New Mexico Summer Vacation Itinerary: Top Destinations and Activities

There is nothing better than hopping in the car and exploring a new place for your summer vacation. New Mexico has some of the best destinations to fuel all your wanderlust. Whether you have a day, a few weeks, or live locally, here are a few top destinations and itineraries while visiting this beautiful state.

NM Vacation Itinerary

Explore the Nation’s Oldest State Capital – Santa Fe

Established as the capital in 1607, Santa Fe has a plethora of history to explore as well as sights to see. Of course, in the summer, New Mexico can get hot so the best way to spend one of those days is inside. Be sure to check out the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which rotates many of her pieces from their collection and gives a detailed scope of the artist’s life as well as how she spent her time living in New Mexico. Stop off for lunch at The Plaza, where there are restaurants for every palate. If you’re looking for a quick snack, make sure to head to the back of the Five & Dime for a classic Frito Pie. After lunch, give yourself a few hours to take in the immersive and interactive art exhibit of Meow Wolf, where you will be transported to another dimension while trying to figure out the mystery of the Selig Family. As the evening cools down, be sure to check out the summer concert series at The Plaza, where free concerts happen weekly.

The Enchanted Circle

If you hoping to explore beyond the cities while on your NM vacation, having or renting a car is quite necessary to explore anything outside of the cities. With a car, you can travel the 84 miles of the Enchanted Scenic Byway, including the highest roadway point in New Mexico- Bobcat Pass at 9,820ft. Starting in Taos, head east on NM-64, which will lead you through Carson National Forest to the town of Angel Fire. This small mountain town boasts one of the best downhill mountain biking parks in the country. Carrying on north to Eagles Nest, you will be greeted with a large alpine lake perfect for bird watching. Be sure to look out for American White Pelican -that’s right, a pelican in New Mexico! After driving through Eagles Nest, turn left on NM-38 heading north towards Elizabethtown, an old gold mining village and currently a ghost town. You’ll shortly arrive in the ski town and summer haven of Red River. This alpine village hosts a plethora of summer activities, including fly fishing, ATV riding, horseback riding, and plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails. Carry on to Questa before turning left on NM-522 to head back into Taos. This drive can easily be done in a day if you are short on time but ideally stretch it out over a few days camping or finding lodging in each town to fully explore the Carson National Forest and mountain towns of Angel Fire and Red River.

Rio Chama 3 Day Rafting

Of course, we can’t think of a summer going by without an epic river rafting trip. Our 3-day trip on the Rio Chama is an ideal way to explore the wilderness section of this stunning river while leaving all the planning up to us. Our first day starts in Abiquiu, where you’ll meet the best guides in the industry who are just as excited as you to see the towering sandstone canyons and pristine wilderness environment. After launching on the river, you will be quickly transported to an area unlike anywhere else. The sandstone canyons on either side show the history of our Earth through multicolored layers. Our guides know many coveted hikes off the river to see everything from dinosaur footprints to unconformities in the rock layers. When stopping for camp each night, your guides will prepare a gourmet meal as you put up your tent and sleeping setup – all provided by us if you need it. Sadly, this trip comes to an end on the afternoon of the third day, but the memories you make with your campmates and guides on your NM vacation will last a lifetime! Please give us a call at 505-983-7756 to inquire about availability for all our upcoming Rio Chama trips.

How will you be spending this summer in New Mexico?