Clouds often hover around the tops of the mountains in the Village of Cloudcroft. The small New Mexico town exudes charm. It is such a cool weather, evergreen-cloaked treat for us desert rats to visit. Some of my favorites in the area: + Ski Cloudcroft (tubing slides here in summer/winter) + Big Daddy's Diner + Bigfoot Enterprises LLC + The Lodge (3-star hotel) + Sierra Blanca viewpoint + Sunspot Solar Observatory + Old Apple Barn + and so many places to camp in the Lincoln National Forest Please pack it in & pack it out. read more

Come for the mountain views and murals; stay for the sasquatch. Cloudcroft is a quiet little town (around 8900' elevation) with plenty of parking along main street and side roads, for shopping and snack stops, and the drive through the mountain areas was extremely easygoing, with safe roadways. read more

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The village has so many various shops, bakeries, and coffee shops. My family and I enjoyed walking around exploring Cloudcroft and the village. Plenty of parking and everything was close by you could walk to. read more

Road tripping around New Mexico with my Mrs. and three kids, we found ourselves looking for a meaningful way to get from White Sands NP to Carlsbad. After a morning of sand-sledding down the gypsum dunes of White Sands, we entertained the notion of finding some real snow. Imagine our joy to see Cloudcroft on US-82, smack dab between Alamogordo and Carlsbad, and delightfully mountainous at nearly 8700 ft. of elevation. We set out northbound & hammer down, looking for the fluffy white stuff. After an uneventful quick lunch in Alamogordo, we started the uphill climb. Soon, the landscape changed, the desert chaparral shifted to pine forests, and the view out the Jeep windows looked decidedly colder. Cloudcroft has that charming small town in the mountains feeling of my more familiar SoCal highland towns: Arrowhead, Big Bear, Idyllwild. While there is a touristy/vacation-home undertone, there clearly is a contingent of locals who have the guts to get snowed-in here, and the heart to look out for their neighbors, too. Our visit to a park across the street from the school gave us all the snow we could handle. As we pulled the sleds and saucers out for the second time of the day, I realIzed I'd brought two left hands for my gloves (dumb Flatlander!) ... but the kids had a great time sliding down the hill into the park, and we got a few photos to share with our large family and larger Yelp family. I can see how this place might be a madhouse in the summer, when it provides a relatively cooler respite from the heat of lower elevation spots in the state. Still, I'd bet many here appreciate your tourist bucks, so we may have to find our way back here again in the future. If I can find my other ski glove, that is... read more

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Every now and then, I enjoy going to Cloudcroft for a short getaway. I haven't spent the night there, yet. Me and my partner are interested in staying at The Lodge Hotel sometime. It was recently remodeled and reopened this summer. It's supposedly haunted so we're intrigued by that! We tried booking a night there this past summer but unfortunately there weren't any vacancies. Cloudcroft is the kind of small town I'd consider retiring in...especially during the summertime. I'm not a fan of cold weather these days...not even a little bit. Cloudcroft would also be a good place to escape to if you're writing a book or creating art. It's located in the Lincoln National Forest. The air always smells fresh. I love it! I remember my parents and grandparents bringing me to Cloudcroft when I was a kid. We would have a picnic and take in the fresh air. My parents also brought me and my sister when it was snowing. Back when I was a kid, I loved the snow. Building a snowman and making snow angels were some of the best things, ever! Cloudcroft is around a two-hour drive from El Paso. It's grown a bit since I was a kid. There's Cloudcroft Brewing Company (which also has really good pizza), a winery (Noisy Water Winery) an excellent bakery (Burro Street Bakery) and other restaurants. There's also some really good bbq joints like Mad Jack's and Brother-N-Law. Check it out! It's a great place to escape to and there's something for everyone. read more

City in the clouds! The village of Cloudcroft is a special place. It kinda sticks out from the rest of New Mexico. It happened when a railroad decided that people would like to go hang out in the mountains where it's cooler than the rest of the area. They were right! The town of Cloudcroft started as an old west railroad town. Be sure to check out the old Mexican train trellis just outside of town. The town lost the railroad when a reliable roadway was built through here, and the car could easily reach the 9000 foot elevation. Now, it's sort of a sleepy touristy town. There's a ski lift in the area, but other than that, there's the Sunspot Observatory and the Lincoln National Forest. Frankly, there's a lot to see and do around here. My favorite aspect of the village was the Osha Trail just to the north of downtown. It's a 2.2 mile hike along the mountains on a well-maintained pathway. It lets you get a birds eye view of the trellis and some really cool nature! It's always a lot colder up here at elevation. The wildlife changes, the types of trees and nature changes. It's a wild place with amazing views, since you're so high up! read more

I have a soft spot for Cloudcroft since I lived there for 5 years a few decades ago. Although some things have changed, some things remain the same. Up front, if you are in this area then I would recommend you stop at least for an afternoon. This town is overlooked and/or a hidden gem. The town does rely heavily on tourist, however, it is not a destination that is overrun by tourist. You can really enjoy all things without the heavy burden of crowds. Here's a little history as to how Cloudcroft came to be: The El Paso and Northeastern Railroad in the 1890's wanted to continue the rail from the new town of Alamogordo to the north mining town White Oaks. By doing so, they found that this area may attract visitors since it was cooler. The name of Cloudcroft was suggested since it was a "pasture for clouds" and then the rail line arrived in Cloudcroft in early 1900. It became a haven for those wanting to get a break of the desert heat. As motor vehicles became more popular the rail line began to lose money. Thus, passenger service ended in 1938 and the last freight train in 1947. Tourism slowed down a little after the halt of the railroad, but the town continued to welcome guest. In time more shops and restaurants blossomed and they are host to a few events. The population has not grown much over the years and the town committee seems to ensure things are kept simple and they aren't commercialized like so many other small villages like this. I can't help but mention the fairly new Family Dollar store in town that is a bit of an eye soar and doesn't fit in...it saddens me they allowed this store to come in since it takes away from the atmosphere, but I suppose they had their reasons. On the main street of the town you can find a little bit of everything from unique shops and restaurants to old time photos and art. Many of the items the stores carry are made by local artist or in the state of New Mexico. The people are very friendly and they are always happy to see you, assist, or whatever. It's a small community and you'll feel the sense of home and family everywhere you go. There are a few other things to visit while in the area. There is the historic railroad bridge, the Lodge, Sunspot, there are winter sports and hikes to name a few...not to mention the amazing views! Cloudcroft is 8,600 feet in elevation and within the Lincoln National Forest. read more

Village of Cloudcroft - Map of the area