Lexi Goforth

Lexi Goforth

Lexi lives in a truck camper down by the river.
  • Joined: February 14, 2019
  • Articles: 750
  • Comments: 149

Elephant Butte Lake State Park

1970 Avion C11 truck camper parked along the shore of Elephant Butte Lake at sunset.

New Mexico is a colorful and dramatic state of deserts and mountains. Water is a precious commodity. Which lead to the authorization of the Rio Grande Project back in 1905. This program to provide power and irrigation to New Mexico and Texas led to the erection of several dams along the Rio Grande, including the Elephant Butte Dam just north of Truth or Consequences. The resulting Elephant Butte Reservoir, however, is more than just a holding tank for farmer's fields. It has become a recreation hotspot as Elephant Butte Lake State Park.

Shakespeare Ghost Town

Pitcher, dishes, and cutlery on an old wooden table in an aging brick building in Shakespeare Ghost Town, New Mexico.

Southern New Mexico is a harsh desert environment. The winds whip by at intensities provoking an early warning system for dust storms and sun protection is warranted even in the winter. Yet, scrappy people have lived and even thrived in this area for generations. Some stay. Some move on. A bit of both is found in Shakespeare's Ghost Town, the remains of a thriving mining town now passed down through a family of caretakers and conservationists.

Proctor Campground

1970 Avion C11 truck camper at campsite 10 in Proctor Campground, Arizona.

Tuscon, Arizona is in a magical warm pocket where winter never seems to fully take hold. While the rest of the country may be freezing, we toss our coats in the car and explore the surrounding country in short sleeves. It's no wonder that the region draws nomads in the winter. And while there are many camping opportunities circling the metropolitan center, boondocking can be hit or miss. This time, however, we are lucky to score one of the last spots in Proctor Campground.

Castle Dome Mine Road

Avion C11 truck camper navigating a rocky dirt Castle Dome Mine Road in Kofa Wilderness Refuge.

Kofa Wilderness Refuge is a special destination to us. It's the first place we ever boondocked and we fell in love with the remote and dramatic rock formations. That said, as much as we have explored the area, we stuck to relatively major roads in the past. Yes, all of Kofa's roads are dirt, and, yes, they can have some mean washboard or washouts. But the main arteries in the park that connect to the highway are recognizable on maps, wide enough for two vehicles to easily pass, and easily distinguished from the rest of the landscape. But when we turn down Castle Dome Mine Road, we don't encounter another soul. And we're grateful for that because this trail gets incredibly narrow and rough with tight turns and high brush. But when we reach a clear vista point, that view is all ours.

Boondocking Outside Lake Havasu

1970 Avion C11 truck camper driving along a dirt road with mountains and Lake Havasu in the background.

Lake Havasu is a popular resort destination on the border of Arizona and California. It's charming, from the little of it that we've seen. But it's sufficiently built up to not be a place for boondocking. While much of the lakefront is privately held or part of limited-use parks, most of the land on the outskirts of Lake Havasu is Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wilderness and open to dry camping. So, when we roll through on the lookout for a place to spend the night, we may not have a lakefront campsite, but we certainly have a fantastic view.