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Never a Dull Moment
Lots of people use Raton as their "home-base" as they visit numerous attractions
in New Mexico and nearby Colorado. Here are several fun day trips not far from your
home-base, the historic El Portal Hotel.
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Sugarite Canyon State Park
Just south of the Colorado border and a quick 10 miles from Raton, Sugarite Canyon State Park
features heavily wooded mountains and meadows painted with wildflowers and butterflies.
Visitors fish, camp, picnic, cross-country ski, take boating excursions, observe the plentiful
wildlife, and hike along scenic trails. It’s year-round fun for the whole family against a
lovely, rugged backdrop as only New Mexico can provide.
Call (505) 445-5607 for more information.
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Robilio’s Off-Road Park
Off-road enthusiasts - here’s the perfect place to get way off-road. Robilio’s Off-Road Park
sits on 100 acres in the tree-lined foothills at the northern edge of Raton. More than
100 miles of trails through untouched pine forest and hillsides are ideal for Hummers,
Jeeps, Range Rovers, motorcycles and any other vehicle with guts.
Future plans for the park include trails for hiking and mountain-biking that will join with
the main vehicle trails, an area for picnics and sales of souvenirs such as hats and T-shirts.
Get a great aerial view of not only Raton but also of Richard Robilio himself, caught unawares,
driving his red Jeep along one of his trails. This footage is from the Sky 7 Over New Mexico
series on KOAT News, Albuquerque.
Clubs & groups call (575) 445-2012 for reservations and more information.
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Capulin Volcano National Monument
Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, stands more than 1,200 feet above
the surrounding High Plains of northeastern New Mexico. The volcano is long extinct, and
today the forested slopes provide habitat for mule deer, wild turkey, black bear and other
wildlife. Abundant displays of wildflowers bloom on the mountain each summer.
A two-mile paved road spiraling to the volcano rim makes Capulin Volcano one of the most
accessible volcanoes in the world. Trails leading around the rim and to the bottom of the
crater allow a rare opportunity to explore a volcano - in fact, it’s one of just a few extinct
volcanoes in the world that visitors can access top to bottom.
Call (505) 278-2201 for more information.
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Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
At an altitude of 6,050 feet, the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge sits within more than 3,000
acres of gently rolling prairie, playa lakes and farmland for waterfowl.
Rangeland and reclaimed farmland on the refuge are full of fourwing saltbush and cactus as
well as a variety of grasses that include blue grama, galleta, sand dropseed and buffalo
grass.
Several lakes on the refuge provide some 700 acres of roosting and feeding habitat for
waterfowl. During wet years, the shoreline vegetation of the lakes is dense enough to aid
waterfowl nesting. During dry years, the constantly changing shoreline is beneficial to
shorebirds.
Call (505) 375-2331 for more information.
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Folsom Falls and Folsom Man Point
Folsom Falls, about four miles below Folsom on the Dry Cimarron River, is a natural waterfall.
Trout fishing is superb when you know the best spots along the Dry Cimarron, upstream from
where the falls actually begin.
During spring and summer, beautiful wildflowers and many species of wildlife are abundant.
Water life flourishes in small pools trapped within depressions eroded into rocks by the
flow of the Dry Cimarron.
Call (800) 390-7858 for more information.
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NRA Whittington Center
Founded in 1973, the Whittington Center is the most
comprehensive shooting facility in America today. Located just southwest of Raton, the center hosts
many competitive, educational and recreational
activities in all shooting disciplines.
The mission of the Whittington Center is to provide shooters with the finest shooting
facility in the nation. Anyone who's been here will tell you the mission has been accomplished.
Call (505) 445-3615 for more information.
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Philmont Scout Ranch
Philmont Scout Ranch, known nationwide as the Boy Scouts of America's premier high-adventure
base, challenges guests with more than 200 square miles of rugged New Mexico wilderness.
Backpacking treks, horseback cavalcades, and training and service programs offer young
people many ways to experience this legendary country.
Adults have opportunities of their own at the Philmont Training Center. World-class courses
and seminars cover the many aspects of scouting, all amid Philmont's dramatic scenery.
Call (505) 376-2281 for more information
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2.5 hours to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is a city that embraces its natural environment
unlike any other in the United States. A city whose beautiful, brown adobe architecture
blends with the desert landscape. A city that is one of American's great art and culinary capitals.
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2 hours to Taos, NM
Taos is a blend of several close-knit communities that provide
visitors with a world of
infinitely varied experiences. The area is known for its diverse gathering of artists,
writers and historians. A recognized first-class ski area, Taos is home to the Taos Pueblo and
excellent shopping from Southwest and Indian clothing to jewelry,
pottery and art.
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20 minutes to Trinidad, Colorado
A small town rich with culture, history, art and architecture. It’s a vivid portrait of
the undiscovered West.
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90 Minutes to the Pueblo, Colorado Riverwalk
Come see Colorado's best historical outdoor water attraction. The Historic
Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo is 26 acres of urban waterfront where you can stroll and bike on your way
to beautiful Lake Pueblo, Colorado's most visited reservoir.
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Historic El Portal Hotel
Take Some Enchantment Home With You!
101 N. Third St.
Raton, New Mexico 87740
(888) 362-7345
info@elportalhotel.com
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