| The Three Rivers area in New Mexico is home | | | | water hook-up and designed for any size RV. |
| to two public campgrounds that have | | | | The campground also allows camping in the |
| spectacular views of the Sacramento Mountain | | | | picnic area. The vista of the distant |
| range and White Mountain Wilderness. Each | | | | mountains and arid landscape is beautiful and |
| campground has remote, quiet, spacious camp | | | | the camp sites (including the picnic area) |
| sites - all with beautiful views of the | | | | have totally unobstructed views of it. |
| surrounding landscape. | | | | Amenities include flush toilets and water |
| | | | hook up. This is a real gem that looks like |
| Three Rivers Petroglyph Site and Campground | | | | it is in the middle of nowhere. |
| | | | |
| This archeological site and campground is | | | | Three Rivers Campground |
| maintained by the Federal Bureau of Land | | | | |
| Management. The petroglyphs were created by | | | | Several miles east of the Three Rivers |
| the Jornada Mogollon people between about 900 | | | | Petroglyph Site is Three Rivers Campground in |
| and 1400 AD. The number and concentration of | | | | Lincoln National Forest maintained by the |
| petroglyphs here make it one of the largest | | | | National Forest Service. This campground is |
| and most interesting petroglyph sites in the | | | | very remote and quiet. The fourteen camp |
| Desert Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of | | | | sites are very well laid out and well spaced |
| birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and | | | | with many having ramadas and picnic tables. |
| plants, as well as numerous geometric and | | | | |
| abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres | | | | Most of the sites have excellent views of the |
| of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. | | | | surrounding mountains and White Mountains |
| | | | Wilderness area. Although the surrounding |
| A short, easy interpretative trail 200 yards | | | | landscape is arid, there is a lot of |
| south of the petroglyphs leads to the remains | | | | greenery. A river runs along the edge of the |
| of the Mogollon village. The site, which was | | | | campground and can be heard from some of the |
| partially excavated in 1976, was occupied for | | | | camp sites. This is a very nice, well planned |
| about 400 years. | | | | campground with very beautiful views. |
| | | | Although this campground can accomodate large |
| We started our visit at the small visitor | | | | RVs, the only amenities offered are vault |
| center and talked to a very friendly host. | | | | toilets and water spigots - but the trade off |
| Then we spent about an hour walking a very | | | | of amenities for the beautiful views is worth |
| easy interpretive trail (just behind the | | | | it. |
| visitor center) and thoroughly enjoyed both | | | | |
| the petroglyphs and the beautiful scenery. | | | | Getting to these campgrounds is easy. |
| The petroglyph site and adjacent campground | | | | Eighteen miles north of Tularosa, NM, turn |
| is in a grand, open arid plain surrounded by | | | | east onto Forest Road 579 at the sign that |
| the Sacramento Mountain range and White | | | | says Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. The roads |
| Mountain Wilderness. | | | | to each campground are well marked but |
| | | | unpaved a good part of the way. The trip is |
| The campground is just in front of the | | | | well worth the effort - two campgrounds with |
| visitor center. There are only two camp sites | | | | beautiful views and a very interesting |
| at the campground - both having electric and | | | | archeological site. |