Skip to main content

A Visit to City of Rocks State Park


Have you ever seen a little piece of nature that seems completely different from the area around it? Maybe a fern-filled grotto around a spring in the desert? Or a wildflower meadow in the center of a dense forest? Enchanted places?

Not far from Silver City, New Mexico, we found such a place in City of Rocks State Park. In the middle of a rolling grassy plain, an ancient volcano left behind a core of hard rock that had eroded and weathered into what looks like a city on the hill. 

 


It's easy to imagine a thriving city, magically turned to stone. Like all cities, it has streets and alleys, windows and doors.

It's nicely landscaped, with wildflowers, 
live oaks, and desert plants.




Rock City has quite a few permanent residents, although they are a little camera shy.














Weathered rocks are a little like cloud formations, stimulating the imagination. If I stare at them for very long, I begin to see things there. Like stone castles…




Giant toadstools,

and petrified monsters.




The best part of this park is that the campsites are nestled right into the rocks, making visitors a part of this enchanted city. And right in the middle, under the wide-open sky, are a small observatory and meeting circle where they offer occasional programs on astronomy.



So, if you ever find yourself in western New Mexico (The Land of Enchantment), you might want to take time to explore this odd little park, and see what enchantments you find there. 



Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 30, 2015 at 9:04 AM

    The best part of this park is that the campsites are nestled right into the rocks, making visitors a part of this enchanted city. And right in the middle, under the wide-open sky, are a small observatory and meeting circle where they offer occasional programs on astronomy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 30, 2015 at 9:05 AM

    The best part of this park is that the campsites are nestled right into the rocks, making visitors a part of this enchanted city. And right in the middle, under the wide-open sky, are a small observatory and meeting circle where they offer occasional programs on astronomy.


    Carpenter

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 1, 2015 at 5:25 AM

    Beautiful pictures, would love to see it in person some day... thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beth CarpenterOctober 1, 2015 at 6:59 AM

    Thanks for dropping in. I'd never heard of it before last week, but thoroughly enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

August Giveaway

 For August, I'm giving away ALASKAN DREAMS, plus a cute pair of book-stack earrings, and a themed herbal teabag to one subscriber. (US only, if someone without a US mailing address wins, the prize will be two ebooks). You must be a newsletter subscriber to win. If you're not already subscribed, you can sign up  HERE . You must be 18 or older. Void where prohibited.
1 comment
Read more

DECEMBER GIVEAWAY

  For December, I've giving away a copy of AN ALASKAN FAMILY CHRISTMAS and some artisan chocolate. (US only, if someone without a US mailing address wins, the prize will be two ebooks).  You must be a newsletter subscriber to win. If you're not already subscribed, you can sign up  HERE . You must be 18 or older. Void where prohibited.
7 comments
Read more

Tastes like Summer

I got a lovely surprise today. My neighbor, who has a set of terraced gardens in her front yard, called and said she was going out of town for the weekend. Could I do her a favor? Pick (and eat) all the strawberries growing there so they don’t go to waste. Yes, she actually made it sound like I was doing her a favor. These aren’t the plum-sized giant berries I’ve been finding in the store lately. These are concentrated, extra-strength berries, each thimble-sized berry containing the flavor equivalent of a large commercial fruit. The fragrance alone is worth the effort. I picked a big bowl full and now we get to eat them. Strawberries and cream. Berries in our cereal for breakfast. Maybe a fresh strawberry tart with a cream cheese filling. Rhubarb from my backyard with strawberries in a pie. I’m drooling. Tonight we celebrate summer with dinner on the deck. Barbeque chicken, potato salad, beans, spinach, and fresh strawberries with homemade shortbread and whipped cream. The sun wo...
2 comments
Read more