Rockhound State Park, NM: Spring Canyon Jewel

Rockhound State Park, Spring Canyon section, New Mexico

There are two parts to Rockhound State Park --> the park "proper" with the visitor center and campground, and then the Spring Canyon section, which is for day use only, a few miles away.

Rockhound State Park, Spring Canyon section, New Mexico

Spring Canyon is a tiny jewel in New Mexico's park system. It is a spectacular place to enjoy a picnic lunch. There's a pleasant trail up to Lover's Leap.

Rockhound State Park, Spring Canyon section, New Mexico

I didn't have much time to linger in the visitor center over at Rockhound proper, but it is a pretty building with an interior that feels refreshingly cool.  The park must be popular with campers, as it appeared filled up with various-sized RVs.

For me, Rockhound felt like a smaller, tighter version of Oliver Lee Memorial State Park outside of Alamogordo, but with Oliver Lee feeling roomier and with a more expansive basin view. On the other hand, I'm guessing that Rockhound at night is a fantastic location for night-sky viewing, as it is farther away from Deming than Oliver Lee is from Alamogordo, the military base, and some tiny communities nearby.