New Mexico's National and State Parks
 

A good article about this in The Guardian (UK)
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...MCNEWEML6619I2

Thanks for the link, I still have a couple to visit.

Been to all but 3 - great list and after those 10, still LOTS more to see and do here.

Thanks for sharing link!

Yes, including the National Park that is definitely in my top ten because it came as big and delightful surprise--the Salinas Pueblo Missions. Who knew: http://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

HTtY

Thanks for the link, Diamantina! I've been to half of them so far.

htty, the Salinas Pueblo sites are definitely underrated. Mr. Pickle's men's choir, de Profundis, sings in what's left of the church at Quarai every September. The acoustics are wonderful.

Lee Ann

Thanks for that list. Likewise been to half of them, every one of which is worthy of many return visits.

My wife and I planning a NM road trip in April, maybe we'll pick up some more. Salinas Pueblo looks great. We'll be close enough, have made note of it. Thanks.

Another not on the list that we really enjoyed:
http://www.nps.gov/foun/index.htm

So much history.

Great link. Thanks!

That is a good link!! I've been to Guadalupe National Park and I know that it is in Texas. However, it just feels like I'm in NM when I'm there. I guess, because I visit Guadalupe and Carlsbad Caverns at the same time.

My parents go to Santa Fe nearly every year. For some reason, we have never been. Tent Rocks certainly looks interesting.

I've seen most of what the Parks in New Mexico have to offer but somehow what impresses me the most is the Valles Caldera.

http://www.vallescaldera.gov/

As the story goes, this is where the 'Great Bear' put his foot and shook the earth (eruption). As seen from altitude, you can see the 'bear paw' quite clearly. The question is, how did this ancient Native American legend come to be when of course there was no way to see it from altitude and the eruption was 1.2 million years ago.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...New_Mexico.jpg

Valles is awesome, several years ago we were there in September and the elk were in rut and showing off where you could see them gathering the girls and bugling at the guys from rt. 4. It was fantastic. This September we went by it three times hoping to see it again, but no luck. I would love to see it again.

Did you know they are now talking about opening it to hiking emalloy?
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/out...feb737fcc.html

Their Facebook page is a good place to keep yourself updated.
https://www.facebook.com/VallesCaldera

I didn't mention the elk because obviously there is no guarantee of seeing any as you know. About 6 years ago I talked my way in to helping with a count with the NM Dept. of Game and Fish. There are an estimated 2500 to 3000 elk in the preserve.