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What
to See and Do
| Where
to Stay
Sitting
9,200 feet high in the Sacramento Mountains, this little
village is a unique resort destination well worth the
drive from Las Cruces (90 miles), Alamogordo (18 miles),
or El Paso, Texas (95 miles). Cloudcroft was founded as a
railway town when the Southern Pacific Railroad built a
spur line into the mountains to transport logs for
railway ties, and constructed a lodge for railroad
workers and tourists.
The
railway has long since disappeared -- only a high wooden
trestle remains. However, the workers' bunkhouse has
become the renowned Cloudcroft Lodge, and it is as fine a
resort inn as one could hope to encounter -- anywhere in
America.
What
to See & Do
During
winter months, the ski hill here provides the most
southerly downhill experience in the lower 48 states.
Cross-country skiing is a popular activity as well, in
the Lincoln National Forest which sprawls throughout more
than one million acres across the mountain range. In the
summer, people flock here to fish, ride horses, hike and
play golf on a spectacularly scenic course that is one of
the highest courses in the west. The forest is a major
attraction, providing hiking trails, riding (there are
local stables with horse rentals), and several scenic
drives.
Golfing
There
are two courses: the high-level nine-hole course at the
Cloudcroft Lodge, which offers fairways cutting through
the pine forest&emdash;an experience that a golf magazine
has described as "the most unique golfing experience this
side of heaven" -- and the nine-hole course (Ponderosa
Pines) in Cox Canyon, nine miles southeast of Cloudcroft
on New Mexico Route 130.
Trestleing
The
only visible remains of the Sacramento Mountains railway
line sits beside the highway on the west side of town. A
trail leads down the hill to the bridge, which crosses a
deep canyon.
Snowmobiling
and Winter Play
The
Triple M Snow Play Area offers guided snowmobile
tours in the high reaches of the Lincoln National Forest,
as well as ice skating on a pond and inner tube sliding
slopes (which have lifts to the top). Skate and tube
rentals are available, and there is a snack bar. It is
located south of town on Sunspot Road (Hwy. 130). Many
snowmobile trails are available, using logging roads in
the Lincoln National Forest. Ski Cloudcroft is located at
the eastern edge of town on Hwy. 82. With 700 vertical
feet, the ski area offers lifts, rentals and instruction.
Lodging is less than 5 minutes' drive --in downtown
Cloudcroft.
Another
place to go for winter activities is J&R
Rentals. You'll find it on Highway 82, at the east
end of Cloudcroft. They offer snowmobile tours, tube
rentals, and more. Their snowmobile tours take you
through the superb Lincoln National Forest, with all
sorts of wildlife to be seen. For information and
reservations, call (505) 682-2569.
Special
Events
As
with other summer and winter resort towns, Cloudcroft has
a parade of special events and festivals throughout the
year. The annual Bluegrass Festival is held in June with
groups from southern New Mexico and West Texas. The
Sunday concert usually features gospel groups. June also
brings the annual Western Roundup. This eclectic affair
features an old-time fiddling contest, gun and knife
show, a barbecue, pie auction, western street dance, and
Mexican-style rodeo. Independence Day weekend features
the July Jamboree, which combines a crafts fair with food
stands, a horseshoe tournament, another street dance, and
other events.
In
mid-August there's a spiritual singing festival, and the
town has another street dance and barbecue on Labor Day
weekend. Railroad/Logging Days (mid-September) features
logging contests and an antique show among other events.
Rodeo Weekend is in late September. As you might gather,
there's something happening almost every week during the
summer and fall period.
Hotels
The
Lodge at Cloudcroft
is special enough to plan a complete vacation trip around
a stay here.
Built
in 1899 by the railroad, the lodge is just as it was
then: a grand Victorian structure with cozy rooms, an
excellent dining room (with fine decor and fine dining),
the 9,200-foot-high golf course, and the lodge's supreme
natural setting on a hilltop above the little
town.
The
surrounding forest is thick with pine, blue spruce, and
aspen. All rooms are filled with antique furnishings, and
the lodge is such that it maintains the feeling of a
private mansion rather than that of a hotel. The Pavilion
is a separate bed and breakfast inn, located on the
Lodge's entrance road. This is another restored historic
lodge.
The
dining room (Rebecca's Restaurant and Lounge) deserves
special mention. The food is superb, and there is service
to match. Rebecca's Garden is the outdoor dining deck,
which is open during the summer and fall months for all
three meals. The Beach Bar and Grill is beside the pool
and is open from 10 am to 4 pm.
The
Red Dog Saloon is a western bar, open daily from 5 pm to
midnight, Wednesday through Saturday. Live entertainment
is featured on weekends in the saloon, year-round.
Other
Places to Stay
Summit
Inn
P.O. Box 627, Cloudcroft NM 88317
(505) 682-2814 or (505) 682-2513
The inn offers rooms for one or two people, as well as
three-room suites with kitchenettes, complete with
utensils, and cottages that will house up to eight. There
is a picnic area with grills.
Chalet
Camper Village
Rt. 2, Box 2300, Cloudcroft NM 88317
(505) 687-3553
Located 5 miles east of Cloudcroft on Hwy. 82, this
camper village has 95 trailer sites with full hookups as
well as some tent sites.
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