Lake Sumner State Park, NM

It was time for us to leave Albuquerque and move on over to our next stop at Lake Sumner State Park in New Mexico. It is known for its picturesque and expansive landscape. The State Park has a well maintained trail system and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. After spending time in the city of Albuquerque  it will be nice to spend time at a peaceful retreat

We enjoyed hiking many of the short trails in the park. One of the trails took us over to an overlook of the lake while another trail took us for a stroll below the dam. The area has a lot or sandstone and the weathering of the sandstone made for some neat rock outcroppings.

Near the state park is the Fort Sumner, a village in De Baca County, New Mexico. With a population of 1,000 Fort Summer's claim to fame is that it is the home to the burial site of Billy the Kid, who was supposedly shot and killed there in 1881.However,not everyone believes that Billy the Kid was shot dead and buried in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.I guess we will never know for sure.

Fort Sumner was also the name of a military fort in the New Mexico Territory in the mid 1800’s. The fort was built to intern the Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations.from nearby Bosque Redondo.

Bosque Redondo is where the Army was responsible for the  forced relocation of the Navajo and Mescalero Apache people in 1864. The relocation was part of the government's plan to assimilate Native American tribes into American culture and civilization.

The brutal journey from their homes to Bosque Redondo, known as the Long Walk, was a traumatic experience for the Navajo and Apache people. The relocation led to the death of over 200 people due to starvation, disease, and harsh living conditions.At Bosque Redondo, they were forced to farm and raise livestock which proved to be unsuccessful, and in 1868, the Navajo were allowed to return to their homelands, creating the Navajo Nation.

Sadly for us the Bosque Redondo Memorial.was closed but the nearby park allowed us a chance to do a little birdwatching. The park covers 267 acres and is a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and hikers.

We certainly enjoyed our short stay but yet again it is time to move on…