Rockhound State Park, Deming New Mexico

Rockhound State Park December 22-26

Camp site Rockhound State Park, NM

As we roll out of Texas we set our sights on California with a few stops along the way.  Our first stop is Rockhound State Park which is just south of Deming, NM. Rockhound is a small park with approximately 30 camp sites. We arrive on a Sunday afternoon and claim the last open site, #5 in the undeveloped loop. Even though this site does not have water or electric hook-ups it is still a great spot with plenty of room and a good view.



Kristy Rockhounding/ Rockhound State Park, NM

Rockhound campground sits on the western slope of the Little Florida Mountains and has very unique geology.  It is one of the few parks in the U.S. that encourages rock hounding and allows you to keep what you find. Rocks and minerals found here include: several colors of jasper, agate, common opal, geodes, and thunder eggs.

During our first night, the temperature drops into the high 20s. We start our morning by hiking the trail around the boundaries of the park. We enjoy the sunrise views and the yipping and singing of coyotes. When we get back to camp, since we don’t run the furnace when we are unplugged, Kristy makes biscuits to warm the RV. We spend a snug morning sipping tea, eating biscuits, and watching birds in the cactus garden next to our site. The daytime temp warms up into the 50s which makes for pleasant rockhounding in the wash near the campground.

Unfortunately, a truck kicked up a rock that chips our windshield on our drive to Rockhound so we spend our second morning in town getting the windshield fixed. Very nice people at Desert Glass make the repair process quick and painless. We capitalize on the trip to town and do some grocery shopping at a nice little grocery store called Peppers. Kristy investigated in advance and found that the Tractor Supply Store in Deming carries Shug’s duck dog food so we swing by there and pick up a couple of bags. Exploring these small towns is fun so we cruise through the downtown area to get a feel for what life is like in Deming.

Spring Canyon Recreation Area/ NM

 After completing our errands we travel a couple of miles south of Rockhound on the road into the mountains (the road grade on one section is 17% !) to hike in Spring Canyon Recreation Area. The Lover’s Leap trail is steep and rocky, but a fun challenge with rewarding views. Fortunately, Rockhound has great shower facilities so it’s easy to get spiffed up and ready for our next adventure.