I remember a few years back when a couple of friends and I embarked on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, we stopped through New Mexico briefly along the way, and aside from a delicious green chili burger (a southwestern staple and a foreign concept to me at the time), I remember thinking, “huh, not much to see here.” But boy, was I wrong. Four years later, I made my way back, only this time with New Mexico as my final destination.

With news of state parks beginning to open their doors after two long months of COVID-induced lockdown and Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, it was the perfect excuse to seek out a new adventure. We tossed around ideas like Denver; Los Angeles; and even Broken Bow, Oklahoma. But between our need for travel arrangements that accommodated our pup, bad weather in the forecast for the Central United States, and unknown restrictions still looming around COVID, we decided Ruidoso was probably our best bet.

So after nailing down a destination the night before, we packed up the car and embarked on the journey ahead, with Dallas in our rear view and the wide open, unknown road ahead of us. What began as an impromptu attempt to escape to somewhere, ANYWHERE but Dallas quickly turned into the unexpected adventure my soul so desperately needed and one I’ll always remember!

There are those places in the world that are blatantly beautiful, and the majesty of their grandeur is so renowned that everyone dreams of getting to experience it one day. But there are also places that possess a different kind of beauty- a humble beauty. Hidden in plain sight, they’re tucked quietly away from the limelight in the midst of the most unassuming spaces, and they sneak up on you like a glorious sunrise after a long, dark night. Ruidoso was one of these sweet places- a true diamond in the rough (and after a nine hour drive through the middle of nowhere, rough is an understatement).

I knew there were some mountainous areas in New Mexico, but what I pictured in my head came no where close to the expansive views of rolling mountains as far as the eye can see and lakes so blue they almost look fake. Two days isn’t enough time to explore all of the grandeur Ruidoso has to offer, but if two days is all you have, then it will certainly be two days well spent!

Where We Stayed

I would recommend staying as close to downtown Ruidoso as possible. Ruidoso is a charming little town with so many cute, eclectic shops and delicious dining options that you won’t want to miss out on, and it’s a short 10-30 minute drive from all of the best trail heads. We stayed at Pinon Park Cabin Rentals, and we couldn’t have asked for a better location. It was the perfect balance of being a short five minute drive from downtown Ruidoso while still feeling tucked away in the seclusion of nature. While drinking our morning coffee on the patio each morning, we even enjoyed the company of some deer friends rummaging for snacks. The rental property offers cabins of all sizes, so whether you’re a group of two or a group of 10, I couldn’t recommend this place enough!

What To Bring

Chapstick, Lotion & Sunscreen: The environment in New Mexico is extremely dry (it is the desert, after all), so it’s super important to moisturize while you’re there. My favorite chapstick and moisturizing stick definitely saved my face while I was there! And because it’s so dry, it doesn’t feel as hot as it does in a place with more humidity, so the sun will sneak up on you. I came back burned to a crisp, so do as I say and not as I do- wear sunscreen!

A swimsuit: If you go during a warm weather season, there are some seriously beautiful lakes around Ruidoso that you should take advantage of! Bring a swim suit so you can rent a canoe or just take a dip in the out-of-this-world blue water.

Real hiking shoes: If you want to do some real hiking, you’ll need some real hiking shoes. I just brought my tennis shoes because I wasn’t expecting the terrain to be so rough, but because of knocked down trees around the trails from a fire a few years back and a lack of high foot traffic, let’s just say it’s wise to bring shoes with some grip depending on which hikes you choose to do. But more on this later.

Layers: Because the environment is so dry, the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit throughout the day. I found it helpful to throw on a light jacket in the chilly mornings that I could take off and tie around my waste once the temps rose.

What To Do

DAY ONE

Drop off your bags and hit the ground running- there’s so much to see and do! Head to Grindstone Lake, just five miles outside of Ruidoso. You can park right next to the lake, so pack up the car with some food because you’ll be spending a few hours here. If you want to do a hike, I recommend the Grindstone Mesa Loop trail. Although being a bit lengthy for a leisurely hike at 7.4 miles roundtrip, it’s a very moderate hike that will delivery beautiful views of Lincoln National Forest and the turquoise waters of Grindstone Lake from a distance. It’s also a very dog friendly hike if you brought your furry friend along with you!

After you’ve made it back to the lake, celebrate with a lakeside picnic. You’ve earned it! Take in the beautiful scenic views and do a little people watching. It was fun to see people of all different backgrounds and stages of life gathered there, whether they were fishing, swimming, kayaking or just walking around. If the water isn’t too cold, throw on your swimsuit and take a dip yourself! With water so blue it looks like Gatorade, surrounded by tree-covered mountains, I can’t imagine a better way to spend the afternoon.

After you’ve returned to the cabin and freshened up, it’s time to venture downtown! Walk up and down the quaint street of Sudderth Drive (which basically encompasses “downtown”) and stop in the many mom and pop shops you find along the way. If you’re looking for a piece of handmade pottery to take home with you, pop into White Mountain Pottery and Earth & Stone. Browse around the eclectic boutiques and gift shops. Admire the carved wooden bears at every turn. Stop into one of the many beer gardens and tap houses for a local brew, or tasting rooms for a glass of wine. You could easily kill a few hours here just admiring the local art, chatting with the merchants and stocking up on souvenirs.

Now that you’re tired, broke, and probably hungry, it’s time to grab dinner and then return back to your quarters for a good night’s sleep! A couple of dinner suggestions that we loved: a burger from Lincoln County Grill, a pizza from Cafe Rio (be sure to order ahead at this spot, as there is always a long line out the door!), or a cheese-smothered Mexican meal from Jorge’s Cafe.

DAY TWO

Wake up early to take full advantage of your last full day! Head to Zocca Coffee & Tea for a caffeine boost to get you going and a bite to eat for breakfast.

Now, it’s time for more hiking and more gorgeous views- and some of the best views to be had are found at the top of Lookout Mountain. Now, let me preface this by saying that there are a few different ways to reach the top of the mountain, and we chose the most strenuous of those ways, partially because of closures due to COVID, and partially because we didn’t know the extent of what we were in for. We took the route Lookout Mountain via Lower Deep Freeze, Apache Bowl, and Crest and Scenic Trail Loop, and while at times I truly wasn’t sure I would make it to the top or if I’d have to send my boyfriend and dog back down to call a helicopter on my behalf… in the end, I have no regrets. If you’re going this route (and you’re an intermediate hiker at best like myself), it’s so so important that you 1. download the AllTrails app to use as a guide and 2. wear comfortable hiking shoes with a lot of grip.

All in all, the trail was awesome. The first half of the hike encompasses a unique experience of walking through a portion of the forest that was hit by the Little Bear Fire back in 2012. Hundreds and hundreds of full-grown trees knocked to the ground, some completely uprooted, and petrified. It was an ominous and chilling experience to picture the raging fire that caused this massive destruction while walking through the remains of the forest.

After that stretch, it’s very difficult to keep track of the actual trail as not much of it remains in tact. If we didn’t have the AllTrails app and the advice of a very kind couple that preceded us, we definitely would have ended up extremely lost. If you use the app’s navigation to guide you, you’ll eventually find your way. And if you do get lost, my best advice is to just keep going straight upward, and you’ll eventually find the trail again. This stretch of uncertainty only lasted about a quarter of a mile, and then we were back on track!

You’ll eventually reach a meadow between the two peaks with stunning views that look like they’re straight out of The Sound of Music. But the views just keep getting better from there. Once you reach the chair lift (I should mention this is utilized as a ski mountain in the winter), there is a deck area set up where you can stop to rest and sneak a peak at the White Sands National Park in the west.

From there, the trail continues to the top of Lookout Mountain where the views will truly take your breath away, and it will all be worth it. Panoramic views of rolling hills, snow covered peaks, the White Sands, trees, mesas, valleys- everything as far as the eye can see for miles and miles and miles. If you haven’t already fallen in love with New Mexico, you certainly will now.

On the way back down, I would recommend taking the Sierra Blanca trail all the way. It’s less scenic, but much quicker and less strenuous to get you back to where you started. You can also take the gondola back down if you’re really beat (and I wouldn’t blame you).

Side note: Remember I mentioned there are two other options to get to the top of Lookout Mountain? The Sierra Blanca Trail and the gondola are those options- much more efficient, but much less breathtaking- in every sense of the word. The Sierra Blanca trail is really more of a ski slope/access road than a trail, but if you’re looking for something very moderate to get you to the top, it’ll get the job done. The gondola will take you straight up with minimal physical effort exerted, but you will still have to take the remainder of the trail up to the top of lookout mountain, which is very moderate, although still an elevation gain of about 400 feet.

Once you make it back down, you should still have the majority of the afternoon and evening left to kill! We began our hike at around 8:30 am and made it back to the car at around 2:30 pm, and we went at a pretty leisurely pace. If you have the time, I would next make the drive out to White Sands National Park. Unfortunately, it was still shut down while I was there, but I can’t wait to go back and experience it one day. It’s a little over an hour drive from Ruidoso, so you should have enough time to make the drive out there, spend an hour or so basking in its wonder, and drive back in time for dinner.

If you’re lucky enough to have an extra day to spend in the area, there are a number of other places to explore and activities to partake in. If you want more lake time, you could visit the nearby Alto Lake, a natural reservoir less than 10 minutes outside Ruidoso. If you’re feeling ambitious and still have energy to squeeze in another hike, Monjeau Lookout is another scenic spot to check out, and at 12.4 miles round trip, it would be a great way to spend the majority of your day. If you just want to kick back and spectate an event, head to Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino to watch the horse races. While you’re in Ruidoso Downs, be sure to stop into Pinon Pottery, a small pottery shop packed full of character and beautifully handmade (and affordable) pieces. Most of the pottery they sell is made in the shop; you can even peek in the back and see their workshop. One of the potters was running the shop when we visited, and she was very informative and knowledgeable about all of the pottery they sold. If you want to venture further out of town, you could also head to the nearby small town of Cloudcroft for a little antique shopping and additional exploration. So many options, so little time!

Ruidoso and its surrounding beauty stole my heart, and I can’t wait to return. I hope you love it as much as I did!

Enjoy your stay!

xo, The Girl Out of Texas