbled down the escarpment. Hardy green bushes have sunk their roots into the crumbling protosoil. It isn’t until you begin a walk one of the trails up the rugged rock face at Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico, that you see the images left by the indigenous carvers. You'll also enjoy the slide show.