Hi Adventure Fam! I recently had the best weekend exploring Ruidoso, New Mexico! This village is full of charm, adventure, and fun! Here is everything you need to know to plan your trip, and all of my favorite things to do there!
Getting There:
Ruidoso doesn’t have its own large airport, but it sits between El Paso and Albuquerque, so you have great options when you want to book a trip! El Paso is 2.5 hours away, and Albuquerque is about 3!
Where to Stay:
You can stay directly in Ruidoso, or find plenty of options in nearby Alto, NM. We stayed at Chisum Trail Cabin. It had rustic charm, lots of space for families or bigger groups, and we saw wild horses wander by in the morning! It was convenient to the ski areas as well as downtown Ruidoso, so I highly recommend!
What To Do:
There is no shortage of things to do in Ruidoso! Here are 8 of my favorites!
1.     White Sands
If you come from El Paso, rent a car and hit White Sands National Park on the way! The sands are pristine, and you can drive the eight mile loop for a quick trip or camp for a night if you want to extend your time there. If you can time your visit to the park around sunrise or sunset, I highly recommend! Otherwise, this national park is about 1.5 hours from Ruidoso.
2.     ATV Adventures
ATVing is huge in Ruidoso, and the best company to do it with is Backcountry Attitudes! During the warmer months of the year they offer sunset ATV tours that lead to beautiful views and end around a firepit stargazing with smores!
3.     Ruidoso Winter Park
Did you know that New Mexico’s only mountain coaster is found in Ruidoso? The views from the coaster are incredible and it was such a blast to ride down! At Ruidoso Winter Park you also have tubing, a small zipline, and lots of fun food! You can even make s’mores around the fire. For the ultimate experience, check out their VIP Igloos here. They give you unlimited tubing, lunch, snacks and drinks, a private firepit area, and more!
4.     Wine and Dine
Ruidoso is home to such a cozy wine bar: Noisy Water Winery. They have amazing wines ranging from dry reds to local sweet wines, and they even offer Hatch chili wine! Hatch chilis are famous in this region, so you definitely need to try something with chilis when you visit! We also loved Casitas for breakfast, the Krafty Kup for coffee, and Downshift Brewing!
5.     Take a Hike:
Ruidoso has hundreds of miles of trails to explore! To outfit your hike, or even take you on a guided hike in the area (coming soon!), check out Happy Hiker. Their store in downtown Ruidoso is adorable, and we had a great morning with them on the trail! The nice thing about Ruidoso is that so many trails start really close to downtown. We loved walking around Grindstone Lake!
6.     World Famous Pie
Have you ever tried buttermilk pie? I never had before, but The Village Buttery in downtown Ruidoso has the #1 pie in New Mexico: their world famous Buttermilk! And let me tell you, it lives up to the hype! It was absolutely delicious!
7.     Ski
Ruidoso sits at the base of the most prominent mountain in New Mexico: Sierra Blanca. There is a ski resort here called Ski Apache, and the drive to the resort itself is worth doing even if you do not ski! The views are beautiful, and it gives you a high chance of spotting wildlife! Elk and wild horses roam here frequently.
8.     Check out the village’s murals
There are so many murals and cute art works around town! When you enter, definitely check out the Ruidoso Mural by Art by Fish. The Ruidoso Bear sculpture downtown was also one of my favorites!
There you have it! If you have never thought about visiting Ruidoso, I recommend rethinking and booking a trip as soon as you can! This village stole my heart and I know it will do the same for you!
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