9 New Mexico Natural Wonders You Need To Add To Your Outdoor Bucket List For 2020

Are you currently feeling the pangs of cabin fever? Now is the perfect time to plan out your upcoming outdoor adventures! If you need some ideas, here is a look at some of our favorite suggestions for places to enjoy New Mexico's great outdoors.

Do you prefer to view your natural wonders in the dark? Make the most of New Mexico's inky black skies by booking a stay at the New Mexico Lodge And Observatory. Read more in This New Mexico Lodge Has An Observatory That Is Worth A Trip From Any Corner In The State.

1. Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness

Sometimes called the Valley of Dreams, this isolated landscape contains an impressive collection of hoodoos, eroded cliffs, and other classic markers of badlands. The colors here are muted warm tones of red, orange, and brown, interspersed with flashes of grey, white, and black.

2. Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness

Another isolated area of badlands, Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is home to approximately 45,000 acres of jaw-droppingly unusual rock formations. In fact, one step onto the land here and you'll swear you were transported to another planet.

3. Blue Hole

Deep, clear blue waters are all you really need to consider for a summer escape. Pair that with the opportunity to practice your diving skills in the middle of the desert and you have the Blue Hole, found near Santa Rosa.

4. Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Containing approximately 100 caves within the entire caverns, this national park is home to one of the nation's largest cave chambers.

5. El Malpais National Monument

This national monument contains extensive badlands, lava formations, lava tubes, and an impressive natural arch.

6. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

Also referred to simply as Tent Rocks, this landscape is oddly filled with cone-like rocks that tower overhead. These cones—or tents—are composed of pumice, tuff, and sandstone.

7. Rio Grande Gorge

New Mexico's own version of the Grand Canyon sits near the Colorado border. Enjoy the views from above at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge or on the canyon floor while exploring the river.

8. Valles Caldera National Preserve

One particularly interesting area is the Valles Caldera National Preserve, located just outside Los Alamos in the northern portion of the state. This preserve is home to one of the country’s only supervolcanoes.

9. White Sands National Park

If this iconic national park is not on your bucket list, what are you doing? Composed of gypsum sand that covers thousands of acres, it looks incredible and makes for a surprisingly fantastic spot for dune sledding.