The Riverwalk has many accommodations along the San Juan River, including hiking trails, a paved lighted walkway, picnic tables, BBQ grills, boat ramp, swim area, benches and restrooms. The river walk area is a popular spot to enjoy Bloomfield's Olde Tyme Fourth of July event, which includes the best fireworks display in the Four Corners on July 5 every year.
Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park
A visit to Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park is a must for visitors to Bloomfield. Salmon Ruins is on one of the largest outlying colonies built in the Chacoan style during the 11th century. This is a unique opportunity, not only to walk among structures once occupied by Ancient Puebloans but also to explore the homestead of early pioneers and replica dwellings from a variety of cultures.
For more information, contact Salmon Ruins at (505) 632-2013 or visit their website: www.salmonruins.com
Angel Peak Scenic Area. Photo by EMKotyk.
Angel Peak Scenic Area
Angel Peak, a 7,000 foot pinnacle capped by sandstone, is a prominent landmark near Bloomfield. Angle Peak Scenic Area is located about 20 miles south of Bloomfield and can be accesses via U.S. Highway 550. The turnoff located near mile marker 137 is signed and turns onto a well maintained all season road east of Highway 550 to the recreation site.
Cracked Eggs at the Bisti Wilderness. Photo by EMKotyk.
Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness
For visitors who are looking for the unusual, the beautiful and the interesting, a visit to the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a "must see!"
About 50 miles west of Bloomfield, off State Highway 371 at Road 7297 for about two miles, visitors will discover a landscape like no other. Steeply eroded hills and formations offer the most unusual scenery ever seen in our country. Once a coastal swamp of an inland sea, the Bisti Badlands was home to large trees, dinosaurs and reptiles, and primitive mammals.
By hiking two to five miles round trip, visitors will discover amazing landscapes. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to visit these landscapes and are also the best times for photos that you'll love sharing with family and friends.
In addition to the incredible scenery, the Bisti is home to a golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, and prairie falcons - species that are very susceptible to human disturbance during the nesting season, which lasts from February to July. Disturbing nesting eagles is a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Act (16 U.S.C. 668c; 50 CFR 22.3) and could result in civil or criminal penalties if you're caught in violation of the act. Please help us protect these rare birds so we can continue to preserve them!
Hiking, exploring the unique landscapes, identifying fossils and petrified wood, taking photographs, and camping (although campfires are not permitted in the Bisti) will delight kids of all ages and will add to the excitement and fun of your visit to the Four Corners.
For more information, contact the Bureau of Land Management at (505) 564-7600.
Pueblo Bonito. Photo by EMKotyk.
Chaco Canyon
The long and unpaved road to Chaco Culture National Historical Park can be bumpy, dusty in the warmer months and slick and unpleasant during the winter and spring months. However, once you leave Highway 550, about 55 miles south of Bloomfield, and on to Country Roads 7900 and 7950, and reach this ancient ruins of this Chacoan site, you will be glad you made the trip.
This remote site has the largest, best preserved and architecturally advanced of all of the ancient Southwestern villages. Beautiful images were painted on the canyon walls by those early settlers of this part of New Mexico. Pieces of pottery also offer an insight into the talent and history of the Chacoan world.
On August 19, 2013, Chaco Culture became one of only four unites in the country to be designated as an International Dark Sky Park. No modern lights detract from the beauty of the darkness of the area, Chaco rates as one of the best places in the country to experience and enjoy natural darkness.
When you plan your trip to Chaco Canyon, remember the weather is unpredictable and temperatures can fluctuate in a 24-hour period. If you arrive prepared for all four seasons, you'll be able to appreciate all the area has to offer. September and October are the best months in which to visit Chaco Canyon because of the warm days and cool nights the weather offers.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is a popular tourist attraction, and you're apt to final locals re-visiting the ruins as well. Every time you visit this testament to our early ancestors, you find something new to appreciate.
For more information, call (505) 786-7014.
Four Corners Monument. Photo by EMKotyk.
Four Corners Monument
When you make Bloomfield your "visitor base," you're within driving distance from some of the Four Corners most popular attractions.
One of the most visited sites in the area is the Four Corners Monument, which is located near Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, and is just about an hour and a half northwest of Bloomfield on Highway 160. The monument is the only place in the United States where four states - Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado - intersect at one point.
The original marker, a cement pad, was placed in 1912. A granite and brass marker highlights the area now, giving visitors the opportunity to use their hands and feet to be in four states at the same time. The Visitor's Center is open all year and Navajo artists sell handmade jewelry, crafts and traditional Navajo food in the vendor's area.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own water, food, snacks and other necessities. The area is remote with no running water, electricity and unreliable telephone service. Picnic tables and self-contained restrooms are available.
Bring your camera and your walking shoes to enjoy the beautiful scenery in the area. The monument is open from 8 am to 5 pm, September through May, and from 7 am to 8 pm May through September. For information contact the Navajo Parks and Recreation P.O. Box 9000, Window Rock, Arizona 86515
Mesa Verde Cliff Palace. Photo by EMKotyk.
Mesa Verde National Park
With more than 5,000 known archeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings, which date back to A.D. 550, Mesa Verde National Park protects and preserves the cliff dwellings and mesas of pit houses, pueblos, masonry towers and farming structures of the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived there for more than 700 years.
The cliff dwellings are some of the best preserved sites in the country and people from all over the world make the trip to this national park. After living on the mesa top for 600 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people began constructing structures under the overhanging cliffs of Mesa Verde. The buildings range from one room storage units to villages of more than 150 rooms. The artistic talents of the Ancient Puebloans continue to delight and amaze visitors to this national treasure.
Mesa Verde is about a two hour drive from Bloomfield. Visitors are encouraged to wear good walking shoes and give yourself the better part of a day to enjoy all Mesa Verde has to offer.
For more information, call (970) 529-4465.
Navajo Lake Marina. Photo by EMKotyk.
Navajo Lake
Navajo Lake State Park includes Navajo Lake, which is the second largest lake in New Mexico. Several campgrounds, two marinas and two boat docks make Navajo Lake a popular destination point for locals and visitors alike. Those who enjoy water sports will find Navajo Lake the best place to be during the warm months of spring and summer. Water sport enthusiasts share the lake with those looking to reel in a pike, large-mouth bass or trout. Salmon snagging attracts thousands to the lake every fall and developed campgrounds make Navajo Lake the perfect spot for a family vacation.
Just down the road from the lake, fly fishing the Quality Waters of the San Juan River attracts anglers from across the world. A large marina on the Pine River site provides gasoline for boats, snacks, fishing gear and bait, groceries, first aid supplies, and a variety of other merchandise to make your visit pleasant. Navajo Lake State Park is about a 45 minute drive from Bloomfield.
For more information, call (505) 632-2278.
Wines of the San Juan. Photo by EMKotyk.
Wines of the San Juan
A favorite spot for locals and visitors alike, the Wines of the San Juan offers a wide variety of fine wines that are offered in a beautiful park-like setting and, frequently, accompanied by great music.
Family owned and operated, the Wines of the San Juan has a wine to delight the most discriminating wine lover. The winery's winemaker produces some of New Mexico and the surrounding areas most delicious blends of dry reds, crisps whites, sweet wines and everything in between. The names of the wines are as fascinating as the wines they define. You'll find Girls Are Meaner, a Gewurztraminer that is described as a "sweet and spicy fruit salad in a glass;" Sweet Jenner Rose, which can be served as a mulled wine in the winter or as a spritzer in the summer; Sweet Cherry Pie that is described as a wine with a bright sweet taste, reminiscent of picking fresh pie cherries; Taxi Cab, a blend of 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 50 percent Merlot; Blanco Rojo, an easy drinking wine that expresses the fruitiness of boysenberries and pomegranates; Blue Winged Olive, a semi-sweet Riesling with aromas of green apple and honey-drizzled white peaches; and Dry Blue Winged Olive, a semi-dry Riesling that offers a blend of grapefruit, pears and apples.
Located at 233 HWY 511 in Blanco, the Wines of the San Juan is just a short 25 minute drive from Bloomfield. Visitors will find the perfect shade tree, where they can enjoy their wine, and they'll be greeted by beautiful peacocks and the Arnold family of pets. Special events are held almost every weekend during the summer and the always popular annual Harvest Wine Festival is held in September.
If you love the fruits of the vine, Marcia and David Arnold invite you to enjoy their award winning wines. The Wines of the San Juan is open from 10 am to 6 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; and from noon to 6 pm Sunday. Tuesdays are a day of rest for the Arnold family!
For more information about this amazing winery, call (505) 632-0879.
