Route from Cleburne to ABQ?

[wannabeowner]

What route would you recommend for first timers pulling a TT from Cleburne, TX to ABQ? We'd like to avoid city traffic as much as possible, and we plan to make 2 overnight stops on the way. Any suggestions?

[Chief T]

380 across to Roswell, then 285 north to I40. As you know, time of day will determine how much ABQ traffic you will get.

Safe and happy travels.

[fanrgs]

What time of year are you planning to travel? The route really depends on the season, the weather, and what you are interested in seeing during your three days and two nights on the road.

I highly recommend a state park campground--one in Texas and one in New Mexico--for your overnight stops. New Mexico State Parks are our favorite SP campgrounds in the entire country because they are $14/night for a site with electricity and water, including the day pass to the park, and are generally located on a lake or in the mountains. You might try one of the Texas SPs along I-20 for your first night and, in New Mexico, ones like Santa Rosa Lake, Oasis near Clovis, or Bottomless Lakes near Roswell on the second night. Or, if you are planning on using I-40, spend the first night at Palo Duro Canyon SP near Amarillo. We have stayed there several times with our trailer.

If you are planning any sightseeing along the way, I highly recommend a stop or two at the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument between Roswell or Clovis and Albuquerque. Of course, you could also go to Carlsbad Caverns, but that may be a little too far south for a short trip.

[wannabeowner]

Thanks for the responses, Chief T and fanrgs.

Unfortunately, there won't be much sight seeing time on this trip! We'll be traveling in mid-January - if the weather is ok. Palo Duro Canyon is on one of our "want to see" lists so that's a great idea if we go through Amarillo. We went to the Salinas Pueblo Missions a few years ago, and you're right that they're well worth a stop!

I guess our biggest concern is roads that will be easy to navigate and that hopefully, won't have a lot of weekday traffic. We'll be picking up the TT in Cleburne and may try to limit ourselves to 3-4 hours of driving each day.

[elchilero53]

From Cleburne, go up to Weatherford via SH 171 and head west on US 180 to Snyder. Then you can go to Post on US 84 and pick up US 380 to Roswell. From Roswell, you can go up US 285 to Vaughn. From there you have the choice of going up to I-40 on US 285 to Clines Corners and then to Albuquerque. Or you can continue west on US 60 to Mountainside then down Abo Pass and cut over to Belen then Albuquerque via I-25. For places to stay, there is Lake Mineral Wells State Park just as you enter Mineral Wells TX from the east on US 180. Then there is Bottomless Lakes State Park just outside of Roswell where you might could stay. Both places should have partial hookups.

[fanrgs]

Two suggestions since you are first-timers. Find a state park campground or private RV park with pull-thru or pull-out sites, especially if you are not planning to unhook the truck for just a one-night stop. The layout of every campground--public or private--can generally be found on the relevant Website, so you can view the sites before leaving home. That way you can find one the right length and avoid a back-in site. Pull-thru sites are just straight, double-ended driveways that you drive in one end and out the other.

Pull-out sites are just wide spots along the campground road that you swing into and out of. Often the pull-outs provide no privacy for the site, but some will have an island with a few bushes or a tree. The only caution would be to make sure you head into the site with your trailer electric and water hookups facing the electric post and water faucet at the site.

The second suggestion is to use campgrounds along I-20 for the first night's stop. The reason is traffic once you leave Cleburne/Ft. Worth. Avoiding both Amarillo and Lubbock will make your trip much more enjoyable --we have towed our trailers through both cities. Also, we were in Amarillo at Thanksgiving and there is construction on I-40 which takes it down to one lane for several miles on the west side of town. If you wanted to avoid the Midland-Odessa area too, you could exit I-20 at Sweetwater or Colorado City to head toward Roswell.

And, although I previously recommended Palo Duro Canyon SP for a one-night stop, I probably shouldn't have for a newbie. The park entrance road is very steep and winding and the campgrounds we have used there are all back-in sites on relatively narrow loop roads. Alternatively, we have stayed at Lake Colorado City SP along I-20 and my sister and her husband (with a 35-ft. travel trailer) have stayed at Abilene SP. Both have some pull-out sites with electricity and water (both also have back-ins with the same hookups). Lake Colorado City is closer to I-20, but both are sufficiently remote that you won't have to drive right through the middle of town to get to them (use the loop to get around Abilene).

Hopefully, these suggestions will reduce your stress level a bit!

[david_reaves]

In January, the road conditions will be the most critical. If the weather is bad, I would take I-20 to just past Sweetwater, then 84 up to Lubbock, on up I-27 to Amarillo, then follow I-40 the rest of the way.

If slick roads aren't an issue, then I would take Highway 82 to Lubbock, then Hwy 84 through Clovis, through Ft Sumner, then onto I-40 at Santa Rosa. You could also take I-20 to Hwy 84 near Sweetwater, then continue on to Santa Rosa if you don't mind starting out on the Interstate.

Construction is bad in Ft Worth, or Hwy 287 through Wichita Falls to Amarillo, then I-40 would be an option. I wouldn't tackle Ft Worth construction traffic if you don't have substantial towing experience, though.

I second the suggestion that you look for campgrounds with pull-thru sites. Full hookups would be good for the night before you pull into Albuquerque. That gives you a chance to practice dumping in a low stress (not waiting in line) environment.

Good Luck!

[wannabeowner]

david_reaves - If the weather is iffy, I think we'll postpone the trip.

I know we won't be able to totally avoid interstates but I think we'll try to minimize that, now that you mention it. We'd rather not have semis passing us all along the way, so we'll take that into consideration.

I-25 in NM has less truck traffic than I-40, so if there's no snow, we might should consider continuing west from Roswell through Carizzozo to I-25. We haven't driven that in quite awhile but I don't remember the roads being too curvy or too steep. Have any of you driven that part of 380?

Great advice, guys, on both pull-thru sites and hookups the last night, BTW. Thank you!

[david_reaves]

That section of I-25 south of Albuquerque isn't too bad. We were there last year, driving up from Roswell. It is very desolate country most of the way between Post, TX and I-25, though!

[wannabeowner]

Originally Posted by david_reaves

That section of I-25 south of Albuquerque isn't too bad. We were there last year, driving up from Roswell. It is very desolate country most of the way between Post, TX and I-25, though!

True. It's definitely not the scenic route!

[elchilero53]

Originally Posted by david_reaves

That section of I-25 south of Albuquerque isn't too bad. We were there last year, driving up from Roswell. It is very desolate country most of the way between Post, TX and I-25, though!

From Post to Roswell that is true. From Roswell to San Antonio NM and I25 via Carrizozo it is quite scenic. And yes it is desolate. I have driven that stretch many times pulling a trailer and the grades west of Carrizozo are not bad at all. Curves aren't bad either. After Roswell, there is gas at Capitan and Carrizozo but nothing between Carrizozo and Socorro (about 85 miles). Just so you know.

The long-range weather forecast is for warmer than usual with drier than normal precipitation in that part of West Texas and New Mexico. Just watch the weather.

[bubbles]

From Waco we go to Lubbock then 84 all the way to I40 at Santa Rosa then to Albuquerque. We only overnight once at Lubbock.

[W5CI]

I would run 35W to 287 to Amarillo then I-40 to Albq.