young adults take a day trip from Tucumcari New Mexico to find unique things to do

DAY TRIPS FROM TUCUMCARI

Like the hub of a wheel Tucumcari is at the center of a diverse array of great day trips. Just imagine a day of scuba diving, swimming in a desert oasis, making a scenic drive to the original Las Vegas, taking in an authentic western rodeo, or following the trail Billy the Kid. 

Find a place to hang your hat at one of Tucumcari’s modern campgrounds or at a vintage motel so you have a place to come home to, and then set out on some amazing adventures. 

LAS VEGAS

  • Highway 104, Tucumcari to Las Vegas is a 107-mile drive with awe inspiring photo stops at nearly every turn. Be sure to plan your day trip so that on the return to Tucumcari you can catch the sunset at the Canadian Escarpment Historic Marker and scenic overlook. The drive starts with a wonderful view of the renovated depot. The highway courses through quintessential western landscapes and past the shores of Conchas Lake.

    Be sure and get a picture of the old Trementia school at the intersection of highway 419. The views become ever more spectacular as the highway climbs the Canadian Escarpment.

    Be sure to make use of the frequent pullouts. The drive continues across rolling high desert hills studded with cedar, juniper, and picturesque old ranches. And then after cresting a hill and crossing the Pecos Arroyo it enters historic Las Vegas.

MOSQUERO & ROY

  • The trip to Mosquero makes for a wonderful loop drive that blends stunning landscapes, historic sites, and a most interesting county seat. This village with a population of around 100 people is the county seat of Harding County.

    The diminutive business district includes colorful facades and murals at Mosquero Town and Country Market, Callahan West Brewery, Headquarters Restaurant, and the Harding County Courthouse that was built in 1922 as a school. The murals were painted by local students under the leadership of Doug Quarles who is the artist behind many murals in Tucumcari. Students still maintain the murals and also publish a local newspaper.

    Photo by Harding County MainStreet

FORT SUMNER & LAKE SUMNER

  • Fort Sumner and Lake Sumner are also delightful day trip destinations.

    Named after former New Mexico military governor Edwin Vose Sumner, Fort Sumner was a key military outpost in the eastern New Mexico territory. The site was purchased by Lucien B Maxwell and on his death in 1875, his son Pete assumed control of the ranch.

    Pete was a friend of a young cowhand and drifter known by several names - Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim or William Bonney. He was best known as Billy the Kid.

    On the night of July 14, 1881, the Maxwell ranch was the scene of one of the most famous moments in western frontier history. It was here that Sheriff Pat Garrett shot and killed Billy the Kid.

    Billy the Kid is buried in the old military cemetery in Fort Sumner. This is also the final resting place of Lucien Maxwell and several members of his family. The cemetery is located south of the Old Fort Sumner Museum.

    The centerpiece of the Billy the Kid Museum are artifacts associated with the legendary gunman. This museum also has an operating blacksmith shop and living-history homestead and gift store.

    Photo by New Mexico Tourism Department

THE BLUE HOLE & WIBIT PARK LAKE IN SANTA ROSA

  • How about a day of swimming and scuba diving at a true desert oasis? And you can still be back in Tucumcari for a delightful dinner and an awe-inspiring sunset.

    The Blue Hole on the original alignment of Route 66 in Santa Rosa is as advertised, a blue hole. More than 3,000 gallons of water flow from this sink hole into Santa Rosa Creek every minute! The clarity of the water allows for visibility of at least 100 feet. And the water is a consistent 62-degrees and is open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm year-round.

    Water sports, paddleboats, water slides and a water play on the WIBIT are also available during the summer at Park Lake outside of Santa Rosa. If you are in the area and love water, you don’t want to miss an afternoon on the WIBIT.

    Photo by New Mexico Tourism Department

SCENIC SUMNER LAKE STATE PARK

  • Scenic Sumner Lake State Park is located on the Pecos River. It is ideal for picnics or bird watching as it is on the Pecos River Flyway. It is easily accessed off the highway between Ft. Sumner and I-40 (Santa Rosa).

    Photo by New Mexico Tourism Department

NORMAN & VI PETTY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MUSEUM IN CLOVIS

  • Complete with old-fashioned diner booths and lots of real neon, the Norman & Vi Petty Rock ’n’ Roll Museum transports visitors back to the 1950s and offers never-before-seen artifacts and many interesting stories through video and audio adventures.

    Offering a re-creation of two of the iconic studio rooms, including working equipment and the original mixing board used during Buddy Holly’s recordings, the museum is a celebration of Clovis’ musical heritage and the legacy of two of its most remarkable citizens — Norman and Vi Petty. Memorabilia from the Petty’s personal collections are also on display, providing a behind-the-scenes look at their lives and careers of these rock legends.

    Photo by Clovis · Curry County Chamber of Commerce

NEARBY GHOST TOWNS

The mere mention of the words “ghost town” conjure up images of abandoned storefronts, tumble down houses, and tumbleweeds rolling down an empty dusty street. Like Route 66, ghost towns have an international appeal. Some of these towns are now less than historic footnotes. Others offer endless opportunity for photo ops and for unleashing the imagination. All of them are manifestations of long forgotten dreams, hopes, and inspirations. 

Before embarking on day trips in search of these forgotten places remember that there are unwritten rules for ghost town exploration. Respect private property and signs that restrict access. Take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints.

Here are some Quay County ghost towns you can explore:

ENDEE

  • Endee is located 37.5 miles east of Tucumcari and is named for the ND Ranch. This is one of the oldest communities in Quay County. It was established in 1882 by John and George Day, owners of the ranch, as an area supply center.

    Photo by: LightTrainProductions

GLENRIO

  • Glenrio is located 42 miles west of Tucumcari sits astride the New Mexico/Texas state line. The community was established in 1905 after completion of a survey and division of the surrounding area into farms, and construction of a siding on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad the following year. The most photographed site in Glenrio is the long-closed Texas Longhorn Motel and Café that opened in 1950. It was famous for a towering sign that read “First Stop In Texas” on one side and “Last Stop In Texas” on the other. In 2007 the seventeen remaining buildings that constitute the business district and the four-lane roadbed for Route 66 were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

NaRA VISA

  • Located 49 miles northeast of Tucumcari on U.S. 54 is the fascinating old town of Nara Visa.

    With a population that hovers near 50 people it is a stretch to call this a ghost town. Still, in 2000 the census listed the population of 112 people.

TREMENTINA

  • The original town of Trementina located four miles east of highway 104 near the junction of highway 419 dates to about 1901. Settlement predates this by centuries as there is evidence that the Trementina Apache lived in this area along Trementina Creek.

    Photo by Jason Colin Photography