First time long-distance overland South Carolina to New Mexico

[Kennedy Crew]

Hi all! Very excited to find this group! We are planning our first long distance overland South Carolina to New Mexico and back at the end of June 2025. I know there is a lot of places in between, but if anyone has done this trip and would like to share their route, or just points/places that we really shouldn't miss, we would really appreciate your input! We have a '23 Tacoma 4x4, rooftop tent etc.

 

[FishinCrzy]

Hey Brigid, not a huge help on route as I have been traveling more northerly to Colorado and points north. Having a RTT you will be wanting a quiet place to camp. One I found that may be close to your route is just off I-22 in northern Mississippi in Holly Springs NF. Chewalla Lake Rec Area.

Chewalla Lake Recreation Area, National Forests in Mississippi - Recreation.gov

Explore Chewalla Lake Recreation Area in National Forests in Mississippi, Mississippi with Recreation.gov. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is located in the Holly Springs Ranger District in northern Mississippi. Visitors enjoy swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach o

www.recreation.gov

I was on my way to Arkansas at the time and it was a very nice stopover. Reservations at the time, '21 as I remember, were not really necessary but couldn't hurt. Think I was in Site 31 as it was secluded and near water spigot. New Mexico is high on my list of places to visit next. Good Luck on your trip!

 

[Kennedy Crew]

Hey Brigid, not a huge help on route as I have been traveling more northerly to Colorado and points north. Having a RTT you will be wanting a quiet place to camp. One I found that may be close to your route is just off I-22 in northern Mississippi in Holly Springs NF. Chewalla Lake Rec Area.

Chewalla Lake Recreation Area, National Forests in Mississippi - Recreation.gov

Explore Chewalla Lake Recreation Area in National Forests in Mississippi, Mississippi with Recreation.gov. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is located in the Holly Springs Ranger District in northern Mississippi. Visitors enjoy swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach o

www.recreation.gov

I was on my way to Arkansas at the time and it was a very nice stopover. Reservations at the time, '21 as I remember, were not really necessary but couldn't hurt. Think I was in Site 31 as it was secluded and near water spigot. New Mexico is high on my list of places to visit next. Good Luck on your trip!

Wow, thanks so much! I appreciate all suggestions. Hoping to avoid most of TX unless someone mentions something along the route we shouldn’t miss. NM is one of my favorite states, I hope you get there soon!

 

[AnthonyBroussard]

If you do happen to go through texas check out Big Bend National Park.

 

[ZombieCat]

How much time do you have for this trip? What do you enjoy doing? Cultural activities, hiking, etc? I made a similar return trip from Arizona along the southern route, primarily I-40, in April ‘24.
You could stop off in Hot Springs, AR to visit the national park. In particular, tour the museum at the Fordyce Visitor Center. There are several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds located on nearby lakes. I also spent a day at Crater of Diamonds State Park; I didn’t score any gems, but another person did find a unique brown diamond.
The trip across Texas, Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico is kinda meh…it will likely be hot, too.
New Mexico is very interesting! There are some great high altitude campsites in the Santa Fe national forest. Santa Fe has several museums that showcase Native American history and art. Other highlights in the state are:
- Hiking around Taos, specifically Wheeler Peak
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks (now requires reservations)
- Bandelier National Monument; they have a campground in the park
- Valles Caldera Preserve (one of my favorites!)
- Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
- Bradbury Science Museum and Los Alamos; watch the film at the museum
- Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque; hike the La Luz Trail up, eat at the restaurant (Ten3, previously the location of High Finance) and take the tramway back down as the sun sets
- Gila Cliff Dwellings (there are campgrounds)
- Mogollon Ghost Town
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park; make camping reservations ASAP and beware traveling the road if wet, NM mud is no joke!
- Carlsbad Caverns (get entry ticket)
- White Sands National Park; hike at sunrise when the sand is cool
Finally, if you can dip into southern Colorado, get tickets on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railroad. It’s an all day excursion, but an amazing experience. Have a great trip!

 

[highboy4x4]

How much time do you have for this trip? What do you enjoy doing? Cultural activities, hiking, etc? I made a similar return trip from Arizona along the southern route, primarily I-40, in April ‘24.
You could stop off in Hot Springs, AR to visit the national park. In particular, tour the museum at the Fordyce Visitor Center. There are several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds located on nearby lakes. I also spent a day at Crater of Diamonds State Park;
New Mexico is very interesting! There are some great high altitude campsites in the Santa Fe national forest. Santa Fe has several museums that showcase Native American history and art. Other highlights in the state are:

Excellent information thanks for sharing.

 

[Kennedy Crew]

How much time do you have for this trip? What do you enjoy doing? Cultural activities, hiking, etc? I made a similar return trip from Arizona along the southern route, primarily I-40, in April ‘24.
You could stop off in Hot Springs, AR to visit the national park. In particular, tour the museum at the Fordyce Visitor Center. There are several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds located on nearby lakes. I also spent a day at Crater of Diamonds State Park; I didn’t score any gems, but another person did find a unique brown diamond.
The trip across Texas, Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico is kinda meh…it will likely be hot, too.
New Mexico is very interesting! There are some great high altitude campsites in the Santa Fe national forest. Santa Fe has several museums that showcase Native American history and art. Other highlights in the state are:
- Hiking around Taos, specifically Wheeler Peak
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks (now requires reservations)
- Bandelier National Monument; they have a campground in the park
- Valles Caldera Preserve (one of my favorites!)
- Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
- Bradbury Science Museum and Los Alamos; watch the film at the museum
- Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque; hike the La Luz Trail up, eat at the restaurant (Ten3, previously the location of High Finance) and take the tramway back down as the sun sets
- Gila Cliff Dwellings (there are campgrounds)
- Mogollon Ghost Town
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park; make camping reservations ASAP and beware traveling the road if wet, NM mud is no joke!
- Carlsbad Caverns (get entry ticket)
- White Sands National Park; hike at sunrise when the sand is cool
Finally, if you can dip into southern Colorado, get tickets on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railroad. It’s an all day excursion, but an amazing experience. Have a great trip!

wow!! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply.
Fortunately, we are both pretty open to about everything. it’s all about the experience and creating memories.

 

[The Deputy]

How much time do you have for this trip? What do you enjoy doing? Cultural activities, hiking, etc? I made a similar return trip from Arizona along the southern route, primarily I-40, in April ‘24.
You could stop off in Hot Springs, AR to visit the national park. In particular, tour the museum at the Fordyce Visitor Center. There are several Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds located on nearby lakes. I also spent a day at Crater of Diamonds State Park; I didn’t score any gems, but another person did find a unique brown diamond.
The trip across Texas, Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico is kinda meh…it will likely be hot, too.
New Mexico is very interesting! There are some great high altitude campsites in the Santa Fe national forest. Santa Fe has several museums that showcase Native American history and art. Other highlights in the state are:
- Hiking around Taos, specifically Wheeler Peak
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks (now requires reservations)
- Bandelier National Monument; they have a campground in the park
- Valles Caldera Preserve (one of my favorites!)
- Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness
- Bradbury Science Museum and Los Alamos; watch the film at the museum
- Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque; hike the La Luz Trail up, eat at the restaurant (Ten3, previously the location of High Finance) and take the tramway back down as the sun sets
- Gila Cliff Dwellings (there are campgrounds)
- Mogollon Ghost Town
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park; make camping reservations ASAP and beware traveling the road if wet, NM mud is no joke!
- Carlsbad Caverns (get entry ticket)
- White Sands National Park; hike at sunrise when the sand is cool
Finally, if you can dip into southern Colorado, get tickets on the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railroad. It’s an all day excursion, but an amazing experience. Have a great trip!

Great info, thank you. Was heading there last Sept. blind, but now you've got my eyes wide open!

 

[grubworm]

@ZombieCat pretty much nailed it, but i'll throw in my take on new mexico since it is one of my favorite states to visit...

first off, i'd go on amazon and order the DeLorme atlas and gazetteer for new mexico


lots of great info and in the upcoming months, you can get advice on places to see and reference the gazetteer for location and more info.
time and money will be a determining factor on how you plan the trip and there are basically two ways to approach the trip: find specific things you want to see and concentrate on that area OR do a recon trip to see as much as possible with the idea of seeing all you can see and then in the future, plan a trip for specific areas that caught your interest on the recon trip. it is a big state and a lot of things are pretty spread out...

if you are coming in on I-40, angle up to santa fe and check that out. amazing place with a lot of sites and art studios if you like that. from there, go up to taos and you can make a circle going up to eagles nest and red river. VERY scenic and there are camp grounds. if you are digging the southwest vibe, then head northwest from taos to shiprock. there is BLM land and some nice remote camping west of taos. as you go further to shiprock, you will see the cool scenery like in the coyote and roadrunner cartoons with big rocks perched on top of eroded peaks and all the red and tan colors of the mesas. shiprock is cool and that puts you close to mesa verde cliff dwellings like zombiecat mentioned. a very unique area and worth it just to drive thru it.

depending on time, you can drop south on 491 from shiprock and hit gallup which will put you on I-40 if you are heading home and need to make time.
if not...then you can stop in albuquerque and check that out and then drop down on I-25 to las cruses and then north on 70 to see white sands national park and up to alamogordo and thru cloudcroft which is very scenic and head west to artesia and then drop down to carlsbad caverns. i've been there a dozen times and still love going. there is BLM land all around there and we've desert camped outside of carlsbad and enjoyed the remoteness and the wide open skies at night. from there, you can either angle your way back up north thru roswell and hit I-40 or drop down from carlsbad and hit I-10 and shoot across the soul sucking barren wasteland of west texas and hit san antonio and check out the riverwalk and alamo and then work your way back northeast or continue on I-10 thru new orleans and check that out and travel the gulf coast working your way northeast as you go.

get the gazetteer and watch youtube vids on people traveling new mexico and you will get a good idea of what all is there and what would be of the most interest to you.

 

[jader32]

Your road trip sounds like a production-worthy adventure! Many actors filming on location swap stories about hidden gems along these routes especially the desert landscapes near Santa Fe that double as Hollywood backdrops. Don’t miss White Sands at golden hour!

 

[AviatorJones]

Bump on this one too (I bumped a different SE -> SW thread as well) to see if you had any new revelations for stops along the way.

We're heading from GA -> Colorado Springs the week of Memorial Day, and looking for any interesting detours or stops along or near the 'southern' route (Memphis -> Little Rock -> Amarillo). Already trying to make timing work to hit up Taos -> Sand Dunes then ride up the back side of the front range to Colorado Springs.

 

[Kennedy Crew]

A BIG thank you to everyone who has replied to this post thus far! You have really helped us a LOT!!! At this stage, we are planning a stopover at Cater of Diamonds State park in Ark ( a place I've always wanted to visit), then straight over to Santa Fe. Staying with friends there for a couple of days then to Chaco, Mesa Verde, Taos, and the long trek home. Anyone been to the Purgatoire (yep, this is how its spelled) River/Canyon region (SE Colorado)? I went there a couple of times as a child in the 1970s with my mom who was an amateur (hobby) archeologist. I remember Martin Bowdin's art on the walls. I want to find his homestead and trek into the canyon to see what remains of his work.

 

[Kennedy Crew]

Hey Brigid, not a huge help on route as I have been traveling more northerly to Colorado and points north. Having a RTT you will be wanting a quiet place to camp. One I found that may be close to your route is just off I-22 in northern Mississippi in Holly Springs NF. Chewalla Lake Rec Area.

Chewalla Lake Recreation Area, National Forests in Mississippi - Recreation.gov

Explore Chewalla Lake Recreation Area in National Forests in Mississippi, Mississippi with Recreation.gov. Chewalla Lake Recreation Area is located in the Holly Springs Ranger District in northern Mississippi. Visitors enjoy swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach o

www.recreation.gov

I was on my way to Arkansas at the time and it was a very nice stopover. Reservations at the time, '21 as I remember, were not really necessary but couldn't hurt. Think I was in Site 31 as it was secluded and near water spigot. New Mexico is high on my list of places to visit next. Good Luck on your trip!

Thanks so much!!! Hope you get to make the trek soon!

 

[Kennedy Crew]

@ZombieCat pretty much nailed it, but i'll throw in my take on new mexico since it is one of my favorite states to visit...

first off, i'd go on amazon and order the DeLorme atlas and gazetteer for new mexico
View attachment 288036

lots of great info and in the upcoming months, you can get advice on places to see and reference the gazetteer for location and more info.
time and money will be a determining factor on how you plan the trip and there are basically two ways to approach the trip: find specific things you want to see and concentrate on that area OR do a recon trip to see as much as possible with the idea of seeing all you can see and then in the future, plan a trip for specific areas that caught your interest on the recon trip. it is a big state and a lot of things are pretty spread out...

if you are coming in on I-40, angle up to santa fe and check that out. amazing place with a lot of sites and art studios if you like that. from there, go up to taos and you can make a circle going up to eagles nest and red river. VERY scenic and there are camp grounds. if you are digging the southwest vibe, then head northwest from taos to shiprock. there is BLM land and some nice remote camping west of taos. as you go further to shiprock, you will see the cool scenery like in the coyote and roadrunner cartoons with big rocks perched on top of eroded peaks and all the red and tan colors of the mesas. shiprock is cool and that puts you close to mesa verde cliff dwellings like zombiecat mentioned. a very unique area and worth it just to drive thru it.

depending on time, you can drop south on 491 from shiprock and hit gallup which will put you on I-40 if you are heading home and need to make time.
if not...then you can stop in albuquerque and check that out and then drop down on I-25 to las cruses and then north on 70 to see white sands national park and up to alamogordo and thru cloudcroft which is very scenic and head west to artesia and then drop down to carlsbad caverns. i've been there a dozen times and still love going. there is BLM land all around there and we've desert camped outside of carlsbad and enjoyed the remoteness and the wide open skies at night. from there, you can either angle your way back up north thru roswell and hit I-40 or drop down from carlsbad and hit I-10 and shoot across the soul sucking barren wasteland of west texas and hit san antonio and check out the riverwalk and alamo and then work your way back northeast or continue on I-10 thru new orleans and check that out and travel the gulf coast working your way northeast as you go.

get the gazetteer and watch youtube vids on people traveling new mexico and you will get a good idea of what all is there and what would be of the most interest to you.

Thank you!!! That atlas was the first thing we bought :) I really appreciate your info!!

 

[Kennedy Crew]

Bump on this one too (I bumped a different SE -> SW thread as well) to see if you had any new revelations for stops along the way.

We're heading from GA -> Colorado Springs the week of Memorial Day, and looking for any interesting detours or stops along or near the 'southern' route (Memphis -> Little Rock -> Amarillo). Already trying to make timing work to hit up Taos -> Sand Dunes then ride up the back side of the front range to Colorado Springs.

Check out Cater of Diamonds State park in Ark if its something you'd like to do :) Wish we had time for Sand Dunes.... I think that'll be on the next trip!

 

[Renegade]

Palo Duro Canyon State Park just south of Amarillo off I-40 would a good stop if it works out.