New Mexico's State and National Parks: Your Next Fishing, Hunting, or Hiking Vacation

By Erika Decaster erika.decaster@hqpublications.com ResearchMyVacation Columnist November 29, 2004

You may think of New Mexico as a flat, dusty desert, filled with cactus and Indian ruins, but this southwestern state is crisscrossed with mountain ranges offering gorgeous mountain vistas, placid lakes, and trails fit for snowshoeing in the winter.

With millions of acres of national parks and forests, and a temperate climate, New Mexico is an outdoorsman's dream.

Three Things You Can Do on a New Mexico Vacation:

1. Fishing, Far and Wide
   Because of its desert reputation, you may not know that New Mexico has some of the best fishing in the southwest. In parks such as Morphy Lake State Park, you'll find yourself hiking in and hiking out of this secluded spot, and enjoying the peace and quiet of some of the best fishing in the West - certainly, the most scenic. Or you may choose to visit the bigger and busier Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico's second largest lake, which is world-famous for its excellent fishing.



2. Hunting the Hills and Plateaus
   For those who enjoy hiking and hunting, there is plenty of wild game to be had in New Mexico, including elk, deer, bear, turkey, and grouse in New Mexico's Cimarron Canyon State Park. In other areas, you may even be lucky enough to find the exotic Oryx, Persian ibex, and Barbary sheep.



3. Hiking the High Desert
   New Mexico is home to over 30 state parks, all of which offer something different to see and do on your hiking vacation. From the Caballo Lake State Park, which is famous for the Bald and Golden Eagles that make migration stops there, to the Rockhound State Park, rich with geological diversity, a New Mexico hiking vacation is perfect for hikers of all skill levels and interests.
   
   Your hiking vacation may also include hiking among dinosaur fossils in the Elephant Butte Lake State Park, which boasts the fossil of the Rex, one of the greatest predators in the dinosaur world.
   
   A bird watching and hiking vacation in New Mexico is an increasingly popular choice, especially in the Oasis State Park which is the home to over 80 species of birds.

Source

http://nmtourism.org

About the Author
Erika Edwards Decaster is an avid international traveler and has traveled in South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. She is currently living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her previous experience includes publishing, curriculum development, museum administration and as a teacher of English as a second language. She has also worked as a full-time humanitarian aid volunteer in Portugal and as an employment specialist in the Dominican Republic.