Cloudcroft



Cloudcroft is a town in Southeast New Mexico with a population of less than a thousand.

History
High in the Sacramento Mountains, the village was started as a mountain resort (a glorified camp site) in 1899 by the coming of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad.

Climate
During the summer, temperatures go above and lows are between  and. During the winter, the range is from the 40s Fahrenheit to the teens.

Get in
Cloudcroft is located at the junction of Highways US 82 and NM 244. The nearest airport with commercial air service is in El Paso, Texas, about 96 miles away. Commute to Cloudcroft from nearby Alamogordo entails going through New Mexico's only Tunnel and driving through High Rolls/Mountain Park.

Get around
Cloudcroft has no public transportation, except horse and horse-drawn carriage rentals. The town itself is tiny and easy to navigate on foot. For outlying areas, plan to drive and know that 4-wheel drive is helpful in the winter.

See


The high altitude, low humidity and dark sky ordinance for the village, make Cloudcroft a popular site for day and night sky viewing. It is home to two observatories. Both observatories are located about 16 miles south of Cloudcroft on Highway 6563, the Sunspot Highway: this can be a challenging drive when snow is present.

Do
Most of Cloudcroft is dedicated to forest and mountain activities, although it does have golf courses and resorts.



Buy
Burro Avenue has several lovely shops featuring friendly service.

Sleep
There are a variety of places to sleep in Cloudcroft.

Stay safe


Most of Cloudcroft is above 9000 ft and one of the most likely problems is Altitude sickness. One should also understand the risks of mountain forest were there are wild animals and potential harmful/poisonous plants. Emergency services use the standard 911 system.

Go next

 * Lincoln National Forest, +1 575 434-7200, . It has hiking, camping galore, horse back riding, biking, four wheeling, hunting, cross country skiing, inner-tube rides, skating, and snow-mobiles!