Winter in the Southwest

[Captm]

We're planning on spending the winter in New Mexico and Arizona and are seeking any recommendations of places to camp ( the more primitive the better) and what to not to miss.
Thanks in advance!
Cheers

 

[Lighthawk]

I'm no expert but Valley of Fire, White Pocket and Escalante come to mind.
Happy Travels!

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The Bisti Badlands in NM is a place to see. A good guide to the SW is Photographing the Southwest (3 volumes) by Laurent Martres. Detailed info on a lot of great places, regardless if you drag a camera along, or not...

 

[Durango1]

If you are looking for "warm" remember in the winter much of NM and even Arizona can be downright frigid. It is much more dependent on elevation than latitude. (I've been in killer blizzards in both Flagstaff, AZ and Cuba, NM!) There are some neat areas down by Tucson but that near to the border I'd be careful about isolated boondocking.

 

[pvstoy]

Not to mention the "Impassable When Wet" roads that winter storms leave behind....

 

[GroovyDad]

Don't miss out on New Mexico's red and green chile, especially the green chile cheeseburger!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Wander The West mobile app

 

[lqhikers]

seems weird that you would leave So. Cal. out of the picture as it has the best winter weather
and some of the most remote camping,Borrego Springs state park free back country camping,
Mojave preserve very remote much history free ,of course Death valley area (not the tourist area's)
cross the river and your in Kofee refuge remote free camping,of course Quartzite area, socialize with
a different group of travelers!

Just my thoughts,yours may differ.

Les,lqhikers

 

[Captm]

SoCal is old stomping grounds and is always available for plan "B". We want to see new areas and meet new people. We mad a left turn in Jackson Hole a week ago driving to Waterloo NY to surprise my Mom on her 76th Birthday. We are now heading back to Jackson Hole to continue our trip - heading to Moab from there. We'll spend a couple of weeks in the area before making our way to NM. We did the White Rim a year ago and would like to do it again but we have our dog with us. Chatting up the locals where ever we go has led to some great camping spots.
Cheers

 

[highz]

Captm, you never specifically said if you wanted to avoid cold and snow. Do you?

 

[Captm]

We are not specifically trying to avoid the snow and cold although warmer is better. We expect to snow camp for periods of time and will keep a close eye on the weather as we go. Looking to spend a month or so in Baja, most likely around Feb/Mar.
Cheers

 

[highz]

Two places I like are the Gila and the Chiricahuas.

 

[MidAtlantic]

IMHO Organ Pipe Nat Mon is a must-see, and the facilities are great, including showers. When you get tired of paying, go north on 85 to mile marker 55, then west just before the bridge to lots of dispersed camping sites that are accessible to even large RVs. There's a small, but well-stocked store, gas station and decent cafe/diner further up the highway at Why.

Warning: Be prepared to be stopped by the border patrol at their check point and interrogated. [Whether or not this is actually legal is discussed elsewhere if you're interested or care.]

I've heard Kofa Nat Wildlife Refuge is worth a visit, but haven't been there yet.

Ditto the green chilli!

 

[MidAtlantic]

Forgot to mention - I've been told there is (or at least was) a water faucet in Why that you can use to tank up. If you contact me directly, I'll tell you where I was told it is.

 

[LAWNMOWERMAN]

The Gila is indeed fantastic but cold nights and getting colder.Same for the Chiricauhuas.There are some nice spots near Portal,Az. and to the north and south in the lower elevations.The KOFA NWR (Named after the King of Arizona mine) is one of my favorite winter places.The rv-ers from Quartzite and their side x sides have impacted the daytime solitude but they don't stay overnight. Good camping and remote hiking (mostly bushwacking) is plentiful.Lots of Bighorn Sheep if your lucky.

 

[Captm]

KOFA has been on our list for awhile, while a relatively short drive from LA we never made it. So now is the time . Definitely going to check out Oregon Pipe NM as well. Going to look into Gila and Portal areas.
Cheers