cimarron canyon state park

We stayed at Maverick Campground early October last year. We had one of the most beautiful sites out our rv window. The little lake and the foot bridge were picture perfect. We are planning to go back again this October. I won't be wandering off in the ones by myself though - my dog and I walked right up on a huge black bear busily eating berries. My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. So thankful that he had eating the berries instead of me and little Trixie!

I began my camping experience in what became known officially as Cimarron Canyon State Park in 1979, at the age of six months. That would have been July of 1949, before the canyon became a state park. I continued to camp in this beautiful canyon with my grandparents and cousin through the 50's. It was about twelve years of age when I became "too busy" with other activities, that my camping began to be a memory from my past. Throughout my life this beautiful canyon has been a favorite place to visit always drawing me back for one more experience. All of my family from my youth, with whom I shared these magnificent memories of my time in the canyon and surrounding area, are gone now. I retired in May of 2014 and began again...my love affair with this beautiful area of New Mexico. My husband and I were blessed to spend about eight weeks based just outside Cimarron, NM making day trips through the canyon to the surrounding areas that make up the Enchanted Circle. We highly recommend this entire area of New Mexico if you desire to see a display of nature at its finest. Breathtaking scenery including mountains, streams, wild flowers and wild animals. Kathy LedbetterAmarillo, Texas

We stayed one night on our way to Taos since these sites are reservable. Nice campground, mostly RVs . Not much privacy but sure met our overnight needs, with some easy trails nearby for a light hike. Think we were the only campers not from Texas. Nothing wrong with that though.

This state park is in a forested canyon along the Cimarron River. We stayed two nights at Tolby Campground on the west side. There are lots of trees. Some sites are right on the river. There is fresh water available in the campground, flush toilets, and a place to dump your grey water. But there are no showers and no electricity. Some sites have more room than others. We had site 1 which is a good one. You only have one neighbor behind you and it's close to a water faucet and the bathrooms. Some sites are reserved for first come, first served. Bear-safe procedures are required.They need to be more restrictive about generator use. The only rule is you can't run it after 10 PM. There was one big RV that was running a generator from 8 AM to 10 PM - kind of ruined the atmosphere. There are several hiking trails in this SP. We only had time to do the Clear Creek Trail which was really nice. It follows a stream and has at least five waterfalls - very scenic.

We camped at the Tolby campground which is one if several in the cimarron canyon area, it was a beautiful location, we tent so the sites where perfect, there were some really good size travel trailers and 5th wheels though. We had non reservable sites 20 and 21, plenty of clear flat grassy areas for tents and kids to play and right along the creek which provided great fishing and up the road is the maverick camp ground where the gravel pits also provide great fishing. Overall with our total group size being 13 using 2 sites was perfect. Host Daryl was very nice and we also met great people up there, some come from other states every year for the beautiful atmosphere and perfect weather.

Absolutely stunning views. I only drove through it but wished I could have stayed longer to see more.

We took a day trip to Cimarron Canyon. We drove through the canyon then stopped to hike at the Clear Creek Trailhead. The park rangers were extremely nice, and though some of the park was supposed to be closed, many facilities were still open to accommodate hunters camping in the campgrounds. The weather was gorgeous, and there was fresh snow, even though the temperatures were in the 50s. The leaves were changing on the aspen, and there was fresh runoff. We enjoyed the hike and took some wonderful pictures, including photos of the Palisade Sills rock formations. We saw fresh signs of bear (footprints and bear scat); however, we did not see a bear ourselves. This has become my new favorite place to visit! We will definitely be back!

This is a beautiful area of New Mexico and well worth the drive. We were not too impressed with the camp area in the park, it looked a little cramped for trailers. But we were not there to camp; we were there for the Clear Creek trail and we were not disappointed in the beauty of it. This trail follows a creek as it tumbles down the side of the mountain, down numerous cascades and waterfalls. There is a 2000 foot ascent, so the trail is somewhat strenuous; but don't be afraid of it. We actually did not do the last leg of the trail because it was very steep and the soil was loose, but what we did was wonderful! The day use fee for the park is $5.00 and you use an envelope at the campground.

Absolutely beautiful no matter what time of year! The drive itself is spectaculor but if you have time stop at the Palisade Sill. The river was very calm the day we went so my son took his shoes off and stood in the water....not very long because it was cold!

Like most New Mexico State Parks the state's budget problems really are beginning to show. It is clear that the existing staff simply cannot keep up with the visitor impact on the park. The restrooms do have running water and flush toilets but they were never clean, probably because of the high demand on the facilities. Trails are overgrown and sorely need work. The campsites are barely big enough for RVs and are quite close together so don't expect any privacy. The are no sites with hook-ups, so plan accordingly.Having said all that, this park is a must see! Highway 64, which runs through the park, is a beautiful road through some striking scenery. Take your time and enjoy it. The river running through the park is well known as a productive trout stream too.

This is one of the most scenic areas in New Mexico. It is worth going slow through the park to take advantage of the natural beauty. This is a great place to view wildlife. Have seen deer, wild turkey, and a black bear cub.

We decided to take the route to Taos and it went thru the cimarron Canyon State Park. We were awed and amazed by the views and the scenic road. The whole route was just amazing. If you are a motorcyle enthusist you will love this road thru the park. I would recommend anyone that has the time to experience this beautiful display of nature. It has plenty of places to pull over and just enjoy of camp for the night or day.

This is probably the most picturesque canyon in the U.S.In all seasons, it shows a different side of itself. The Palaceaids Sill is one of the most photographed areas in the canyon. All types of wild life are prevalent in the canyon

This park offers a winding highway that seem to entrance many a visitor. The park is not just in one location but offers camp sites along the 6 miles of Hwy 64 that goes right through the park. Cimarron River offers fishing as well as Eagle Nest Lake located just 3-4 miles west of the park. I travel through this state park often and there seems to always be campers setting around their camp fires, enjoying our cool summer weather and the beauty of the forest and mountains surrounding them.