It was January 24, and we had a couple of days until our next reservation. The night before, we researched places to camp along the route from our current location in Roswell to the RV park in Rio Rancho, where we would be staying for Andy’s next travel nurse contract.
On the map, we saw a dark area labeled ‘Valley of Fires.’ After staying at RV Parks in the city for the past several months, we were more than ready to camp in nature again. Only 96 miles northwest of Roswell, the Valley of Fires Recreation Area was exactly what we needed.
The lava was a bonus.
A Campground to Ourselves
Leaving Roswell at 11 am, we drove west on U.S. 380, passing through several small towns and beautiful countryside.
The Visitor Center was closed when we arrived early in the afternoon. We located the self-pay station next to the main restroom. That is where we saw the sign indicating that services had been stopped due to the government shutdown.
The nightly rate was $18.00, very reasonable for 50 AMP and water. We pulled a registration form to complete after selecting our site.
We selected one of the several drive-through spots along the main campground road and started setting up. There was only one other RV in the campground.
After a quick lunch, we walked up the hill to the Malpais Nature Trail.
Malpais is Spanish for badlands or bad country. It is often used in the southwest to describe rough, barren landscapes consisting of lava fields. This lava flow is the youngest in the continental US.
Hiking Through the Lava
There is a viewing area at the start of the 3/4 mile paved trail. Looking through the telescope, you can see the Little Black Peak. The peak is the origin of at least one major lava flow, with some intact lava tubes radiating from it.
The lava surface is extremely rough and broken. Hikers are advised to use extreme caution when leaving the paved trail to explore the lava. We walked a short distance off the path, never leaving sight of it.
The air was a bit cool, but the sky was sunny, and we had the entire trail to ourselves. We didn’t see any of the wildlife that the signs along the trail and the brochures mentioned.
It would have been exciting to see a golden or bald eagle. Perhaps they were perched off in the distance, watching.
After completing the nature trail, we walked up the road past our campsite to the Hilltop Vista. This winding trail to the top is loose gravel. At the top is a concrete platform with a viewing telescope and another fantastic view of the Malpais and the Little Black Peak.
Returning to our RV, we relaxed, cooked dinner, and watched the sunset over the basin.
Enjoying the Night Sky
When the stars were visible in the sky, we bundled up against the cold and left the warm RV.
Andy wanted to take pictures of the stars, and I just wanted to see them. If it had been darker at our campsite, we would have taken out our telescope and viewed the stars from there. However, the lights from the restroom and the camp host site were a bit too bright. With our binoculars and flashlights in hand, we walked up the dark trail to the Hilltop Vista.
The brightness of the first quarter moon made it difficult for us to see the fullness of the Milky Way. The binoculars provided a good view of the moon and allowed us to see more stars than we would have without them. If it hadn’t been so cold, we might have gone back up to the vista in the early morning hours between moonset and sunrise.
Valley of Fires Campground
The next morning, we took the dogs for a long walk through the campground. All the tent sites have a level spot for the tent. Like the RV spots, they have covered tables and fire rings.
The cat in this picture hung out at our campsite most of the day. The dogs really wanted to get out and say hi.
At the end of the tent camping loop, there is a large picnic area with a volleyball court and restrooms.
On our way back to our site, we noticed the Visitor Center was open. Putting the dogs in the RV, we went to the center to see what information they had about the surrounding area.
One of the brochures we saw described the historic town of Carrizozo. Based on the recommendation of Trish in the Visitor Center, we decided to check it out. After lunch, we drove the four miles into town.
Check out our visit to Carrizozo. This artist community is worth the visit.
This cactus reminded us of Sadie, standing on her hind legs.
All photos in the post are credited to Photography by Andreas.
Peggy Staver, the author of this blog, is a freelance copywriter specializing in outdoor recreation and hospitality. You can contact her at PSCopywriting.com. The majority of photos are taken by Photography by Andreas.
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