Raton KOA

The Great Outdoors

New Mexico is a place of impossible beauty, decorated with incredible landscapes, magical deserts, and incredible geological features. When you camp in an RV near Raton, there are a number of places you can visit with your RV rental to enjoy the great outdoors in this naturally beautiful state. Sugarite Canyon State Park is an obvious choice, several minutes’ drive from the city of Raton. Here you can see the reclaimed remnants of an old coal-mining camp, now adorned with plant life of all types. Small cinder cone volcanoes and flat top mesas can be seen scattered throughout the park, making for some exciting terrain to trek through. The park has some large lakes where you may swim, fish, or boat, like Lake Maloya and Lake Alice. Outdoor lovers head to this excellent park to go rock climbing, ride horses, explore old archaeological sites, and camp.Eagle Nest Lake State Park is another splendid option over by Taos that you can check out with your Raton motorhome rental. The water of Eagle Nest Lake remains cold and refreshing throughout the year due to its alpine elevation, making it a pleasant place to beat the New Mexico summertime heat. Hiking, biking, and even snowmobiling in winter make for great ways to get out and see the park.With under a half an hour of driving, you can see the fabled Capulin Volcano National Monument, one of many incredible geological features in the area offering a great deal of insight into the workings of Earth and its tectonic plates. The volcano was active and erupting 50,000 years ago, but now it is nothing more than a landmark rising from the otherwise flat grasslands of northern New Mexico. Hiking to the top of the 8,000-foot-tall cinder cone is quite difficult, but worth it once you see the enchanting views from the top.If you head just over the border into Colorado, you can see a bunch of other fabulous state and national parks. Great Sand Dunes National Park is the closest national park to Raton and one of the strangest and most unique parks you can find. The park is named for its massive towering dunes that combine with the Rocky Mountains behind them, make for some pretty impressive photographs. You can trek through the park on foot or opt to ride down the sandy giants with a sandboard. Camping is allowed in the park should you feel the urge to stay for a few nights with your campervan rental.

Exploring the City

Raton KOA is in the city of Raton, a delightful community that often flies under the radar despite its charming and inviting atmosphere. Although it is quite small compared to other cities in New Mexico like Albuquerque or Santa Fe, there is lots to do when you rent an RV near Raton KOA. The Raton Museum is a fine place to start, perfect for history lovers and young children alike. Learn about the coal mining camps that would later contribute to the founding of Raton or the first Spanish conquistadors who traveled to the area 500 years ago. Volunteers can take you on a tour of the facility, showing the extensive collection of Native American artifacts and memorabilia housed within it.The Shuler Theater and the El Raton Theatre are two of the town’s best community spaces, dedicated to preserving the arts and inspiring people to make magic on stage. Shuler Theater is an intimate performance space housed in a historic building, with fabulous acoustics and ambiance. The El Raton Theatre was one of the first movie houses, built with Art Deco style in the 1930s. This refurbished masterpiece now plays modern movies while retaining its old charm.Aside from the museums and nearby volcanic monuments, there are some other reasons to make your way to Raton. Dozens of celebrations and festivals happen in the area, like the Run to Raton Bike Rally and the International Balloon Rally. The hot air balloon festival is world famous, bringing in people from all around the world to ride and photograph these mesmerizing floating vehicles in all their amazing colors.