NOTE: I chose to move my (now slightly edited) post about New Mexico to this new 'Freeways & Byways' section...
I thought a more appropriate place for my long-winded reply,
ummm, I mean, my wide-range of travel info beyond campground suggestions.
OP's question (& other replies) can be found in the 'campgrounds' section, here: "New Mexico"
http://keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4081
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For those traveling through "New Mexico", especially in the early spring..... a lot will depend on your route/direction of travel, your interests & travel time available (of course) & the weather.
Keep in mind there may still be some snow AND below freezing temps in the higher elevations during March/April. If you plan to camp in any of the National Forest areas or higher elevation State Parks - be sure to check for campground open/close dates (some may not open until April).
The cities of Albuquerque & Santa Fe both have much to see... there's also Las Cruces
http://www.las-cruces.com/html/tourism.html to the south/west which is now the 2nd largest city in the state. All 3 have Interstate access & several RV Parks to choose from. In Las Cruces, Hacienda RV & the KOA are both nice/clean, big rig friendly, with easy access to/from I-10. If you like authentic New Mexico food, try 'La Posta' Restaurant
http://www.laposta-de-mesilla.com
In addition to the places that Ron mentioned (in "New Mexico" link, above), there's also the northern towns of Eagle Nest, Red River and Angel Fire. Beautiful area... but snow may be a factor in March/April.
Eagle Nest and the State Park: (surrounded by two of the state's highest peaks, Baldy Mountain & Wheeler Peak)
http://www.eaglenest.org
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/EaglesNest.htm
And Cimarron Canyon State Park:
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/CimarronCanyon.htm
Red River:
http://www.redriver.org
Angel Fire:
http://angelfirefun.com
Taos:
http://www.taoschamber.com
If simply traveling through the Albuquerque area on the way to northwest part of the state (Shiprock/Four Corners area) -- the town of Bernalillo has a campground, on the river & a good overnight stop. I-10 exit 252, west onto Hwy 550 (c/g at Coronado State Monument)
http://www.townofbernalillo.org/depts/campground.htm
Farther north/west on Hwy 550 (same route) the town of Cuba has 2 or 3 small/overnight campgrounds.
East of Farmington is Navajo Lake State Park; and the San Juan River known for fly fishing & Quality Waters.
Traveling Interstate 25 NORTH to Colorado (near Raton & Sugarite Canyon area), this area heavily damaged by recent wildfires (summer 2011) - might call ahead for camping info.
Interstate 25 (south of Albuquerque/north of Las Cruces):
At I-25, exit 139, near the town of San Antonio, NM is the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque And, nearby Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park. An FYI: Conrad Hilton (founder of Hilton Hotels) was born in San Antonio, NM. The town is also known for their great green chile cheeseburgers at The Owl Bar and The Buckhorn Tavern. Yummm!
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/3612/owl-bar
http://nmgastronome.com/blog/?p=164
Several RV Parks in/around the town of Truth or Consequences. There's also Elephant Butte State Park, Caballo Lake State Park, & Percha Dam State Park. Caballo Lake S.P is closest to I-25, but Percha Dam is a quiet little S.P. nestled in the trees (water & electric, but NO sewer or dump station). Leasburg Dam State Park is south near Las Cruces (desert camping, on the river), I-25 exit 19.
As suggested by antiqfreq/Jo, (in "New Mexico" link, above) there's White Sands National Monument in the Alamogordo area.
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm
http://www.white-sands-new-mexico.com
Also the New Mexico Space Museum
http://www.nmspacemuseum.org
and White Sands Missile Range Museum
http://www.wsmr-history.org
Note: Dunes Drive is periodically closed to travel due to missile testing at White Sands Missile Range.
In the Silver City area (I-10 west of Las Cruces, then north of Deming, NM):
http://www.silvercity.org
Gila Cliff Dwellings (& Gila National Forest)
http://www.nps.gov/gicl
Rose Valley RV
http://www.rosevalleyrv.com
Nice RV Park which we used as a base camp to see the area. Note: Some roads in the Gila National Forest aren't big rig friendly... example: part of Hwy 15 is a narrow/winding mountain road with vehicle length restrictions.
http://www.nps.gov/gicl/planyourvisit/directions.htm
Plan your route accordingly.
The Catwalk is a must-see! (5 miles east of Glenwood off Hwy 180 in Whitewater Canyon - on NM 174, aka Catwalk Road) A great 'day trip' from Silver city... take a picnic lunch.
http://www.rosevalleyrv.com/dest_catwalk.shtml Parking was $3 at self-pay station, no change available. Catwalk Trail is just over 1 mile & handicapped accessible.
If traveling across the southeast corner of the state, Carlsbad & Roswell area, there's:
Brantley Lake State Park
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/par...s/brantley.htm
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
http://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm
Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/livingdesert.htm
and Sitting Bull Falls.
Bottomless Lakes State Park (east of Roswell)
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/bottomless.htm
UFO Museum (Roswell) and the mysterious 1947 crash site:
http://www.ufocasebook.com/Roswellpictures.html
Brantley Lake S.P. & the KOA c/g are about 15 miles north of Carlsbad... be aware it's almost 40 miles to Carlsbad Caverns from these 2 campgrounds. There's no camping 'at' the Caverns (Nat'l Park), although there is a small/older campground at nearby White's City, which may be okay for overnight.
Sitting Bull Falls... 'day trip' from Carlsbad area, about 35 miles one way. Take a picnic!
http://www.mylifeoutdoors.com/2011/0...ew-mexico.html
http://southernnewmexico.com/Article...BullFalls.html
Heading west from Carlsbad Caverns (toward El Paso, TX or Las Cruces, NM to I-10 & I-25)... there's Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Pine Springs campground, no hook-up's but water available) Actually in Texas (& the highest point in TX), but it's 'on the way'. Frijole Ranch Museum & Butterfield Stagecoach Station here too.
http://www.guadalupe.mountains.national-park.com
McKittrick Canyon ('day trip', near Pine Springs c/g) is wonderful if you enjoy hiking. Moderate terrain to The Grotto - wear good hiking boots/shoes & hats and take plenty of water & your binoculars... lots of wildlife, and we've seen Eagles nesting in this area.
http://www.guadalupe.mountains.natio.../sights.htm#mc
There's also Williams Ranch (4-wheel drive vehicle or mountain bikes needed)... day use only; check at Headquarters Visitor Center to obtain a key & information brochures.
"Off the beaten path", but worth visiting IMHO, if in the area -- (from Alamogordo, heading north/east... OR ...from Carlsbad, heading north/west) there's the Sacramento Mountains and Lincoln National Forest. A lot to see in this area too - in the quaint little mountain towns of Ruidoso, Alto, Cloudcroft, Sunspot, Mayhill and Capitan... just to name a few. Capitan is the
birthplace of Smokey the Bear
http://www.smokeybearpark.com
Valley of Fires Recreation Area... (4 miles west of the town of Carrizozo on US 380). Good overnight stop, RV sites with water & electric, dump station. One of several lava flows in NM, and Very interesting! It's said to be the youngest of its kind in the continental US (1,500-5,000 years old).
http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/rec..._of_fires.html
The New Mexico Vacation Guide lists attractions by regions & includes a calendar of events:
http://www.newmexico.org
You can view it online: 2011
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/...e7#/043b00e7/1
Or, order a 2012 hard copy (it's free)...
http://www.newmexico.org/guide/index.php
There's also
http://byways.org/explore/states/NM
Terri, the Chevy co-pilot & DH Kevin
Silver City for Christmas
hankaye
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