While traveling through the mountains of Utah and later Colorado, we noticed Tad Cooper kept getting hot; hotter than he should. So as we were coming out of the mountains, we decided to have him checked out at a Freightliner dealership. Luckily for us, Farmington, New Mexico had one, and we were able to bring him in. While staying in and around Farmington, we were able to take in a fair amount of the area.
RV Lodging around Farmington, New Mexico
While in the area, we stayed in three different locations.
Farmington Freightliner
The most uncomfortable stay in our life on the road. Due to the service bays at the dealership being first-come, first-served, we weren’t able to just drop off the bus. Luckily, they allowed us to “camp” in their front parking area. Once the business closed for the day, we were able to get some sleep, but not long into the morning, as they had delivery trucks and other big rigs coming in for maintenance and repair, idling right beside the bus while they handled paperwork. We were very grateful, however, that they allowed us to stay in our bus while we waited our turn for our bus to be seen.
Northern Edge Navajo Casino
We’ve become accustomed to staying at the odd casino when we need a convenient “stop between stops,” and Northern Edge Navajo Casino was just what we needed. Just a few minutes outside of Farmington, we were able to stay there a few days before our “appointment” at the Farmington Freightliner. Staying here was much like other casinos with the occasional security patrol, but otherwise nice and quiet.
Bisti Badlands
One of our favorite walking places in New Mexico! The Bisti Badlands trailhead access isn’t much in the way of camping, as it’s just a large parking lot with some vault toilets. People can camp there following the same basic BLM and National Forest rules: 14 days. While the camping wasn’t much, the badlands are well worth the lack of nice camping for the access to several hundred acres of untouched desert wilderness.
Activities and Amenities Around Farmington, New Mexico
Westland Park
While we stayed at the Farmington Freightliner, we spent several days at Westland Park. The main draw of Westland Park was its large off-leash dog park. However, the rest of the park was also very nice, with riverside walking trails, a playground, and even bathrooms.
Many people see the Four Corners area (where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado all meet) as a desolate desert. However, the desert has its own beauty and the cultural influences are amazing. If you have the opportunity to learn about the indigenous people from the Four Corners region, don’t pass it up.
All said, Farmington, New Mexico is a great place to stop, get your rig worked on, and re-acclimate to the lower elevations. It’s got a little of everything and is worth the stop when passing through!