We'll be headed up through NM on our way north to CO for a 3 week camping/overlanding trip in early August. We'll be coming up from the Conroe/Houston area, and I'd like to spend 3-4 days in the mountains of NM.

I've been looking around quite a bit on GE and online trying to find some good, somewhat off-the-beaten-path spots in the Sante Fe National Forest or in the Carson Nat'l Forest.

I'm looking for a campspot or two where the dogs can run around off-leash and where I can get some flyfishing in nearby.

Any recommendations?

Chama, New Mexico - right up near the border of Colorado. Hit up Foster's saloon, a historic bar and hotel built during the 1800's. Historical steam train departs daily from downtown. The nearby Chama River should have some fly fishing although I've never been myself. Plenty of places up in the mountains to camp and let the dogs run. It's about an hour and a half north of Santa Fe. Plenty of cool forest roads to explore.

Great, thanks.... That'll be a convenient stopover for a day or two on our trek north. Looks like a good area.

Anyone else have some info?

Take the "high road" from Santa Fe to Toas, it goes through various mountain ranges and rivers cutting through the Carson nat'l forest. Above El Valle there are campgrounds near a small river and is close to some scenic mountain trails. There is also a trail near Tres Ritos that is a great camping area and you can come out near Taos or head another direction and come out at Angel Fire.

I usually go a little closer to Albuquerque so spend more time up in the Jemez Mountains like the Jemez Springs area up to around Cuba and over to Los Alamos exploring Forest Service roads west of Santa Fe, but also some good places up in the Taos and Eagle Nest area as well.

For the route your are taking, I agree that Chama is a great location. Try the Los Brazos area near Chama too as you can camp nearby, or stay at Corkins Lodge or Los Brazos cabins to do some fishing and hiking. If you can stay for a couple of days, you can take a ride on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad into southern CO, or just drive into the southern CO area like over to Conejos to the northeast or towards Pagosa Springs to the northwest if you have time to kill. But you can also get some fly fishing in just staying along the Chama River too if you stay below the confluence with the Rio Brazos River.

Here are some shots I took a couple years ago when I was up around Chama. Sorry for the shot of one of my old F150s, but you get the idea...lol:

Looking upstream along the Los Brazos:





Chama area:











Up towards Conejos:

The high road with a detour into Tres Ritos looks like its going on the agenda. After looking above el valle, we might try a quick one-nighter backpacking trip up to the Trampas Lakes.

I appreciate all the great info!

I think we'll head up into CO along hwy 17, I'd like to find a way to cut through to the North on dirt roads somewhat parallel to 285. Know of any thru-trails headed up towards del norte?

Thanks for the response, those pics have me excited to see what NM has to offer!

Excellent choice...plenty of fishing spots along the the route although you'll have to be careful as there is also a lot of private land along there as well. There is the Conejos River Campground and RV Park along Hwy 17 just west of Antonito too and can hook up to Hwy 285 to continue north to Alamosa.

There is the Summitville Ghost Town Trail that you can take off from Hwy 17; you can take it to Platoro Reservoir and then further for quite some distance up and over Stunner Pass and is supposed to be welll maintained, but I don't think it ties back into 285 at all (but could be fun for a half day outing or so if you don't mind doubling back). I believe it's FR 250 but I have not tried it yet.

Yeah, it looks like FR250 to FR380 will take you from HWY17 over to HWY160. I just built a GE kmz for the route, drop me a PM with your email address if you'd like the data. It adds up to around 55 miles, and it looks like a very scenic drive!

Thanks again for the point in the right direction.

Okay, very cool! I had not research that yet. I remember my brother-in-law who guides in that area telling me about going up there, but when I was driving around I didn't find it (albeit I was distracted with family in the truck and trying to find where we were staying).

PM sent! Thanks!

I'm looking pretty closely at a little overnight backpacking trip above El Valle to the Leonardos and Trampas Lakes. Although, that'll be a lot of elevation for us ex-mountain folk.

Beautiful country! Is that going to be too long a hike for an overnight? You'll also want to take it slow if you not acclimated to the elevation anymore!

We'll play it by ear... acclimatization will be the bigger question. It's around 4 miles and 2000 ft elevation gain one way, so length-wise we'll be good.

I'm looking forward to the days in NM, I'll be sure to post back with some pics!