After a lovely 2 week stay at City of Rocks State Park in Faywood, New Mexico, we made our way to nearby Rockhound State Park in Deming. We had been considering heading to Big Bend National Park in Texas ( my favorite!) but the weather report was calling for it be pretty cold there so we nixed that idea. Rockhound was only a short distance away, close to town if we needed wifi or supplies, and covered by the New Mexico annual camping pass we had recently purchased.

When we arrived at the park, we picked one of the non-electric sites and then took a quick walk around the campground to check it out. Jack, the super friendly camp host, suggested we consider the electric site that had just opened up. With our pass, the electric sites are only $4 a day and it was a really nice spot so we decided to grab it. It turned out to be a great decision. The weather turned colder so after a quick trip to Walmart for an electric blanket and tiny heater we were able to stay very comfortable during the chilly nights and the one snowy day we had.

Given the convenient location and the extra comfort of having electricity, we decided to stay for 2 weeks and had a great time. Most of the days were sunny and pleasant so we were able to be outdoors for a good part of the time. Many of our fellow campers were very friendly so we had lots of interesting conversations. The camp hosts were great and the facilities were super clean and well maintained.  We enjoyed taking advantage of the hiking trails at the park as well when Francis was able to take a break from work.

Rockhound is a fantastic place to view the beautiful New Mexico sunset and for birdwatching as well. Francis enjoyed using them both as subjects to practice using his new camera. We had recently visited a Best Buy in close by Las Cruces, New Mexico and bought a Nikon D3400 that was on sale for Christmas. It is his first DSLR camera and he was getting used to using it, It is a little more complicated than the camera on his phone. He experimented with many of the different settings and taking night pictures. The Visitor Center beautifully decorated with hundreds of luminaries for Christmas also provided a great opportunity for him to experiment taking night photos.

If you ever find yourself near Deming, New Mexico and are looking for a place to camp, we definitely recommend Rockhound State Park.

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