As a whole, 2021 was not full of much out of state travel for a lot of reasons. This trip that was worth the drive… yes I said drive. For thanksgiving I took a, not so short, road trip with Winter back to Texas to spend some time with family. After a few days in Texas, we all drove to Cloudcroft, New Mexico to hangout for a few days. We packed in a lot for a 3 day weekend. We managed to explore Cloudcroft, get in a hike, and go to White Sands National Park (details in a separate blog post).
Hanging around Cloudcroft
For anyone not familiar, Cloudcroft is a small mountain town in New Mexico about 3 hours south of Albuquerque. It is surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest in the Sacramento Mountains. As we drove through town, I felt like we had stepped into the set of a Hallmark movie. We stayed at an extended family members mountain condo, which was the perfect size for our girls weekend. While the town does not have a ton of sidewalks, it is fairly pedestrian friendly with trails throughout. There is plenty to do in Cloudcroft to keep busy for a long weekend, and if you are outdoorsy much longer.
Mexican Canyon Trestle
On our first day we did a quick hike along the OSHA Trail (details below). We also stopped by the Mexican Canyon Trestle Bridge – which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The now retired wooden railroad bridge once connected Cloudcroft to Alamogordo. There are plenty of additional details about the old rail line I am sure I left out. It was just a cool find we stumbled on and made for an interesting stop that I would recommend!
“Downtown” Cloudcroft
On our second day we explored the coffee, food trucks, eateries and shops of the Cloudcroft main street! First order of business was food. We found the cutest breakfast taco food truck right off the main street called the Cook Caboose. My sisters have high standards for breakfast tacos, and this little food truck was able to meet them. One spot we missed but were told is really good is Mad Jack’s BBQ.
Next up was the all important coffee! Another local favorite that came with a recommendation was Black Bear Coffee. This place was poppin’ with a line around the corner. The coffee did not disappoint, and neither did the merch. I definitely spent too much money here, but hey I was on vacation.
Coffee in hand we explored the shops on the main street of Cloudcroft and each got a little something for ourselves. The main street had some of your typical tourist trap-style shops, but there were definitely some unique spots to check out as well. During fall some of the shops are closed, but in the summer months there are a few more places open to explore.
The last stop around town was dinner, and by recommendation we went for pizza and beers at Cloudcroft Brewing. The wait was long and not just to get a table. After an hour wait for a table, there was another hour and half after we got seated for pizza orders to arrive. We were skeptical but decided to commit to it. We enjoyed several of their beers in beer flights, pictured above. When the pizza eventually arrived, it was worth the wait. I honestly couldn’t tell you if it was because we were straving or because it was really just that good, but either way we were happy.
Osha Trail
Somehow I managed to convince my mom and sisters to do a hike while we were in New Mexico. I mean we were in the middle of the Lincoln National Forest after all, so we had to do something outdoorsy. This trail caught my eye simply because of the irony of the name. For those who don’t know my “corporate” job is working as a Safety Professional, so OSHA is my bread and butter. While I do/did know the trail is not named after OSHA, but after a tree root, I still find the name ironic.
This short hike was perfect for everyone. All Trails has the OSHA Trail listed as a 2.5 mile loop. It is dog and kiddo friendly with 400 feet of elevation gain. The trail head has plenty of parking, and the trail is easy to follow with plenty of signage along the way. We hiked the trial clockwise and took our sweet time. There a several great view points along the trail and a really nice meadow as well. Overall a great little hike for anyone, even those that don’t hike often. If you don’t take my word for it, check out the photos below for proof! I can only imagine the colors on this trail during the fall and spring seasons.
All in all, this was a really great girls trip to get away from the hustle of day to day life and relax in the mountains! I definitely recommend Cloudcroft for a nice, remote, getaway location. I cannot wait to return and explore the area even more.
Enjoy reading about this adventure? Check out more of our trips and hikes on our archive page, or use those little menus at the top of the website if you are looking for something specific!
Thank you for the wonderful review of our mountain village. Next time check out Eight the Cake coffee and pastry shop. Ryan is an artist as well as a fantastic baker. I work 2 doors down ( Mountain Magic) so I try to get something at least once a week. Hope you all come back soon. Thank you again. Kate
Nice write up about my childhood hometown. It was a great place to grow up. I go back for reunions quite often. Every season is beautiful up there.
Hi, Shirley we still have our cabin in James canyon it’s a great place for us to get together.
How did you miss Lepree’s Global Comfort food? Where else in the entire state has a restaurant owned by a chef with culinary degrees from Oxford University in England? Fabulous food and great service from Chef Richard and his bubbly and vivacious wife, Bridget.
It’s not OSHA Trail but Osha Trail because of the Osha Root found on the backside of Osha Trail.
Hi! Yes I am aware of what the trail is named after. However, I still find the name ironic personally, for reasons stated in the post. But not everyone will appreciate the little personal twists I put into my posts 🙂
Daves Cafe – great green chile cheeseburgers and homemade fries