Bird/Wildlife Watching

Sandhill RV Park

Sandhill RV Park in Ira, TX, offers 21 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 55 feet. Three sites are pull-through and eighteen are back-in, spaced widely enough that awnings don't overlap. Every site carries water, sewer, and electric, with free WiFi throughout and coin laundry on site. Mature trees ring the perimeter, which is not a given in this stretch of West Texas. The park takes its name from the Sandhill Crane. Scurry County falls inside Zone A, the largest and least restricted of the state's crane hunting zones, and the season draws hunters here every winter. Lake J.B. Thomas Reservoir is about fifteen minutes out for boating and fishing, and the low horizon and minimal light spill make for genuinely dark skies. Snyder is a fifteen-minute drive for groceries, fuel, and restaurants. The park works for three kinds of guest: crews staying a month or more for work in the area, travelers breaking a long haul across West Texas, and hunters in for the season. Pets are welcome. Rigs up to 55 feet fit comfortably, and the pull-through sites make late arrivals straightforward.

from $50/night

Silver Springs RV Park and Trout Pond

38 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Silver Springs RV Park and Trout Pond in Cloudcroft, NM, offers 38 RV sites and 7 tent sites, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and back-in sites for rigs up to 45 feet. Every site is a back-in, sorted by service level: 30-amp, 30/50-amp, premium 30-amp, premium 30/50-amp, and dry camping back-ins for guests who don't need hookups. Full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi. A general store, firewood, a clubhouse, and RV storage are on the property, and pets are welcome. The stocked trout pond is the name on the sign and the reason to book. No license is required to fish it, and the pond runs 9:00am to 5:30pm Thursday through Tuesday, opening at 11:00am Sunday and closed Wednesday — and you don't have to be a registered guest to fish. Horseshoes, mountain biking, and birding round out the property in ponderosa forest. Cloudcroft sits at nearly 9,000 feet in the Lincoln National Forest, about five miles from the village and a short drive from Ruidoso. Rates and pond hours are confirmed on the booking page. The mountain summer is the busy season here — reserve ahead for July and August.

from $35/night