FREE CAMPING: Carson National Forest- Tres Piedras, NM

GPS: 36.655331, -105.977997

We had planned on pushing through to Durango, CO and instead opted to stay near Taos, NM in the Carson National Forest. We found this campsite at www.freecampsites.net and it was spectacular.

We are big fans of boon-docking and not paying for a campsite, but we also want to be out and away from town and other people. This spot was perfect for that. The pine trees create a very secluded feeling even though you could be a couple hundred yards from another camper. There was one other camper there when we stayed in early April 2018 and it was quiet!

The best part about this spot was that the ambient light from Taos, NM doesn’t quite drown out the stars like it does down on the Mesa. The result is a beautiful show!

 

There is much to do in the Taos, NM area including mountain biking, river rafting, skiing/snowboarding in the winter. If you get the chance, check out the Rio Grand River Gorge Bridge near this campsite.

Rachael Doesn’t Have to Ride in a Lawn Chair Anymore!

Okienomads VLOG Episode 10 is live on YouTube!

In this episode we :

✔️Grab conversion van chairs from a junkyard

✔️Take out the old crusty seat

✔️Install the new (to us) seats

Thank you for checking it out and let us know what you think!

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Free Camping: San Jon City Park(NM)

Everyone has the feeling on a road trip where your eyes start getting heavy, your Red Bull is wearing off and you can only sing “Don’t Stop Believing” so many times before it fails to keep you attentive. You might even venture to explore the rumble strips on the side of the expressway. This is a no-judgement-zone, we have all been there.  This is one of those times.

Over the years I have developed this extremely low level of “give a crap” when it comes to camping. Once I am done driving, hiking, or generally doing anything, my next move is to find somewhere to sleep. My poor friends are looking for flat campsites or their girlfriends are looking for a cheap Air BnB or hotel room and I am over here trying to fold down the seats in the car and somehow fit my 6’3″ frame in a 6′ trunk. I guess I have accepted the inevitability of discomfort that comes with camping and backpacking. Your back aches from using a 1/2″ thick blow-up sleeping pad that has a slow leak and your neck is sore because your stuff sack filled with your rancid clothes doesn’t feel quite the same as your pillow at home. This is why God created fly-over towns. In most of these tiny dots on the map you can get by with laying your feet out of the window of the car and catching a few hours of shut-eye behind the truck stop or near a church parking lot.

Sometimes you get lucky and find a town that knows what you are shopping for and delivers! Enter San Jon, NM.

San Jon (pronounced “San Jone”) is a village in Northeast New Mexico that has a city park specifically designated for camping and overnight parking. The city’s population is around 300 as of 2000 and since I40 bypassed the town, most every business has died off and left town. However, dirtbag camping is alive and well in San Jon.

We arrived around midnight on the Friday night of Memorial Day Weekend and were greeted by an 80’s Class A motorhome on the South side of the park and the rest of the place to ourselves. We found the bathrooms to be nearly spotless and they had running hot water, score! We freshened up a little and setup the tent for a short stay. Due to the wind, we staked our backpacking tent down and enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted sleep. Another vehicle showed up in the middle of the night with an a-frame bumper-pull in tow and we were none the wiser. We awoke to light that only really happens in the desert and we were packed up in a matter of minutes.

While walking around, you could tell that this town used to be something. It seemed like we were walking the streets of a town from a “Cars” movie where the entire town had lost it’s identity when the interstate came through. I half expected to see a rusted dump truck parked on the corner of town. Instead there are vacant service stations, boats on blocks, and one lonely hotel that somehow stays in business.

Our time in San Jon was short, but memorable. I recommend a visit to this town if you are passing through, especially if you are needing a place to crash for the night on I40 between Oklahoma and Arizona. A huge thanks goes out to the town of San Jon for looking out for us budget campers that would rather spend our money on gas and food for the next adventure than on camping. Your facilities are great and I can’t wait to stop in your town again soon!

GPS COORDINATES: 35.107665, -103.331169

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