Cloudcroft sits at nearly 9,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, tucked deep inside Lincoln National Forest roughly 20 miles from Alamogordo. The town earned its name from early railroad workers who described the high mountain meadow as “a croft in the clouds” — and the name still fits. Cloudcroft is a genuine four-season escape: cool, forested, and full of outdoor adventure in summer; one of the southernmost ski destinations in the country in winter; and one of the best-kept secrets on the Southwest road-trip circuit year-round. Here is everything worth doing during your visit.
A quick note on history: The El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, founded by the Eddy brothers, built a line from Alamogordo into the Sacramento Mountains in the late 1890s, reaching the high-altitude site by 1899. The following summer, John A. Eddy established the Pavilion at the summit with canvas-floored tent accommodations, a kitchen, dining area, and entertainment space — an early form of glamping that drew visitors escaping the desert heat below. That legacy of cool-weather mountain hospitality has never left Cloudcroft.
1. Hiking the Lincoln National Forest
The Trestle Recreation Area, centered on the historic railroad trestle site, is one of the best starting points for day hiking in the area. Restrooms, water, interpretive materials, and easy trail access are all on site. The New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association has developed and maintains nearly 90 miles of linked trails throughout the region, converting abandoned railroad corridors into multi-use recreational paths.
The signature long-distance route is the Rim Trail, a 30.5-mile network winding through fir and pine forest, aspen groves, and open meadows with dramatic overlooks of the Tularosa Basin more than 4,000 feet below. For a shorter waterfall excursion, Bluff Springs Waterfall sits about 8 miles south of Cloudcroft along the Sunspot Highway and offers dispersed camping near the falls for those who want to spend the night. The AllTrails app lists over 100 hikes within the area, covering everything from easy nature walks to full-day ridge traverses. If you are planning a longer backcountry trip, our guide to cleaning dishes while backpacking and our foods that travel well without refrigeration will help you pack efficiently for an overnight in the forest.
2. Ski Cloudcroft
Cloudcroft is home to one of the southernmost ski resorts in the United States, and its 9,100-foot summit peak and 700-foot vertical drop make for a genuinely fun mountain day even if the scale is more intimate than a Colorado mega-resort. The mountain offers 25 trails divided across all ability levels — eight beginner, seven intermediate, eight advanced, and two expert runs — served by a double chairlift, a rope tow, and a hand tow.
Ski and snowboard instruction is available through the Cloud Nine Ski School, with both group and individual lessons at accessible prices. Rentals are readily available on site. Snow tubing is a particular highlight: three 700-foot lanes with a 70-foot vertical drop are available in two-hour blocks, with lift access and tube rental included in one price. It is one of the most fun and low-pressure winter activities for families in the entire region.
3. James Sewell Ice-Skating Rink
The James Sewell Ice-Skating Rink in downtown Cloudcroft is the only outdoor natural ice skating rink in the American Southwest — a genuinely rare and charming attraction. The rink operates in a cozy setting with a fireplace, quality rental skates, music, and hot cocoa. It is a beloved local institution and a uniquely memorable stop for winter visitors.
4. Golf at The Lodge Golf Course
Established in 1899 by the same railroad company that built Cloudcroft, The Lodge Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in North America. Played as a 9-hole layout with different tees and flag positions on each repeat of the loop — following the Scottish tradition — it effectively becomes an 18-hole round with significantly varied play. The most remarkable thing about this course, apart from its spectacular mountain setting, is its elevation: at 9,000 feet above sea level, The Lodge Golf Course ranks as the seventh-highest elevation golf course in the world and was the highest in North America for its first 50 years of operation. The first tee drops 150 feet straight down, giving an immediate sense of the terrain ahead. The season runs April 1 through October 31, and the altitude means your drives will carry noticeably farther than at sea level.
5. The Lodge Resort and Spa
The Lodge is Cloudcroft’s iconic historic hotel and its most distinctive landmark. The current Victorian-style building dates to 1911, rebuilt after the original structure burned down, and it remains one of the most atmospheric mountain lodges in the entire Southwest. Its 59 uniquely furnished guest rooms and suites sit three stories high with no elevator — a feature that reinforces the sense that this place belongs to another era. Among its storied past guests are Judy Garland and Clark Gable, and the Lodge carries a reputation for ghost stories and unexplained presences that has become part of its charm. Rebecca’s Restaurant inside serves three meals a day; the adjacent spa offers treatments in suitably serene mountain surroundings. Even visitors not staying overnight should consider stopping in for a drink or a meal to soak up the atmosphere.
6. Mountain Biking
The High-Altitude Race Loop is the signature mountain bike ride around Cloudcroft: an 8.2-mile single-track circuit that begins at the High Altitude Bike Shop in town, winds out to Pines Campground, makes a long descent into Bailey Canyon, and then climbs back to the village on forest roads. The combination of technical single-track and open road riding makes it suitable for intermediate riders, though the altitude demands good fitness. High Altitude rents bikes and gear for those who don’t have their own, and the staff can point you toward routes suited to your ability level.
7. Geocaching
The Cloudcroft area has more than 240 active geocache hides, some dating back to 2004, making it one of the more geocache-dense mountain communities in New Mexico. The mix of forested trails, historic railroad infrastructure, and rugged terrain creates ideal hiding conditions for containers ranging from nano-sized to ammo-can sized. The free Geocaching app provides GPS-guided navigation to each cache and a community logbook to record your finds — a great way to extend a hike with a bit of treasure-hunt motivation for all ages.
8. Sacramento Mountains Pioneer Museum
The Sacramento Mountains Pioneer Village and Museum in downtown Cloudcroft preserves the human history of this remote mountain community. Its exhibits cover the construction of the railroad, the logging industry that shaped the town, early ranching and farming life, and the Mescalero Apache, whose homeland these mountains have been for centuries. Photographs of the Lodge in its early heyday, recreated pioneer structures, and artifacts from the first settlers give an honest picture of how this improbable high-altitude community came to exist. The General Store at the end of the visit sells handcrafted locally made goods. It is free or low-cost to enter and takes about an hour to explore properly.
9. Wine and Beer Tasting
Cloudcroft has a genuine small-town food and drink scene worth exploring. Noisy Water Winery has five locations across the region and pours a range of New Mexico-produced wines including chardonnay, pinot noir, petit sirah, and its double-gold-medal-winning Ruidoso Bubbly — a sparkling wine that has earned a strong following. The Cloudcroft Brewing Company, a family-friendly microbrewery in a historic setting with a large outdoor terrace and frequent live music, serves its own craft beers alongside wood-fired pizza, soups, and salads. It is one of the best spots in town for a relaxed afternoon.
10. Cloudcroft Light Opera Company
Founded in 1991 when two theater friends staged an impromptu performance on the Chamber of Commerce’s back porch, the Cloudcroft Light Opera Company (CLOC) has been entertaining visitors and locals ever since. Performances at the Zenith Park Pavilion feature family-friendly melodramas with the classic theatrical archetypes — dashing hero, sneering villain, imperiled heroine — with the audience encouraged to cheer and boo accordingly. Admission is by donation. In December, CLOC presents Santaland, a holiday event featuring a bonfire, hot cocoa and cider, Christmas music, activities, and Santa Claus. It is one of Cloudcroft’s most endearing annual traditions.
11. Annual Events and Festivals
Cloudcroft punches well above its size when it comes to community events. The winter calendar includes the Cloudcroft Christmas Market, the Lighted Christmas Trail, and the Town Tree Lighting. February brings Mardi Gras in the Clouds, a spirited celebration featuring a children’s procession, food vendors, live entertainment, and a Cajun cooking competition. Autumn is the season for the Lumberjack Competition, with axe throwing, chainsaw events, block chop, and relay races for adults and children alongside food stalls and arts and crafts. Summer months host the Cloudcroft Art Workshops, which draw painters, photographers, and printmakers from across the region for instruction in this extraordinarily scenic setting. Check the Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce calendar before your visit for exact dates.
12. Sunspot Solar Observatory ⚠️ Temporarily Closed
The Sunspot Solar Observatory, located about 16 miles south of Cloudcroft along the scenic Sunspot Highway (NM-6563), has been one of the foremost solar research facilities in the world since its establishment in 1947. It was home to the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope (DST), one of the largest solar telescopes ever built, and until recently welcomed the public with a visitor center, interactive museum, half-mile walking tour of the grounds, and guided telescope tours on select days.
Important update: As of February 2026, the Sunspot Solar Observatory is closed to the public indefinitely following the discovery of a liquid mercury leak inside the Dunn Solar Telescope. The DST, surrounding observatory building, and visitor center are all closed while remediation is underway. The National Science Foundation has stated there is no immediate concern for public safety or the surrounding environment, but there is no current timeline for reopening. Before planning a visit, check the observatory’s official website at sunspot.nmsu.edu or call (575) 434-7190 for the latest status. The Sunspot Scenic Byway itself — the 15-mile road connecting Cloudcroft to the observatory through Lincoln National Forest — remains a beautiful drive worth making regardless of observatory access, offering planetary-scale distance markers and views across to White Sands and, on clear days, all the way to El Paso.
13. The Sunspot Scenic Byway Drive
Even setting the observatory aside, the Sunspot Scenic Byway (NM-6563) is one of the finest short drives in southeastern New Mexico. The 15-mile route south from Cloudcroft through Lincoln National Forest passes a unique solar system scale model — with each planet positioned at its true proportional distance from the observatory’s telescope along the road — and delivers sweeping views over the Tularosa Basin, White Sands National Park gleaming in the valley below, and on exceptionally clear days, the cities of El Paso and Juárez across the border. The forest along the byway is thick with ponderosa pine and is excellent habitat for mule deer, elk, and abundant birdlife. Allow an hour each way and bring a camera.
Where to Stay in Cloudcroft
The Lodge Resort and Spa is the most historic option in town, with 59 Victorian-era rooms and the most atmospheric setting in Cloudcroft — book well ahead for summer and ski season. The Crofting Inn is a smaller six-room bed-and-breakfast with balconies, microwaves, and a complimentary breakfast. For those wanting self-catering space, a number of fully equipped cabins are available around the Cloudcroft area, typically including a king or queen bed, full kitchen, fireplace, and comfortable sitting areas set among the aspens and ponderosa pines. The Burro Street Boardinghouse offers a characterful log-cabin-style stay with century-old antiques, terraces overlooking the village, a wood-burning stove, and a daily old-fashioned breakfast — just half a block from the Boardwalk shops. For a budget-friendly option with a local feel, the Dusty Boots Motel & Café provides straightforward, clean accommodation with the bonus of a solid breakfast café downstairs. Our road trip packing list will help you arrive fully prepared for mountain weather, which can shift rapidly at 9,000 feet.
Where to Eat
Burro Street Bakery is where Cloudcroft’s famous Mountain Top Pies are made — rich pastries, breads, espresso drinks, and the caramel apple walnut pie that locals swear by (order whole pies in advance). The Dusty Boots Café is the go-to spot for a hearty breakfast and strong coffee, with solid country lunch and dinner options like chicken-fried steak, meatloaf, and fish-fry Fridays. Brother-in-Law Barbecue, operated by two brothers-in-law from central Texas, serves smoked brisket, pulled pork, baby-back ribs, chicken, sausage, and turkey with all the traditional accompaniments.
If you are planning a broader New Mexico road trip from Cloudcroft, the nearby mountain town of Ruidoso — about 40 miles northwest — pairs well with a Cloudcroft visit. Our guide to fun things to do in Ruidoso in winter covers the complementary attractions of the region’s other major mountain destination.
Have a favorite spot in Cloudcroft that didn’t make the list? Share it in the comments below!
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