Rockhound State Park, NM

We're moving pretty fast so we can get home and keep an eye on things. After the house fire in the neighborhood a few days ago we decided it would be best to get home watch for sparks!

Our usual daily dose of 40 or 50 miles a day just won't do so we're moving along more quickly than we usually do, 200 to 300 miles a day is enough though. There's a limit to how long we can sit in one place!

We've traveled this I-10 route several times, and there are only so many places to stay, so we find ourselves returning to some of the same parks again and again. It's not a bad thing, but we always wish we had more time to explore.

Florida Mountains, from our campsite

Rockhound State Park is definitely a place we intend to return to and spend several days. We need to be selective about the time of year, however.

We were here in November last year (see that post for more details on the park) and it was so cold and windy that hiking and exploring didn't seem like inviting activities.

On this visit it was 90 when we arrived, which is tolerable, but not really good for hiking either. The host said October is their peak month, when campers line the road waiting for a space to open up. 'Seems we'll need to schedule around that too! There are only five reservable sites here, so timing is important if you just drop in.

Although at first glance this park may not seem as picturesque as some, it has its own kind of charm. The prickly pear cactus, ocotillo, yucca and other desert plants thrive in this part of the Chihuahuan Desert, and there's a nice botanical garden trail in the campground built around some nice specimens. The silhouettes of the yucca against the colorful sunsets make for a great photo op too. 

This park is a rockhound's paradise, and unique as visitors are allowed to take home up to 15 lbs. of rock samples, as opposed to the usual ban on collecting anything. The primary collecting area is in the Spring Canyon area, a separate unit of the park.

Stopping about 4 P.M. (just in time to miss the visitor's center again!) we selected a site oriented so the trailer shaded the patio area, and gave us a nice view of the rugged, cactus covered slope behind the campground. The slope rises to a rocky ridge which sports a variety of antennae. 'Could be that's why we have excellent cell coverage in this park!

After dinner and a beautiful sunset the temp had dropped to 79, perfect for star gazing, and this is a perfect place to do it.

This time of year the Milky Way is directly overhead, and the Big Dipper tips over the nearby town of Deming. While not an imposing burg during the day, the greater Deming area sparkles in the valley below like blazing jewels. The lights are far enough away that they don't detract from the stars, and it was hard to decide which to watch, the shooting stars and flashing aircraft or the twinkling lights of town. A coyote serenaded us for awhile, but wandered off when no one else joined in.

Up and at'em the next morning we're headed for another of our regular stops, Balmore State Park, Texas. Yeah! Almost home!