Valley of Fires — Hotel in Carrizozo

It is less heard, less seen. The Valley of Fires Recreation Area in Carrizozo, New Mexico has never been in my travel radar. Not so many travel websites wrote about it. Not even the few popular New Mexico Instagram accounts have posted photos of it. I only found out about the Valley of Fires after I checked a map of New Mexico’s public lands. I was curious, so I googled.

Here is what the Bureau of Land Management described the Valley of Fires:

Valley of Fires recreation area is located immediately adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

From a distance, Valley of Fires appears as barren rock but when you walk through the nature trail there are many varieties of flowers, cactus, trees and bushes typical of the Chihuahuan desert. Animals include bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barberry sheep, and lizards. It’s also a virtual birdwatcher’s paradise with great horned owls, burrowing owls, turkey vultures, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and...

Valley of Fires Campground and the Malpais Trail is amazing! Once again, never having been here, you kind of choose a site based on what you can get from reviews, etc. I'm in site 2 and it's totally difficult to level but going like crossways on the pavement, I got it. There's water and electric at most sites. Site 1, no water or electric. Site 3 on the other side of me is fairly level (way better than mine). Site 4 is a handicapped site (nice and level). Site 5 not good, the walkway is directly next to their picnic table. I apologized to them when me and my dog walked by. You feel like you're intruding on their space. The rest of the sites, you'll have to figure out 🤔. The walking trails are fun, hot during these warm days and no shade, so mornings or evenings would be best. There's a shower house and non-flush toilets. There is a bookstore/visitor center but it's closed due to lack of staff (that's what the sign says). There's a relatively short trail next to the bookstore that's very pleasant which meanders through the area and ends up on the entry road. The black lava is a site to see and there's information everywhere on Google about how this phenomenon came to be. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and...

As we were driving toward the Valley of Fire, we noticed a dark patch on the horizon and couldn’t figure out what it was. But as we got closer, we were completely blown away—it turned out to be one of the most breathtaking places we’ve ever seen. The unique black rock formations, shaped by years of erosion, are absolutely stunning and feel like something from another planet.

We hadn’t originally planned to stop, but the scenery was so captivating that we couldn’t resist. The contrast of the black rocks against the blue sky was mesmerizing, and the way the sunlight highlighted the formations made them even more beautiful. Walking around, we discovered intricate patterns on the rocks and unexpected pockets of greenery that added to the charm of the place.

Even though our visit was unplanned, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. It’s a peaceful escape where you can truly connect with nature and admire its raw beauty. Whether you're just passing through or planning a longer visit, the Valley of Fire is a must-see destination that will leave you in awe. Highly, highly...