New Mexico's Underrated City Is A Desert Haven With Big Skies, Ancient Roots, And Fly Fishing

New Mexico is known as the "Land of Enchantment," and its northwestern section in the Four Corners region may be the most enchanting of all. With its high desert vistas and deep Native American heritage, you'll truly experience the magic when visiting. While the more well-known cities, such as the desert oasis of Farmington and the artsy gem that is Gallup, garner the most attention in the area, the city of Bloomfield should not be overlooked. 

Bloomfield is a desert sanctuary with around 7,800 residents and easy access to the best of what this captivating region has to offer. It's central to a wealth of Native American culture with roots that run deep. Bloomfield is within the Navajo Nation off-reservation trust lands, bordered to the east by the Jicarilla Apache Nation Reservation, and to the north lies the Southern Ute Reservation.

Multiple important historical sites are in and near Bloomfield. Just two miles west, you'll find Salmon Ruins & Heritage Park, where an archaeological dig reveals an Ancestral Puebloan village dated to A.D. 1088. The attached museum houses a large collection of artifacts discovered during the excavation. Aztec Ruins National Monument, a quick 15-minute drive away, is a sacred place for the indigenous peoples of the area and showcases some of the best-preserved Chacoan architecture to be found. For an epic day trip, travel an hour south to remote Chaco Canyon to experience the striking ruins that were once the largest buildings in North America.

The San Juan River flows just south of Bloomfield on a 383-mile journey to its confluence with the Colorado River in southern Utah. Only 22 miles east of Bloomfield, you'll find the Navajo Dam and the fishing paradise it has created. The first four miles downriver from the dam, known as "Quality Waters," are renowned as one of the best fly fishing spots in the world. The nutrient-rich water flowing from Navajo Lake into the San Juan River is an ideal habitat for up to 80,000 rainbow and brown trout to thrive. And with an average length of 17 inches, you can be sure to have an epic angling adventure!

Several fishing guide companies call Bloomfield home and are eager to share their experience. Your guide will provide equipment, hone your fly fishing skills, and paddle you along the river, ensuring a rewarding experience. If you're confident enough in your fly fishing abilities to go solo, consider bringing your own fishing gear that can go on vacation and help you avoid rentals.

To get a birds-eye view of your desert surroundings, Angel Peak Scenic Area is just south of the city. This 10,000-acre wonderland is highlighted by the dramatic Angel Peak rising nearly 7,000 feet from the desert badlands below. Visitors are rewarded with expansive, big sky views extending all the way to the southern mountains of Colorado. A nature trail will take you to an overlook where you can revel in the vistas of the canyon below. The area also contains a campground with nine camp sites, picnic tables, fire grates, and a vault toilet.

The closest commercial airport to Bloomfield is Four Corners Regional Airport (FMN) in Farmington, about 15 miles away. You'll need to connect through Denver International Airport (DEN), as it's the only hub that services Farmington. To complete your journey to Bloomfield, there's a Hertz rental car agency at the airport as well as an on-call taxi service. If you're road-tripping, the drive is roughly 170 miles northwest from Albuquerque on highway US-550 N. From the north, the journey from Durango, Colorado, to Bloomfield is about 46 miles along highway US-550 S.

Bloomfield has a few local hotels and motels to choose from, including the Best Western Territorial Inn & Suites. There's also a wide selection of vacation rentals available through sites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. For a truly unique experience, consider Kokopelli's Cave, an unusual getaway with million-year-old cliff views. It's about a half-hour drive from Bloomfield.

As for the best time to visit, Bloomfield experiences all  four seasons, and ideal weather is usually found in the spring and fall months. However, the heat of summer is tempered by the city's high elevation of 5,453 feet, and the winter months are chilly, but the average snowfall for the season is only 12.3 inches. If catching that trophy trout is in your plans, fly fishing on the San Juan River is fantastic year-round. Fall is typically the busiest season for anglers hitting the water, so bear that in mind if what you're seeking is an isolated river bend with only dramatic, big sky vistas for company.