Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Goods,
500 E. Main (
&
505/327-6004;
www.ziasportinggoods.com). Isolated and
primitive
Morphy Lake State Park
is a favorite destination for serious anglers. The lake
is regularly stocked with rainbow trout.
Cimarron Canyon State Park
is also popular
with fishers. Lake Alice in
Sugarite Canyon State Park,
just north of Raton at the
Colorado border, is a good spot for fly-fishing.
GOLF
In this region, greens fees range from $20 to $55, with most averaging about
$25; winter rates are lower. Cart rentals run about $15. In 2002,
Golf Digest
rated
Piñon
Hills Golf Course,
2101 Sunrise Pkwy., in Farmington (
&
505/326-6066;
www.fmtn.
org), the “best municipal course” in the United States. Also in Farmington is the
Civitan
Golf Course,
2100 N. Dustin (
&
505/599-1194
). In Kirtland (approx. 7 miles west of
Farmington), your golf option is
Riverview Golf Course,
on US 64 (
&
505/598-0140
).
In Grants, tee off at the 18-hole Coyote del Malpais Golf Course, at the base of Mount
Taylor (
&
505/285-5544;
http://coyotedelmalpaisgolfcourse.com). Duffers in northeast
New Mexico can get in a few holes in or near virtually every town covered in this section.
I recommend the following courses:
Raton Municipal Golf Course,
510 Country Club
Rd., Raton NM 87740 (
&
575/445-8113
);
Pendaries Village Mountain Resort,
in
Rociada (
&
505/425-3561;
www.pendaries.net), 13 miles south of Mora and 27 miles
northwest of Las Vegas; and
Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course,
Route 66 Boulevard,
Tucumcari, NM 88401 (
&
575/461-1849
).
HIKING
This part of the state has some great hiking trails. You'll get to see ancient
archaeological ruins in places such as Aztec Ruins and Chaco Canyon. In
Cíbola
National Forest
(
&
505/287-8833;
www.fs.fed.us/r3/cibola), the hike to the summit of
Mount Taylor is excellent. In cooler months, but not winter, try hiking around
El Mal-
pais National Monument
(
&
505/285-4641;
www.nps.gov/elma). Two good hikes to
try in El Malpais are the Zuni-Acoma Trail (this one is extremely taxing, so if you're not
in shape, don't expect to make the 15-mile round-trip hike) and the Big Lava Tubes Trail
(1 mile round-trip). My favorite hike in the region is to the top of
El Morro National
Monument
(
&
505/285-4641;
www.nps.gov/elma), which takes you to some
Anasazi ruins. For quiet hiking on fairly level ground, head to
Bluewater Lake State
Park
(
&
505/876-2391
),
Red Rock Park
(
&
505/722-3839
), or
Angel Peak Recre-
ation Area
(
&
505/599-8900
).
Sporting goods stores where you can get hiking gear include
REI-Albuquerque,
1550
Mercantile Ave. NE, in Albuquerque (
&
505/247-1191;
www.rei.com),
Frontier
Sports,
300 NE Aztec Blvd., in Aztec (
&
505/334-0009
), and
Zia Sporting Goods,
500 E. Main, in Farmington (
&
505/327-6004;
www.ziasportinggoods.com).
Northeastern New Mexico abounds in great places to hike, including the trails at
Capulin Volcano; however, the best places are in the mountains to the north of Las Vegas
and west of Santa Fe and Taos. The region's premier hike takes you to the top of
Hermit's
Peak,
a lovely but strenuous 8-mile round-trip foray onto a stunning precipice. Take NM
65 about 15 miles northwest of Las Vegas to the El Porvenir Campground. It's probably
best to acquire equipment and supplies in Albuquerque before you set out.
SCUBA DIVING
There couldn't possibly be scuba diving in this dry, landlocked state,
could there? Yes, there is, with the best at Santa Rosa, where you'll find the
Blue Hole,
an 81-foot-deep artesian well that's a favorite of divers from around the world. The best
place to rent equipment is at the
Santa Rosa Dive Center,
on Blue Hole Road, open
only on weekends (
&
575/472-3370
).
SKIING
Some of the best cross-country skiing in the state is in the Chama area. Lots of
broad bowls make the area a favorite of backcountry skiers as well as day-touring skiers. If
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