El Morro National Monument
by Annie Tabor
(Dallas, TX, USA )
El Morro view
I recently went camping all over New Mexico. This particular picture was taken at the El Morro National Monument campground located off Scenic 53 near Grants, NM.
The beautiful view here is exactly what you're in the middle of! The sunsets out there are amazing!
We got to the campground a little late, so ended up pitching our tent, and heading to bed. The next morning we went on the El Morro National Monument hike (roughly 5 miles roundtrip).
The view up there was unbelievable. You hike up the mountain to an outlook that shows you where the ocean would have been thousands of years ago. You can see the different layers in the mountain, and the hike provides you with a detailed guide about the history behind the trail.
Once you get to the top, you see Box Canyon, which in itself is worth the climb. There are also ancient Indian ruins at the top of the mountain. Definitely worth going to!
This campsite is a convenient location to many other "hotspots" around the area. Off of scenic 53, there is the Zuni Pueblo tribe, a wolf sanctuary, Land of Fire and Ice (a dormant volcano and ice cave), horseback riding, and numerous other sites of interest. Just driving around in the area is sure to ease any tensions.
Personally, I love camping in New Mexico because the state lives up to its name, Land of Enchantment.
The next day we drove up north to Chaco Canyon, which is invigorating if you are interested in ancient Indian ruins. I unfortunately didn't get to make it to the Aztec ruins near the Colorado border, but hope to get there next summer.
