Best Camping in Western New Mexico

Ancient Native American city ruins and cliff dwellings abound in Western New Mexico. Wild West buffs can visit Butch Cassidy's former headquarters in Mogollon, or Billy the Kid’s hometown of Silver City. Got stargazing on the mind? You won’t find much better than Gila’s Cosmic Campground in Gila National Forest, which was the first U.S. Dark Sky Sanctuary anointed by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

This desert region is home to all kinds of dramatic rock formations, but the super fun City of Rocks State Park is worth a special excursion. Wind your way through passageways between enormous boulders, some as tall as 40 feet. These natural “skyscrapers” were formed by a volcanic explosion about 35 million years ago, and the area can be explored by bike or foot.