Abiquiu Reservoir This 5,200 surface acre reservoir offers some of the finest fishing in northern New Mexico. Reptile fossils 200 million years old have been found in the area. The area includes a fine panoramic view of the Cerro Pedernal from the dam. It is surrounded by red sandstone formations on Hwy 84 and adjacent to historical Pedernal Mountain to the south on Hwy 96.
Angel Peak Recreation Area Prominent landmark rising from an ancient seabed is a contemporary badlands with picnicing and camping set in canyon rim country.
Avalon Reservoir Avalon Dam and Reservoir, Carlsbad Project, are located on the Pecos River 3 miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure constructed in 1907. Recreation at Avalon Reservoir is managed by the Carlsbad Irrigation District under ageement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The District can be reached at (505)885-3203. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, (505)827-7905, stocks reservoir and provides law enforcement. Park open 24 hours. Non-fee area. Good roads to recreation area. Good to fair roads around reservoir. No concessionaires. Year-round fishing for white bass, catfish, and bream. Scuba diving for game fish permitted. Boating must conform to New Mexico regulations. Boating fees charged.
Aztec Ruins National Monument Aztec Ruins National Monument preserves structures and artifacts of Ancestral Pueblo people from the 1100's through 1200s. People associated with Chaco Canyon to the south built and used the structures, then people related to the Mesa Verde region to the north used the site in the 1200's. The monument was established in 1923, and designated a World Heritage Site in 1987. Acreage: 319.47
Bandelier National Monument Best known for mesas, sheer-walled canyons, and the ancestral Pueblo dwellings found among them, Bandelier also includes over 23,000 acres of designated Wilderness. It was named for Adolph Bandelier, a 19th-century anthropologist. Proclaimed on February 11, 1916. Acreage: 32,737, all federal. Wilderness area: 23,267.
Big Horn Campground Seventeen campsites are the draw to this close-to-town camping area
