Attractions and Places To See in Carson National Forest - Top 20

In the 20th century, Ghost Ranch was the summer home and studio of artist Georgia O'Keeffe, as well as the subject of many of her paintings. It often serves as a location for movie production. Ghost Ranch is owned by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and leased to and managed by The National Ghost Ranch Foundation. Ghost Ranch is known for a remarkable concentration of fossils, most notably that of the theropod dinosaur Coelophysis, of which it has been estimated that nearly a thousand individuals have been preserved in a quarry at Ghost Ranch. Today Ghost Ranch is a 21,000-acre (85 km2) retreat and education center with two museums, the Ruth Hall Museum of Paleontology and the Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology, in addition to the Ghost Ranch Library. Tues-Sat: 9am-5pm; Closed 12pm-1pm Sun: 1pm-5pm; Closed Monday The Day Pass fee of $10 per adult over 18 grants guests access to both Museums, the labyrinth, and all Ghost Ranch hiking trails https://www.ghostranch.org

Surprisingly large and diverse exhibits considering this remote area. Excellent info panels. Ghost Ranch is host to two museums, the Ruth Hall Museum of Paleontology and the Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology, in addition to the Ghost Ranch Library. The Museums of Ghost Ranch are dedicated to advancing research, education and public engagement in Anthropology, Archaeology and Paleontology. Ghost Ranch is a world‐renowned site for Triassic paleontology. Its low, red‐grey mounded hills and washes boast three fossil quarries that are famous among scholars and amateur paleontologists, and a number of other sites where isolated skulls, bones, or skeletons have been found. The three major quarries are the Canjilon Quarry (now situated on U.S. Forest Service land), the Coelophysis Quarry, and the Hayden Quarry. Dozens of different kinds of fossil reptiles, amphibians, and other vertebrates have been discovered, as well as fossil plants and invertebrates. Its quarries have, in recent years, given a whole new perspective to our understanding of how the dinosaurs began to take dominance of the terrestrial realm in the Late Triassic, over 200 million years ago. Tues-Sat: 9am-5pm; Closed 12pm-1pm Sun: 1pm-5pm; Closed Monday The Day Pass fee of $10.00 per adult over 18 grants guests access to both Museums, the labyrinth, and all Ghost Ranch hiking trails. https://www.ghostranch.org/museums

Red River, New Mexico, was originally a bustling mining town in the late 19th century that attracted prospectors seeking gold, silver, and copper. However, as mining declined, the town reinvented itself in the 1920s as a tourist destination, preserving its historic charm. Today, Main Street is surrounded by the Carson National Forest, which provides mountain biking and hiking in summer and skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in winter at the Red River Ski Area. The Red River is also known for great trout fishing. The town also hosts annual events like the Red River Folk Festival and the Fourth of July Parade, which are beloved traditions by locals and visitors alike.

Wheeler Peak, at 13,167 feet, is the highest point in New Mexico. From the summit you can see Taos Ski Resort and many of the surrounding mountains.

Williams Lake is a small alpine lake located beneath Wheeler Peak, and a good place to rest or eat a snack. It is named after a gold miner who staked claims in the area in the late 1800s.

The trail to the summit of Chimney Rock departs behind the Ghost Ranch museum buildings. The trail is easy to follow and ascends steadily to the top of the mesa. You will need to purchase a $10 day pass from the Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center office to gain access to the grounds and trails. Parking is available in front of the main building, just to the east.

Great place to have a picnic along the route.

Pleasant easy one hour walk to the top of the ridge across from the Chimney Rock tower