El Morro National Monument
| El Morro was a popular stopping place for people and animals as they traveled in historic and prehistoric times. When they stopped, some carved signatures or other things into the sandstone bluff near the water hole. Now, you can stop here and see the evidence of these prior trips. Also, if you take the full hike (not yet described on ExploreNM), you can visit the Ancestral Puebloan ruin, Atsinna. |
| Campground data | Waypoints | Maps | Getting to the campground | About the campground | Plants around the campground | Comments |
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| Date: | 2007-04-07 |
| Cleanliness: | 9. I only found a few small pieces of litter. |
| General notes: | April 7 was still considered winter; the water was not turned on to the campground. |
| Waypoint | Type | Description |
| ELMORROCG | Campground | El Morro National Monument campground |
| Map name | Cartographer | Year | Scale | Topo map? | Online access | Notes |
| El Malpais Recreation Map and Guide | BLM | 2008 | 1:100000 | Y | from Amazon (purchase) | Great overview map for El Malpais area, including showing land ownership. |
| Guide to Indian Country of Arizona Colorado New Mexico Utah | Automobile Club of Southern California | 1998 | 1:0 | N | from Amazon (purchase) | Good overview road map for northwest NM. No scale is given on the map. The corner coordinates are approximate. |
| Wildernesses of New Mexico | US Forest Service | 1981 | 1:1000000 | N | No online copies. | Base map with national forests, wilderness areas and highways. |
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Coming from the east on I-40, take exit 81 for NM 53 south. Drive about
41 miles to the monument. The entrance is between mile markers 44 and 45.
Enter the monument and the turnoff to the camground will be on your left.
Coming from the west on I-40, take exit 20 for NM 602 south. After nearly
31 miles, you reach NM 53. Turn east (left) on it. Drive about 23
miles to the monument. The entrance is between mile markers 44 and 45.
Enter the monument and the turnoff to the camground will be on your left.
| No image |
 | The campsites are in a Piñon-Juniper forest, and they contain the
normal developed camopsite amenities such as a parking space, a table,
and a place for a fire.
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This is site 8, the handicapped site. It has its own water source (the
only campsite with this feature).
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 | All of the campsites except the handicapped one have tent pads like this
one.
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Plants we saw around the campground:
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We spent Memorial Weekend 2014 here. It was an amazing place. The campsites were spacious and clean with fire pits & picnic tables. El Morro was an amazing place with its sheer cliffs, over 2,000 signatures, petroglyphs, water hole & ancient ruins. The hike to the top was not too difficult and well worth the view and the ruins are right there and up close. What a great trip.