The Rio Grande, famed for its role in history, has been tamed by a series of dams and reservoirs. The river is popular as a picnic spot, however, and many people float rafts or hold canoe races. Approximately a one-hour drive east on U.S. 70 will take you to White Sands National Monument, which boasts gypsum sand. White Sands is unusual and fun for picnics, skiing on the dunes, or visiting the museum which tells how this natural wonder was created. The unusual boulders are fun for climbing, and the desert botanical garden is lovely.
Picnic facilities are available.
Another hour's drive north from the City of Rocks will bring you to the Gila National Forest. Visitors will surely want to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings, inhabited 800 years ago by Pueblo Indians. The Gila National Forest has a vast wilderness area, making it a favorite site for back-packers, campers, fishermen, and hunters. Carlsbad may be reached by driving through Cloudcroft, the scenic route, or by going through El Paso. Either way it will be about a four-hour drive.