Draft for Dak’s review. New descriptions, fact-checked Oct 29, 2026. Four photos (golf, Bless Me Ultima Park, Park Lake, St. Rose Chapel) are from the current site, used with Dak’s OK.
Santa Rosa, NM · Historic Route 66
Set up camp, then explore. The Blue Hole, Route 66 history and three lakes are all within a few minutes of your site.
Distances are approximate driving distances from the campground at 2136 U.S. Route 66. Hours and fees change by season, so check before you go.
Route 66 history, museums and landmarks, all within a few minutes of your site.
0.5 mi · about 1 min
More than 30 restored classics, hot rods and custom cars, plus Route 66 memorabilia and the original Club Café “Fat Man” sign. Privately owned and family run; a small admission fee applies.
Hours & info for Route 66 Auto Museum (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
0 mi · right outside our gate
Route 66 reached Santa Rosa in 1930 and the town grew up around it. Cruise the old road through town for vintage neon, motor courts and old service stations, and stop where it crosses the Pecos River.
Movie buffs: the train scene in the 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath was shot at Santa Rosa’s Pecos River bridge. For the best view, stop on Hwy 54 between Riverside Drive and 1st Street.
Hours & info for Historic Route 66 through town (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
1.7 mi · about 4 min
Downtown’s historic single-screen movie house on 4th Street, the old Route 66 alignment. Guadalupe County restored it with a new marquee and neon sign and reopened it in 2019. Catch a movie with popcorn from the concession stand. 219 S. 4th Street. Call for showtimes: (575) 472-4718.
Theatre info for Pecos Theatre (Guadalupe County) (opens in a new tab)
1 mi · about 2 min
A landscaped public-art park at Route 66 and Lake Drive honoring Rudolfo Anaya, who grew up in Santa Rosa, and his novel Bless Me, Ultima. Look for the life-size bronze of Anaya at work.
Hours & info for Bless Me, Ultima Park (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
1.5 mi · about 4 min
Built in 1909 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the brick courthouse is one of downtown’s landmark buildings. A nice stop on a walk or drive through the old town center.
2 mi · about 4 min
Don Celso Baca, considered the founder of Santa Rosa, built this chapel in 1879 to honor his mother, and the town’s name is said to come from it. Today the roofless walls and the cemetery around them are one of the most visited spots in town and a favorite photo stop. His 1865 home, the Don Celso Baca House, still stands directly across the street. 439 S. 3rd Street.
History & info for Old St. Rose of Lima Chapel ruins (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
1 mi · about 4 min
The city’s public 9-hole course (par 36), also called Santa Rosa Golf Course, set against a rock-faced mesa just off Route 66. Open to visitors year-round; call ahead for tee times and rates: (575) 472-4653.
Hours & info for Tres Lagunas Golf Course (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
1.6 mi · about 4 min
A downtown art gallery and the home of Santa Rosa Community Arts, a local nonprofit. Stop in for exhibits by local artists, or check the calendar for classes and workshops. 400 Corona Avenue. Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Gallery info for Circa Gallery (Santa Rosa Community Arts) (opens in a new tab)
0.8 mi · about 2 min
New Mexico’s brown roadside markers tell local history in a paragraph. In town, the Santa Rosa marker on Route 66 covers Spanish expeditions here in 1583 and 1590 and how the town got its name. Near mile 251 on I-40, about 22 miles west, look for Edge of the Plains and Trail of the Forty-Niners.
About the markers program (NM Historic Preservation) (opens in a new tab)
Sunday farmers market: in season (roughly April through November), local growers set up on Sunday afternoons at the Blue Hole Fishing Ponds, 1085 Blue Hole Road. Hours vary, and it closes early if they sell out.
Santa Rosa sits on a chain of spring-fed lakes. That’s why it’s called the Scuba Diving Capital of the Southwest.
1.7 mi · about 5 min
A bell-shaped artesian spring more than 80 feet deep, with crystal-clear water in the low 60s °F all year. Swim or jump in during open hours. Certified scuba divers need a city dive permit ($25 a week) and must sign in.
The Blue Hole Visitor Center has exhibits, a snack bar, changing rooms, restrooms, a gift shop, a viewing area and free internet. The Santa Rosa Dive Center on site has gear, tanks and refills from 8 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, weekdays by appointment. A $15 vehicle parking permit covers both Blue Hole and Park Lake, and there’s no overnight parking at Blue Hole. The Blue Hole Fishing Pond is set aside for kids, seniors and anglers with disabilities.
Hours & info for Blue Hole (City of Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
1 mi · about 3 min
A city lake with free swimming, picnic spots and shade trees. From Memorial Day to Labor Day an inflatable water park (the Wibit, with climbing, obstacle runs, monkey bars and slides) opens on the lake (wristband sold on site; riders 48″ and up who can swim). There’s also a water slide, pedal boats and canoes to get out on the water, and a playground for little ones. A daily parking fee applies.
Hours & info for Park Lake & Santa Rosa Water Park (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
3.5 mi · about 7 min
A small lake off NM 91, south of downtown, used for shore fishing and dive training. A sunken twin-engine airplane and a sunken car give divers something to explore. Same city dive permit as the Blue Hole.
Hours & info for Perch Lake (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
Good to know: there’s no lifeguard on duty at the Blue Hole, so swim at your own risk. Alcohol and cannabis aren’t allowed at Blue Hole or Park Lake, and ATVs and UTVs aren’t allowed either. Fishing licenses are sold at the Santa Rosa Visitors Center, 1085 Blue Hole Road.
Hike & bike: hiking, biking and mountain-biking trails are spread across the greater Santa Rosa area, and many are dog-friendly. Santa Rosa Lake State Park has its own trail system too.
Lakes, small villages and Old West history a short drive away.
10 mi · about 25 min
A reservoir north of town on NM 91 with a boat ramp, fishing for walleye, bass, catfish and crappie, 5.5 miles of trails, picnic shelters and good bird watching. State park day-use fee applies.
Bring your horse: the park’s trails are open to horseback riding, and equestrians are welcome at its Los Tanos Campground.
Hours & info for Santa Rosa Lake State Park (New Mexico State Parks) (opens in a new tab)
12 mi · south on NM 91
Follow NM 91 south from town for a winding drive along the Pecos River, past dramatic mesas and farmland. Pull over only where it’s safe for photos. The road leads to the village of Puerto de Luna.
Along the way, watch for signs on the right for the El Rito Creek wetlands preserve. Wildlife is best in spring and fall.
Route & info for Pecos River Scenic Drive (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
11.5 mi · about 20 min
A quiet historic village in the Pecos River valley south of town. Settled in the 1860s, it was the county seat until the railroad era moved it to Santa Rosa. Back roads, farm country and the village church.
44 mi · about 50 min
A family-run museum open since 1953 and packed with Old West artifacts, about 2 miles east of downtown Fort Sumner at 1435 E. Sumner Avenue. Billy the Kid’s grave is nearby at the Old Fort Sumner Cemetery. An easy half-day trip south on US 84. Museum hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and January 1–15, with no tours after 4:30 p.m. Admission $8 adults, $7 seniors (62 and up), $5 ages 7–15, free for 6 and under. Call for holiday-season hours. Museum: (575) 355-2380.
Hours & info for Billy the Kid Museum, Fort Sumner (museum website) (opens in a new tab)
50 mi · about 1 hr
A state historic site and memorial to the roughly 9,500 Navajo (Diné) and 500 Mescalero Apache (Ndé) people held here from 1863 to 1868. See the museum and a 30-minute film, then walk the Old Fort Site Trail and the 3/4-mile River Walk, with picnic spots by the river. Billy the Kid’s grave is right next door. 3647 Billy the Kid Drive, Fort Sumner. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission $7 for adults, free for kids 16 and under.
Hours & info for Fort Sumner Historic Site (NM Historic Sites) (opens in a new tab)
58 mi · about 1 hr
East on I-40 in Tucumcari, this museum holds the world’s largest collection of bronze prehistoric skeletons, including a 30-foot Torvosaurus. 222 E. Laughlin Avenue. Check the museum’s website for current hours and fees.
Hours & info for Mesalands Dinosaur Museum (Mesalands Community College) (opens in a new tab)
Plan your stay around one of Santa Rosa’s yearly get-togethers. Dates vary each year, so check the city’s calendar before you book.
Event calendar for Santa Rosa (Visit Santa Rosa) (opens in a new tab)
Big-rig friendly pull-throughs, full hookups and BBQ delivered to your site. Reservations by phone.
