My family has been going to Red River since the 60’s.
It was only known by Texans and Okies. Haha
Yep, we've been going for years and the last few we've talked about trying something else. It seems like it's gotten more expensive, crowded and food etc is kinda meh.
But still nice to wake up to 40 degrees when it's 150 degrees here.
I can remember back when Red River was nothing but the strip, now its expanded so much, its crazy.
If there were good paying jobs in the northern part and the state wasn’t so left wing I’d have already moved.
If one wants to really get away from it all, I recommend a national forest campground called "Purgatoire River Campground that is located west and north of Trinidad, CO. In our cases, we like to be away from so many others and really rejuvenate ourselves. Purgatoire River Campground is 3 1/2 miles off of the highway, has lots of trees around, and the Purgatoire River runs right through the edge of the campground.
While the kids were at home, we tended to go up right after wheat harvest was done and spend a week. There are developed sites, but no hookups for RV's. Not unusual to see deer and maybe be visited by bear.
This particular campsite even has a small tributary stream that flows into the Purgatoire River. The way the site was developed, they put in a culvert right under the RV parking site, and we could look out the RV's door and see that small stream.
Purgatoire River
Another different site, but it doesn't have a stream all that close to it.
This meadow area has developed sites that are big enough for people to bring in their horses and horse trailer and get them parked. (And yes, that silver thing is a bear trap complete with bear inside.)
Another view of the Purgatoire River. Youngest son and I donned rubber boots and walked down the river taking pictures along the way.
In addition to the camping, one can take day trips to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls, and what is now called "Cordova Pass." When we first started going camping up there, Cordorva Pass was known as "Apishapa Pass." (Apishapa means "stinking water.") From a trailhead on the Apishapa Pass road, one can hike up onto the side of the West Spanish Peak. Most people just hike up to timberline at the right side of the mountain. Some have gone all the way to the top, but if one does that, one better know what the weather is going to be like. West Spanish Peak is no place to be during a lightning storm. The two peaks are the highest peaks in that immediate ares.
East and West Spanish Peaks in Winter. East is to the left and west to the right.
While the kids were at home, we tended to go up right after wheat harvest was done and spend a week. There are developed sites, but no hookups for RV's. Not unusual to see deer and maybe be visited by bear.
This particular campsite even has a small tributary stream that flows into the Purgatoire River. The way the site was developed, they put in a culvert right under the RV parking site, and we could look out the RV's door and see that small stream.
Purgatoire River
Another different site, but it doesn't have a stream all that close to it.
This meadow area has developed sites that are big enough for people to bring in their horses and horse trailer and get them parked. (And yes, that silver thing is a bear trap complete with bear inside.)
Another view of the Purgatoire River. Youngest son and I donned rubber boots and walked down the river taking pictures along the way.
In addition to the camping, one can take day trips to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls, and what is now called "Cordova Pass." When we first started going camping up there, Cordorva Pass was known as "Apishapa Pass." (Apishapa means "stinking water.") From a trailhead on the Apishapa Pass road, one can hike up onto the side of the West Spanish Peak. Most people just hike up to timberline at the right side of the mountain. Some have gone all the way to the top, but if one does that, one better know what the weather is going to be like. West Spanish Peak is no place to be during a lightning storm. The two peaks are the highest peaks in that immediate ares.
East and West Spanish Peaks in Winter. East is to the left and west to the right.
Also known as the suicide bridge. There are stations along the bridge with direct access to suicide help lines.
When we were there around 5 years ago, NM dept of transportation were cutting the padlocks off the rails. The padlocks are engraved with the names of those that have jumped and placed there in memorial by their families. Similar to the crosses on highways marking where someone died. It was pretty sad reading some of what was engraved on those locks.
For those that don't know, so many people have jumped off this bridge with so many locks around the center that it was having an effect on the engineering aspects of the bridge. I don't know all the details, but that's what we were told.
The next time we went there two years later, there were a lot more locks.
Their COVID restrictions killed Taos. Even the old Taosueno restaurant went out of business. We won’t go back for a while. Moved on to Colorado Springs for now.
Midnight mine, Edison Mine Many times on a bike and a few on the trail jeep. Some switchbacks were so sharp even the jeeps had to back up one trail and drive up the other. One of our jeep drivers tried to pull off the old mountain cattle joke on me. He didn't know I was a farm boy.
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