Home Away from Home in Red River, New Mexico

It’s a great destination for sure and if you haven’t been there lately then you definitely need to take a trip west to discover all that Red River, New Mexico has to offer.  With as many Texans as locals, it’s a small town established in 1895 as a mining community, and it shines in summer and winter.

For summertime, consider a few of the options like hiking, biking or even a jeep tour into the nearby mountains.  The Carson National Forest actually surrounds Red River with its seasonal wildflowers, fall leaves and hundreds of miles of marked hiking trails.  New Mexico Adventure Company (www.bighornsports.us) is perfect for a Jeep Tour to Goose Lake, Old Pass and Pioneer Canyon or Greenie Peak.  A great chance to see wildlife and nature, you will also have the chance to visit an old mine and take a few minutes to pan for gold.

Fly fishing is big business in Red River, Jeff Fagan Guided Fly Fishing (www.bighornsports.us) offers experts and beginners a chance to say they fished at some of the best “holes “ in the area.  For horse lovers, the Red River Stables (www.redriverstables.com) has one hour rides throughout the scenic area mountains with trail climbs of up to 400 feet.

For a more relaxing time in Red River there are many shops on Main Street where you can find a variety of ways to spend your money.  A day spa in the little mountain town might also be a great way to unwind for a few hours.  Cathleen’s Mountain Day Spa (www.themountaindayspa.com) offers a great menu from facials, to massages to body wraps.

For your sweet tooth, The Candy Crate has created a number of fudge flavor options for the young at heart.  Choose from Milk Chocolate Rocky Road to Maple to Cookies and Cream and more or just take a look inside the shop attached to the candy store for local art, souvenirs and t-shirts. 

The Red River Community House (www.redrivercommunityhouse.org) is an excellent place for family entertainment and throughout the summer the Community House offers over 400 free family-friendly activities from Movies on the Lawn, Music in the Mountains to daily hikes, history tours and even Teenager and Young Adult night.

Red River hosts 20 annual festivals a year too so if you enjoy wine, blues, classic cars or even Mardi Gras visit www.RedRiver.org and find out what’s coming up next.

Finally, since Red River is such an old town, be sure and find out more about the historical side of things from the Red River Historical Society.  Plenty of history abounds about the comings and goings in this little mining community and there’s a good chance you might find a few historical stops – a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Place to Stay:

Copper King Lodge – 307 E. River Street – www.copperkinglodge.com

Place to Eat:

Texas Reds – 406 E. Main Street – www.Texasreds.com

Timbers Restaurant – 402 W. Main Street

Old Tymer’s Café – 210 E. Main Street

Mountain Treasures Gallery and Bistro – 121 E. Main Street – www.mountaintreasuresgallery.com

Wintertime Activity Consideration: 

Red River Ski & Ride Area (www.RedRiverSkiarea.com) offers skiing and snowboarding and five minutes away the Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe area also provides trails and often special events. For snowmobiling it’s the 11,249-foot Greenie Peak.