Bats, UFOs, sand (lots of it), and really big holes in the ground draw visitors to this corner of New Mexico. You may know those better as Carlsbad Caverns with its nightly bat flight, the sci-fi allure of Roswell, and gypsum dunes of the White Sands National Monument. In the midst of it all is the Carlsbad KOA.
Conveniently located about 30-minutes from Carlsbad and 15-minutes from Artesia, the RV park is located just off US Hwy 285 between mile markers 51 and 52. Carlsbad KOA is billed as New Mexico’s #1 Family Campground - and rightfully so - the splendid park, built in 2000 earned a Trip Advisor certificate of excellence by 2015.
There are 110 RV sites with full hookups, 30/50 amp electric, free wi-fi, and free cable TV. Ninety nine are big rig friendly pull-throughs that can accommodate RVs up to 75’. There are patio sites in various configurations: family sites which accommodate an RV and a tent on the same site; premium pull-through sites with shaded enclosures; and premium buddy sites designed for two rigs together featuring an extra-large covered patio, landscaping, and a swing.
Amenities include a pool, “fortress” playground for kids, horseshoes, volleyball, and basketball. Banana and scooter bike rentals are available for tooling around the area. Onsite, there’s a snack bar, camp store, and 2,000 square-foot community room with table games and commercial laundry housing nine coin-operated washers and six coin-operated dryers. Owners James and Shelley Fugitt even have plans for making the park “green” with the help of a wind turbine.
There are kid’s crafts, movies in the community room, and nightly activities like stargazing with an 8” telescope or bonfires with s’mores. The park is pet-friendly (pets must be leashed) and sports a fenced dog park.
The Fugitts have continued a long tradition started by the park’s original owners - homemade dinner delivery seven nights a week. They smoke their own meats over mesquite and pecan wood and prepare traditional side dishes like potato salad and beans. Meals are delivered right to each campsite. BBQ beef and pork are available (their pork has been featured on "BBQ with Bobby Flay.") as are smoked turkey and teriyaki salmon.
Shelley Fugitt said her start in the RV business was influenced by her father who spent much of his career in the RV industry including serving as president of the National Recreational Vehicle Inspectors Association. Shelley and her husband James came to the ownership idea themselves but called on Shelley’s dad to make sure purchasing the KOA was a solid decision.
Welcome sign at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens. [Photo/Carlsbad KOA]
Shelley said, “The park is a perfect base camp for exploring Carlsbad Caverns and the other sites in the area.” Adding, “It’s perfectly located to get to each attraction and close enough to be a great place to wind down at the end of the day.”
With all the amazing sites like Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands, and cities like Carlsbad, Alamogordo, Roswell, and Artesia to tour, it’s good to know that Carlsbad KOA can provide a convenient home base.
From Carlsbad Caverns to the Living Desert Zoo and even the city itself, Carlsbad has a lot to explore.
More visitors come to this corner of New Mexico to see Carlsbad Caverns than probably any other attraction. It’s one of the most significant caverns in the world; Will Rogers once referred to it as “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it.” The park contains 117 caves with three open to tour. The one known as Carlsbad Caverns is the main attraction, with chambers up to 250 feet high. The “Big Room” even houses a cafeteria. Both guided and self-guided tours are available.
The park is also famous for the nightly bat flights; an amazing sight at dusk as thousands of bats go out to feed.
Overlooking the Pecos River Valley on the northwest edge of Carlsbad, the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens offers visitors a chance to see the plant and animal life of the Chihuahuan Desert. There is a 1.3-mile nature trail dotted with cacti, yuccas and agaves. Outlying areas contain sand dunes and mountainous terrain with juniper and pinon trees. Visitors can spot desert animals like lizards, snakes, and desert birds. In the zoo, there is a walk-through aviary and larger animals like antelope, bison, and endangered Mexican wolves.
One of the town’s popular spots is the Pecos River and the 4.5-mile natural riverwalk along its banks. Along the way, there’s the Carlsbad Water Park and the Riverwalk Recreation Center with facilities for skateboarding, roller skating, racquetball. Lake Carlsbad offers fishing, boating, waterskiing, and swimming at Carlsbad Beach. Visitors can even take a cruise aboard the historic George Washington Paddlewheel Boat.
The quaint town of Artesia is a New Mexico Main Street Community with a historic downtown. Artesia’s Heritage Walkway features beautiful fountains, tile work, outdoor sculpture, and plenty of interesting shopping. Among local landmarks is the historic Land of the Sun Theater, opened 1947. The theater and its neon sign were renovated in 2001 and is now an AMC affiliate. One block away is the Ocotillo Performing Arts Center which opened in 1935 as the Ocotillo Cinema and now serves as Artesia’s performing arts venue.
The first nuclear bomb was detonated in 1945 outside Alamogordo at the White Sands Missile Range. Today, Alamogordo is a New Mexico Main Street Community. Its Old Town area along New York Avenue boats a collection of early 20th-century buildings containing a variety of shops and cafes. Visitors may also want to catch the Alameda Park & Zoo, the oldest zoo in the Southwest or several local museums.
Bordering Alamogordo is the Lincoln National Forest, known as the birthplace of Smokey the Bear. The 1.1 million acre park encompasses three mountain ranges - the Sacramento, Guadalupe, and Capitan. Picturesque Sitting Bull Falls and the artisan village of Cloudcroft are favorite stops.
White Sands National Monument
The White Sands National Monument is the largest gypsum dune field in the world, with 275-square miles of white sand constantly in motion from prevailing winds.
About 30 miles north of Alamogordo is the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, one of the largest concentrations of petroglyphs in the Southwest, with more than 21,000 prehistoric images of animals, birds, humans, and geographic shapes.
In 1947, Roswell became infamous as the site of an alleged UFO crash. Today, the International UFO Museum and Research Center and other extraterrestrial hotspots continue the intrigue. While Roswell offers plenty of UFO attractions, there’s much more including museums, local theaters and galleries, and a small zoo.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the cool pines of Ruidoso are the backdrop for downhill skiing in winter, a year-round zip line, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails. For those who prefer the indoors, there are boutiques, spas, and the famous Ruidoso Downs and nearby Inn Of The Mountain Gods Casino to enjoy.
New Mexico, Open Road, Outdoors, RV Lifestyle, RV Parks, Travel