We loved our stay at Rusty’s RV Ranch but it was time to go. Our next stop Elephant Butte Lake State Park is in Elephant Butte, NM. New Mexico State Parks have got to be one of the best deals in America. Our total cost per night including taxes and reservation fees was $16.40 per night.
The campground we stayed at (Desert Cove loop) was a small loop with sites that were mostly very close together. Other loops we walked around had sites further apart. The sites in our loop were mostly unlevel as well. If you come here I would suggest a different loop.
Elephant Butte Lake is named for an ancient volcanic cone located in the lake and is said to resemble an elephant’s head. It is New Mexico’s largest and most popular lake but we had a hard time seeing the elephant’s head. It is just north or the town of Truth or Consequences which was once known as Hot Springs because of all the hot springs in the area.
We found a nice little hike (Cairn loop) near the Elephant Butte dam site. We hiked about 2.5 miles over mostly high desert terrain. Lots of cacti were in bloom and we spotted several birds on the trail. The views from the trail also made this an enjoyable short hike.
Another day we took a drive over to the the north end of the lake to see where the Rio Grande feeds into it. The Rio Grande is rushing right now due to the snow melts up in Colorado. It has thus nearly doubled the size of the lake this spring from 10% full to 20% full. As of the this writing I hear now it is over 25% full.
Just south of the state park is the Town of Truth or Consequences. The town is mostly geared to tourism due to the hot springs in the area but it does have a small mom and pop grocery store and we even found a nice brewery with pretty good beers. However,we could not find a lot of other things going on in this small town.
We also drove the northern route of the Geronimo Scenic Highway over to Chloride NM. We passed through historic mining towns such as Winston and Cuchillo. However, we have to be honest these towns may be historic but they now look to be home to many in poverty.There was not much to see other than an interesting historic church. At least the town of Chloride had some interesting buildings from the late 1800’s and it is obvious the people living there are a wealthier by a long shot.
We had hoped to drive the southern route of the Geronimo Scenic Highway but it was closed due to a failing roadway.. The website said it appeared as if the road was slowly falling down the hillside and needed to be replaced. Oh well, maybe next time we pass through this area we will drive that road.
We enjoyed a couple days there with Fran's SUP. Altho we had a decent site, without a toad, we did not get out to explore the way you and Sharon can. Thanks for sowing whet else was available.
ReplyDeleteWe are NM residents and camp at Elephant Butte frequently. We usually choose Quail Run loop when we camp near the headquarters. However, our preference is South Monticello, a bit further north. Sites are level and spacious. You might have passed the entrance when you went to Chloride.
ReplyDeleteYes, we checked out the South Monticello sites and you are right, sites are level and spacious.
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