Cloudcroft in New Mexico provides a perfect mountain retreat

If you’re searching for a little serenity then the sleepy mountain town of Cloudcroft in Otero County, New Mexico may prove to be the perfect spot for a weekend retreat.  This tranquil little town - nestled within the 1.2 million acre Lincoln National Forest – is located at approximately 8,600 feet, high in the Sacramento Mountains. The town’s old world charm coupled with its more temperate summer weather - warm days and cool summer nights - offers visitors a welcome haven from the dust and  searing heat of the desert plains far below.  As a result, Cloudcroft is a fashionable tourist destination and is especially popular with astronomers, campers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and hikers.

The town of Cloudcroft, like many nineteenth century vacation resorts, owes its existence to a railroad company. At the turn of the century, the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad saw Cloudcroft as a much needed source of lumber - for railroad ties (sleepers)  - and also recognised the tourist potential of the pine covered peaks of the Sacramento Mountains.

The Cloudcroft Lodge was built by the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad in 1899 and  under the management of famed hotelier Conrad Hilton proved to be a popular destination for Hollywood stars in the 1930’s. Today it offers 59 guest rooms and some wonderful amenities like; a swimming pool, fitness room, sauna and spa. The resort also boasts a 9-hole golf course (can be played as 18) which, at an elevation of 8,668 feet, would make it the seventh highest golf course in the world. The highest golf course in the world is reputed to be the 18-hole course in the hill town of Gulmarg in India - which I was lucky enough to visit some 20 years ago. However, I believe the 10,800 foot La Paz Golf Club in Bolivia is actually the highest.

Cloudcroft is essentially a one street town - population 749 - and covers just 1.5 square miles. By contrast, my home town of Hermosa Beach in California is 1.43 square miles and has nearly 19,000 residents - serenity and pine forests are pretty hard to come by in Los Angeles!

View Village of Cloudcroft, NM in a larger map

Cloudcroft offers a number of  boutique, antique, jewelry and specialty stores as well as galleries, small cafes, bars and diners along with the Sacramento Mountain Historic Museum.

The clear air and low humidity surrounding the Sacramento Mountains provides ideal conditions for studying the day and night sky. As a consequence Cloudcroft is home to The Apache Point Observatory and the Sunspot Solar Observatory. In Mayhill, New Mexico - 18 miles from Cloudcroft - you will find New Mexico Skies which boasts six permanent observatories. New Mexico Skies is operated by Mike & Lynn Rice - overnight accomodation is available.

Photo: Historic Burro Street in Cloudcroft

In 1899, the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad extended the existing Alamagordo to Toboggan line by 7.5 miles so they could access forest timber at higher elevations.

See more New Mexico videos by Weasel Productions

The railroad engineers were forced to employ a number of sharp curves, switchbacks and spectacular trestles - like the Mexican Canyon Trestle - to enable locomotives to tackle the 3,000 foot ascent from Toboggan - some of the grades were as much as 6%. Abandoned in 1947, the Mexican Canyon Trestle slowly began to deteriorate and over the last decade community members and interest groups have come together to preserve this piece of vintage railroad history.

Wesley Lane, a local Cloudcroft resident, was delighted to see the restoration work,  “For over 50 years I have watched the Mexican Canyon Trestle deteriorate. It is good to see it restored ...the Trestle is a great tourist draw for the Cloudcroft community.”

You can take the Trestle Overlook Loop Trail or take a picnic in the Trestle Recreation area (maps courtesy US Forest Service - Lincoln National Forest).

The Lincoln National Forest straddles three mountain ranges; The Guadalupe Mountains (see article on the Guadalupe Mountains National Park), Sacramento Mountains and the Capitan Mountains. The mountain slopes are covered by a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees including Douglas Firs, Ponderosa pines, Engelmann Spruce, aspens, and oak trees.

Photo above: Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)

The thick forest provides a haven for wildlife which includes elk, deer, antelope, turkey, cougar and black bears. This perhaps explains why hunting is so popular here.

 | Get a live street view of Cloudcroft via webcam | Download Cloudcroft Visitor Guide (PDF) |

Sugar Pines is a small RV Park in Cloudcroft which provides16 full hookup RV sites (30 amp). The campground, such as it is, provides free laundry, free cable & Wi-Fi, restrooms & showers. It's a quiet, family run operation with basic amenities - it provides a convenient place to stay in relative seclusion. It's attraction lies in the full hookups rather than the view or other amenities. Payment is by check or cash - credit cards are not accepted.

View Sugar Pines RV Park, Cloudcroft, New Mexico in a larger map

Sugar Pines RV Park, 601 Columbine, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, USA. Tel: 1-572-682-3375 Rates: $40 per night.

There are a number of rental Cabins, B&B's and small RV campgrounds in and around Cloudcroft. Many are listed on the Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce website (Tel: 1-505-682-2733) and in the Cloudcroft Visitor Guide (PDF) |

Additional Information: New Mexico State Parks | New Mexico National Parks | New Mexico Tourist Information |

High Altitude tips: Drink plenty of water and avoid beverages that will dehydrate you, including alcohol. Try to aclimatize at lower altitudes for at least one day if possible - ascend gradually.

Symptoms of Altitude Sickness: Nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness and peripheral, pulmonary and cerebral edema.

Overcoming Altitude Sickness: Descend to lower altitude immediately. Ask a physician about the use of Biomox (Amoxicillin) for altitude sickness. In the case of lung edema research indicates that the use of Viagra or Cialis may help combat lung edema at high altitudes - no, really.  

	Santa Fe, New Mexico: Pueblo heaven on the Old Spanish Trail
	Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Park 2 great National Parks - one in NM and 1 in TX
	The California Coach Company LLC
	Quixote - Motorhomes for Movie Stars
	Volkner Mobil Performance - can carry its own car!
	Hair Salon on Wheels offers work camping option
	The best RV vacation destinations in Nevada
	The best California National Parks
	The best Utah National and State Parks
	The best weekend getaways in California
	RVing in Great Britain
	RVing in Canada
	RV 101 articles, photos, information and videos

© Copyright 2010 Julian L. Gothard. Protected pursuant to the provisions of the Berne Convention. All rights reserved.

Images furnished by Julian L. Gothard are provided to Examiner.com on a single use basis. All rights are reserved. No reproduction, copy, distribution or transmission of such photographs may be made without written permission from the author.