>>2364896I used to live there. I also kind of hate dust and scrub brush, but there are some cool daytrips from El Paso:
>Hueco TanksEasily the coolest /out/ trip I ever did while living in El Paso that was actually in Texas. There's a bunch of old Native rock paintings there. The only downside is they don't let people have campfires because fire risk and something about smoke fucking up the rock paintings.
>Dripping Springs and Soledad Canyon in the Organ Mountains.There's even a little waterfall at the top of Soledad, right after it rains.
>White SandsCool for obvious reasons (plus all the one-of-a-kind wildlife that's adapted to blend in). It's also super dark at night and thus, a great place to watch the stars. Some folks attempt to coat saucer sleds with wax so they can sled down them like kids do in places where it actually snows in the winter, but in my experience results are poor-to-mixed at the best of times.
>Alamogordo/ Cloudcroft/ Mescalero ResActual trees and lakes and shit. Still dry as a tinderbox relative to the Northeast (so you may or may not be able to have a real ass campfire), but if you miss being innawoods this is probably the best, closest place.
>Carlsbad CavernsIt certainly is a big fucking hole in the ground. It's pretty touristy, but if you enjoy geology it can be a fun time.
>Rockhound State ParkSpeaking of Geology, you can pick up geodes off the ground here. You have to cut them open yourself tho. There are actually a few places to do this in the area, but this is the one I went to and remember.
>Truth or ConsequencesNot really /out/, but there's good, cheap hot springs there (there are also "wild" hot springs all over NM, don't dunk your head in and you won't get brain ameobas). Places further North like Ten Thousand Waves charge a lot for the "Just like muh Japanese animus" experience, but their water isn't even the real geothermal shit. If you've never sat in hot sulfur water after a long hike T or C is a great find.
