Best Things to Do in Cloudcroft

Cloudcroft is a small mountain village high in the Sacramento Mountains of southern New Mexico.

Sitting at nearly 9,000 feet and surrounded by the Lincoln National Forest, it feels completely different from the desert around neighboring Alamogordo. The village is best known for its cool summers, mountain scenery, and easy access to hiking.

Don’t Miss

Burro Avenue

Cloudcroft is small enough that you don’t need much of a plan. Burro Avenue is the main street and is lined with shops, restaurants, and old storefronts. Walk around town, grab something to eat, and then head into the surrounding forest.

Hike A Trail

Many people travel to Cloudcroft for the forest scenery and there are several popular trails within minutes of town. The Mexican Canyon Trestle is a surviving section of the railroad that once delivered timber to Alamogordo. There is a popular 1.3-mile ‘Trestle Trail’ you can take for a closer look. Another popular trail is the 2.2-mile Osha Trail which loops through the forest with huge views over the Tularosa Basin.

Sunspot Scenic Byway

The road south toward the town of Sunspot is a nice scenic drive through a forest. The road follows the crest of the Sacramento Mountains, with overlooks toward the Tularosa Basin. At the end of the drive, you can visit the solar observatory at Sunspot and try to see some stars before returning to Cloudcroft.

Food & Drink

Cloudcroft has a row of great restaurants along Burro Avenue. Two notable options are:

• Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue – The most famous restaurant in Cloudcroft. Is it worth waiting 2 hours in line for? Meh.
• Cloudcroft Brewing Company – Nice brewery with craft beer, wood-fired pizza, and a large outdoor area.

Mad Jack’s has become enough of a destination that people (Texans) travel to Cloudcroft specifically to eat there.

Outdoors

Most of the recreation around Cloudcroft is in the surrounding Lincoln National Forest.

Popular options include:

• Trails near town like the Osha Trail and Trestle Trail are both great hikes that can be done in a couple of hours.
• The Rim Trail is a much longer trail system following the Sacramento Mountains, with plenty of options for longer hikes.
• Camping and picnicking throughout the Lincoln National Forest
• Skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at Ski Cloudcroft during good winter snow years

Summer is especially popular because Cloudcroft can be 20 degrees cooler than the desert below.

Where to Stay

The most interesting place in town is The Lodge at Cloudcroft, a historic mountain hotel dating to 1899. It’s also famously said to be haunted by the ghost of a former chambermaid who supposedly wanders the halls.

There are also plenty of cabins and vacation rentals around Cloudcroft, which are a good option if you’re staying for several days. Campgrounds in the surrounding Lincoln National Forest offer a cheaper alternative during the warmer months.

How Long Should You Stay?

A half day is enough to get the gist of Cloudcroft.

Walk Burro Avenue, eat in town, and hike the Osha or Trestle Trail. Many people spend quite a bit longer in Cloudcroft, however. It’s one of the best places in New Mexico to slow down, relax, and enjoy the mountain scenery. Regardless of how long you stay, make sure to watch out for deer!