Valley of Fires Campground is GREAT! AAA CampBook is not up todate on it. All looks pretty new, great sites. Most with water & electric, very new bathhouse with showers (clean and lots of hot water), dump site, nice hiking trail into the Lava Flow. We didn't need the electric nor the water with the showers. $12 without electric, $18 with electric and some non improved for $7. With the Senior Pass we got it for $6. It was pretty cool due to T-storms in the area and it cooled off nicely to sleep. We stopped close to the Hwy and there was some traiffic noise but not bad, did not bother sleep. On leaving, we found the campground goes well away from the Hwy. and some are down off the ridge line and closer to the lava. There were some trees near if not by the lower camp sites, none along the ridge line. But farther from the showers/flush toilets. The shower was great before bed time and again in the morning. They also have a vistor center/gift shop, but it had not opened by the time we were leaving. With A/C any time would be ok, but
Fall and Spring would be best. Winter would be a good time as well, maybe see some snow on the lava and plants. We plan to go back when it is cooler. An A+ for Valley of Fires Campground.
We stayed over night there July 16, 2008 with the day time heat cooling down from rain showers in the area at the time. It was starting to heat up by the time we left around 9 am. It was a nice walk on the nature trail in the cool of the morning.
This BLM Recreation Site is located Four miles west of the Town of Carrizozo on US 380 in South Central New Mexico.
http://www.geo.utep.edu/loca/Volcanos/VALLEY.HTML
http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreatio...y_of_fires.html
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.
AW
Photos Sunset and Sunrise