City of Rocks - New Mexico

While heading out of Silver City towards Deming, we passed a sign for City of Rocks State Park. Fate greeted us at the gate with a Roadrunner and a gentleman saying they just had a campsite open up and directed us to Saturn (site E6). All the campsites are named after an Astronomy item. The electric sites were the planets. The non-electric were constellations. (Those white boxes seen in the front are the RV's. If you double-click on the photo, it will enlarge to allow full appreciation of the "city" and its surroundings.)

The park is 40 miles from anywhere in the middle of a wide open area surrounded by mountains 10 - 40 miles away. Millions of years ago a stratovolcano exploded throwing a huge piece of tuff (about 1 mile long x 1-1/2 stories tall). As it hardened, it shrank, cracked and eroded with water and wind causing "narrow streets" and "thin buildings" throughout. VERY FUN to climb around on and through. Reminds me of a medieval village with alleyways. Throughout the city, rocks exist with natural footholds with hollowed areas on top perfect for sitting or laying.

The stars at night were awesome! The park even has its own observatory that they open up once a month. A natural auditorium exists within the city that cuts out any lights that might possibly exist. We heard cows, coyotes and a wolf howl. The place feels so peaceful. And they have some of the coolest camping sites I've ever seen. The non-electric sites are placed around the outside of the city with places made into the city. Some have picnic tables hiding in a little rock house with no ceiling. Some have huge caves that a family size tent can fit into. One site looks like a three level house. Most of them are very private. Even if they had a full house, you could camp without anyone in site.

I enjoyed their Visitors Center and the footprint exhibit which identified many of the ones we saw at the riverbank the day before. And of course their "pet" rattlesnake sitting on the counter. He just wouldn't stay away from the front door no matter how often they'd take him away. Now he's a permanent resident (even though he's stuffed).

Highly recommend this area and would love to take the boys to crawl around. My biggest concern is Katy trying to keep up with them. It's easy to get up and a bit harder to get down.