Christina M. Selby - New Mexico Family Outdoor Adventure: An All-Ages Guide to Hiking, Camping, and Getting Outside

NEW MEXICO FAMILY OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

New Mexico
Family Outdoor
Adventure

An All-Ages Guide to Hiking, Camping, and Getting Outside

CHRISTINA M. SELBY

2021 by Christina M. Selby
All rights reserved. Published 2021
Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-8263-6292-6 (paper)
ISBN 978-0-8263-6293-3 (e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021937743

Cover illustration: Canoeing on the Rio Chama in summer, courtesy of the author.

Maps by Mindy Basinger Hill

All photographs by Christina M. Selby unless otherwise noted.

TO TAYLOR , my husband and incredible partner in life
who wholeheartedly supports my passion projects,
I couldnt have done this without you.

And my two free-range sons and daily inspiration,
OSCAR AND CLAYTON . I look forward
to many more years of adventures with you all!

Contents

Hikes

New Mexico Family Adventure Sites

Preface

The first time I went camping as the mother of a new family, my first son was about 6 months old. I spent most of the time in the tent nursing him and playing on the air mattress. We ventured out in the afternoon for a short hike along the creek, where we splashed around and ogled the colorful wildflowers. Other than that, we barely left the campsite. And yet, that was adventure enough at that moment of our lives.

Today, my two boys are 8 and 13 and variety is the name of the game. Now when we head out for an outdoor adventure, we choose a basecamp with easy access to hiking, biking, fishing, climbing, nature, and more to pique their interest. We still have those leisurely trips where we mostly sit around the campsite and play in the nearby creek, but we make sure to have options if the inspiration strikes (or to distract from digital device withdrawal).

We parents hope that our children will find beauty, health, and truth in the same things we have in our lives. My husband and I agree that spending time in nature is a good thing. And, just as we have the responsibility to feed our kids healthy meals and limit their screen time, we also have the responsibility to take them outside to keep their bodies healthy with recreation and to experience the wonder and awe of nature. We can only have faith that through the introduction we provide, they too will fall in love with nature and grow up working to live in harmony with it.

My husband is a gearhead, so he makes sure we have all the fun outdoor toys with us (bikes, fishing poles, campers, kayaks, etc.). Im a naturalist, so I choose spots where we are likely to see the kind of flora and fauna whose beauty will bring us all to our knees. When we can find a place that brings those two things together, we know weve found family adventure gold. And theres plenty of gold to be found in New Mexico.

Thats what Im sharing with you here: the best of our adventures. This guide is not a comprehensive list of everything there is to do outside with a family in New Mexico. Instead, it is a curated guide to adventures, each with plenty of options for fun and opportunities to deepen your familys relationship to the natural world. We hope you enjoy time together in nature as much as we do!

Taking in the view of the Florida Mountains in southeast New Mexico

Introduction

New Mexico Family Outdoor Adventure Guide describes adventures in nature across the state. Activities include both DIY adventures and those best led by an experienced outfitter. The guide is designed to appeal to parents traveling with children, families traveling with grandparents, and grandparents traveling with grandchildren.

Activities for families in New Mexico abound and include a mix of enjoying nature, learning about natural history, and adventure sports. Hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, water play, camping, skiing, sledding, rockhounding, wildlife watching, fishing, climbing, and outdoor cultural activities are all included.

All kids are different. Some kids like the outdoors, some kids dont. Some kids spend their time outdoors observing colors, sounds, and smells, interested by everything around them. Other kids stay in the car or tent playing with their phone and rarely notice their surroundings. So, if you want to enjoy family outdoor adventures, plan for the kids first. Family trips are about them first and only then about you. The key to a great trip is a healthy respect for the needs and interests of your children when exploring the outdoors. Below are some basic rules of thumb to make your trip fun and rewarding.

Choosing the Right Trip

Choosing an adventure that is too difficult for your children (or yourselves) is an exercise in frustration for everyone. Read descriptions carefully and make sure they are a match for your familys ability. If you are uncertain how far children, grandparents, or you, for that matter, can go or how long they will last, better to choose something short and easy, or take a small bite out of a bigger adventure to start. Better to linger and enjoy each others company rather than listen to complaining and whimpering. Try also to match your childrens interests with an outings particular attractions, whether they like more active adventures such as rock climbing or swimming or prefer a quiet walk through a field of wildflowers.

Bring Cool Trail Gear

All you really need for any nature expedition is interest and enthusiasm. However, bringing along an adventure pack filled with fun trail gear will help keep your children engaged along the way. Creating an adventure pack with your children before you head out can be part of the joy of outdoor adventures. Packing materials for simple projects like bark or stone rubbings brings a welcome diversion for kids who need a break. Consider including:

binoculars (7 35 power is good for watching birds)

a camera

a penknife, multitool, or scissors

a magnifying glass

small field guides

a notebook

pens, pencils, colored pencils, and an eraser

walking sticks

For siblings, make sure each has their own adventure pack (with exactly the same stuff) and hiking sticks.

Relax

Enjoying outdoor adventures with children is about enjoying the process, the small achievements, the discoveries youll share, and being outside together. Save the peak bagging and rushing rapids for special occasions (or for when they are teenagers). The rewards of sharing positive experiences with your children in nature will last a lifetime and build a foundation for your next trip.