New Mexico's Adventure Basecamp Is A Desert Oasis With Hoodoo Hikes, River Rafting, And Craft Brews

Known as the "Land of Enchantment," New Mexico is a beautiful state full of natural wonders and historic cultural treasures like the UNESCO World Heritage site of Taos and America's oldest state capital, artsy Santa Fe. When thinking about landscapes in the American Southwest, mesas, buttes, and deserts come to mind. In New Mexico, pockets of hoodoos, or tall, candlestick-like rock formations; water features like the state's largest body of water, Elephant Butte Reservoir; and refreshing rivers perfect for river rafting and fishing surpass the expected. Farmington, New Mexico's sixth-largest city, is an ideal destination for an adventure basecamp where you can hike among otherworldly hoodoos and raft on a selection of rivers. You can also relax after a day of outdoor exploration with a locally made craft brew.

This desert oasis is in the northwest part of the state, about three-and-a-quarter hours from Santa Fe, three hours from Albuquerque, and one hour from Four Corners, where New Mexico meets Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Four Corners Regional Airport is in Farmington, whereas Colorado's Durango – La Plata County Airport is 40 minutes away. Three hours south, Albuquerque International Sunport sits as another option. For trip-planning purposes, you'd be wrong to assume that Farmington is hot all year round, like much of the desert. Although it is sunny during all seasons, averaging 279 annual days of sun each year, the city sits at an elevation of nearly 5,400 feet and experiences all four seasons, including a foot of snow.  

Hoodoos are common in landscapes called badlands, where erosion causes unusually shaped geological formations and hills. The largest collection of hoodoos is in "America's most unique national park," Bryce Canyon. This is an aptly named true wilderness — a remote destination with no infrastructure or trails — that takes planning and preparation to visit. Your reward will be walking among strikingly shaped natural rock formations that resemble mushrooms and have names like Alien Throne. The unmarked trails of Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness span 60 square miles full of spires, petrified wood, and hoodoos with names like Alien Egg Hatchery and Manta Ray Wing. You can also hike among hoodoos and spectacular canyon vistas at Angel Peak Scenic Area.

For watersports fun, go paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, or swimming in Lake Farmington or Navajo Lake. If you're looking for more of a thrill, try river rafting on the San Juan or Animas rivers. Desert River Guides leads rafting trips ranging from short, family-friendly adventures to longer excursions traveling through Class III rapids. Serious anglers will want to go to the four-mile stretch of the San Juan River in Navajo Lake State Park, where there are more than 80,000 trout with an average size of more than 17 inches. If off-roading is appealing, Dunes Vehicle Recreation Area is where ATV, UTV, and motocross riders zoom around 800 acres of sand dunes, hills, and arroyos (dry creeks). 

Farmington has plenty of other activities, like Pinon Hills Golf Course, which is regularly named one of America's best municipal courses. Pinon Hills is a multi-tee, public course where play is enhanced by scenic surroundings of bluffs and panoramic desert vistas. Civitan Golf Course is a fine alternative, which features footgolf and disc golf alternatives.

Learn about the area's ancient inhabitants at Aztec Ruins National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and Salmon Ruins & Heritage Park. For more modern-day insight into Navajo culture, visit the Navajo Museum of Art & Culture, Farmington Museum, and trading posts, and perhaps plan your trip around an event like the Totah Festival or Northern Navajo Nation Fair. For a cultural experience of another sort, there are two breweries in town. Three Rivers Brewery on Main Street at any one time could be serving honey ale, pils, amber, and IPA. It also has a distillery and food, including pizza and tapas. Be on the lookout for unique suds like Bavarian wheat, coconut chocolate stout, and rice lager at Lauter Haus Brewing Company, which has a live music venue called the Shred Shed. 

Farmington has no lack of lodging options, with chains like Best Western, Marriott, and Comfort Suites well represented. For something really unusual, though, see if Kokepelli's Cave B&B is available. Carved into a cliff and accessible via a steep hike, this is a real cave with amenities like a Jacuzzi tub and a kitchen for rates in the $400 range.