We're planning our route out west for the first time ever! Yay! We're visiting family just north of Dallas, and the most direct route across Texas towards our final destination of Colorado for the summer looks to be Texas route 287 to Amarillo, then 87/64 to Raton New Mexico. Does anyone know if these routes are rig-friendly? Thanks in advance for any information!
Karen
Jim01 said
11:52 PM Mar 18, 2012
That's exactly the route we took back in 2008. It was a good route then. We had lots of wind when we left Amarillo but that can happen any time in that part of the country.
I'd say "go for it",
Jim
sirwinston21 said
01:41 AM Mar 19, 2012
I have traveled that route several times without any problems and Raton Pass is a piece of cake.
ahoweth said
01:08 PM Mar 19, 2012
It is a good route but last fall when I came back from Colorado that way, there was construction between Raton and Clayton, NM. It wasn't a problem to navigate but I thought you aught to know.
Tom N Gina said
10:22 PM Mar 19, 2012
Well I travel that route about everyday for work (on intermodal trains) to and from Childress which is about 220 miles from Ft Worth. 287 is pretty much a 4 lane hwy with a median when going through towns it comes together as a regular 4 lane. Childress is a good place to stop and eat for lunch and most of the eating places are more towards the West side of town. The Thia Kitchen on the North side of the HWY has real good food and very reasonable. If you are not into that Dawson's one block up on the South side has ample parking for your rig and they have a lunch buffet for around 10 bucks which includes many different things that are very tasty from 1130AM until 2PM. There is also a WalMart on the very West end of town just before leaving. If you need a place to stay the Best Western has sights with 50amp service, full hookups for around 25 bucks a night. Not to fancy but for an over night stay a pretty good spot with all eating places within walking distance. Watch you speed 287 is a major revenue route for many of the small towns as you go in and out of them. Also if you decide to head North and then West hwy 83 north otu of Childress is a very nice hwy we usually take it when we head to SD and NE a relaxing drive with very little traffic. The town of Candian North of Childress has a nice campground at their fairgounds level blacktop sights and about 15 bucks to stay honor system pay. Hope this helps and safe travels to y'all....
-- Edited by Tom N Gina on Monday 19th of March 2012 10:26:17 PM
TXRVr said
12:24 AM Mar 20, 2012
I live about 100 miles south of Dallas and for the last two years I have traveled in a 40 ft MH - with tow - to the mountains near Fort Collins.
It would be helpful for those who are familar with travel in the three states to know exactly where in CO your final destination is. It's pretty much a given that none of the "normal" routes from TX that one would select will be any problem for all types of RVs. But if you are going north to cities along I-25, then taking Hwy 287 out of Amarillo until you can cut west would offer you a "flatter" drive than going over Raton Pass. But, despite being at 9000 ft altitude it's still Interstate quality. If you decide to do the Raton route then my I suggest a stay at Cedar Rail RV Park and then do the trolley tour in Trinidad.
I would also repectfully suggest that you get a fill up in Amarillo. Gas/Diesel is cheaper than in NM or CO.
Have fun.
Terry and Jo said
01:25 AM Mar 20, 2012
While Rick's (TXRV'R) idea is also a good one, the route takes one up through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and the road turns west at Lamar. Then it goes through La Junta and Rocky Ford to end up catching I-25 at Pueble.
With that route, one will be going through more towns, giving you the opportunity of getting some fruits and veggies around Rocky Ford. Now, it you are planning on going up before the fruit/veggie season, that won't be a benefit.
Either route is RV friendly, but the Amarillo/Dalhart/Clayton/Raton route will actually be shorter if I remember right. If you like seeing cattle and antelope, that would be a good route as well because that part from Clayton to Raton is ranches and grassland.
If you go that way, once you cross over the summit of Raton Pass going north, watch somewhat to the west side (left) of the canyon and you may see an old abandoned mission church.
We've traveled that route for years.
Terry
TXRVr said
04:04 PM Mar 20, 2012
Terry and Jo wrote:
While Rick's (TXRV'R) idea is also a good one, the route takes one up through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles....
Terry
Terry> What have you got against the Oklahoma panhandle?
Terry and Jo said
04:20 PM Mar 20, 2012
TXRVr wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
While Rick's (TXRV'R) idea is also a good one, the route takes one up through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles....
Terry
Terry> What have you got against the Oklahoma panhandle?
Not a thing, Rick. I was raised in the Oklahoma Panhandle. If it weren't for the limited number of jobs out there, I'd still be there. We also lived in Amarillo for a couple of years; back when I was driving 18-wheelers.
Long ago, the consideration was kicked around that the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma ought to secede from the rest of the two states and form together as a new state. After all, the capitols of both states sometimes tend to ignore the folks in the Panhandles.
For evidence of that last statement, drive some of the roads in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
However, it is really the people of the two Panhandles that make them great.
Terry
TXRVr said
01:00 AM Mar 22, 2012
Long ago, the consideration was kicked around that the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma ought to secede from the rest of the two states and form together as a new state.
Terry
I knew that you were an Okie when I made the tongue in cheek comment.
It's interesting to watch one of those History channel programs on how Texas was split up into different states. Can you imagine how much in-fighting there would be between the two panhandles in picking a state capital?
Terry and Jo said
04:49 AM Mar 22, 2012
TXRVr wrote:
It's interesting to watch one of those History channel programs on how Texas was split up into different states. Can you imagine how much in-fighting there would be between the two panhandles in picking a state capital?
Oh, I doubt that there would be any infighting. Okies are smart enough to leave the politicians on the "Texas side."
And yes, I knew your comment was tongue-in-cheek. Who knows, maybe my above comment was too????
Terry
rbks said
02:38 PM Jun 7, 2016
Hi Everyone - I realize this thread is from 2012 but we are about to take this trip from Dallas (Denton area) to Sante Fe and then on to the Four Corners area in NM. We are newbies (2 1/2 months now in our Voltage 44 ft. Toy Hauler) However, we have already traveled from OK to NC and back again and stayed at everything from nice to not so nice campgrounds. (State parks, Fam Camps, and strange right off the Highway RV parks) I was wondering if there are any recommendations for one night RV stays along the way. It looks like we will be heading out 287 to Amarillo possibly stopping in Childress first then site seeing near Cimarron. (Ancestors from this area)
Thanks in advance for any help!
Terry and Jo said
09:33 PM Jun 7, 2016
Beverly,
First of all, I don't think I've welcomed you before, so welcome to the forums. With regards to "reviving" an old thread, it is normally better to start a new one rather than revive an old one. In many cases, some "old" information in old threads may be out of date or no longer applicable, but following readers don't necessarily notice the dates of the posts, so they think everything is current and correct.
As for your route, I'd say that the roads from Dallas (Denton) to Amarillo will be good, but I've never driven that route. I say they would be good because it is a major route for both automobiles and trucks, so I'd say it was well maintained. As for any construction, I'd suggest calling the Texas Department of Transportation to check on any that might be going on.
In Santa Fe, watch that you don't try to take your RV through downtown. I did that back in 2009 with a 26-foot fifth wheel and only found one filling station big enough to allow me to get in, and even that was tricky. At that time, we were headed to Pagosa Springs and didn't know about the bypass on the west side of Santa Fe. I can't help at all with places to stay as we've only stayed in one RV park in Amarillo, and it was on the west side of town and pretty much featureless but easy to get around. It's another that is right off of I-40 and it's called the Oasis RV Park. If you are aware of the "Cadillac Ranch," it is just west of that and the Oasis even has a small Class A buried as they've done the "Cadillac Ranch."
As for Cimarron, it has been many years since we were up there, but west of Cimarron is Cimarron Canyon State Park with RV parks/campgrounds at each end of the canyon. A beautiful area along with Taos, Red River, and Eagle's Nest.
Terry
Rickl said
06:38 AM Jun 8, 2016
I hesitated to answer as this is reviving an old thread, but here goes. In and around Amarillo I would highly recommend Palo Duro state park. It has a very nice area for setting up camp which I would plan on spending an extra day or two.
rbks said
07:23 PM Jun 8, 2016
Thanks for the welcome Terry and the helpful information! I am more of a reader and not much of a poster when it comes to these things but I am teachable (hopefully) and now will remember NOT to revive old threads.
And thank you Rickl! Going to look into it now.
-- Edited by rbks on Wednesday 8th of June 2016 07:26:05 PM
-- Edited by rbks on Wednesday 8th of June 2016 08:28:40 PM
David and Cheryl said
04:10 PM Aug 10, 2016
rbks wrote:
Hi Everyone - I realize this thread is from 2012 but we are about to take this trip from Dallas (Denton area) to Sante Fe and then on to the Four Corners area in NM. We are newbies (2 1/2 months now in our Voltage 44 ft. Toy Hauler) However, we have already traveled from OK to NC and back again and stayed at everything from nice to not so nice campgrounds. (State parks, Fam Camps, and strange right off the Highway RV parks) I was wondering if there are any recommendations for one night RV stays along the way. It looks like we will be heading out 287 to Amarillo possibly stopping in Childress first then site seeing near Cimarron. (Ancestors from this area)
Thanks in advance for any help!
We drove that exact route about 6 weeks ago when we left Dallas. No problems, other than boredom from the unchanging flat terrain for most of the route in Texas.
We try to keep our driving to about 4 hours a day. So we stopped the first night at Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah, and the second night at Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo. Both will be hot as you-know-what this time of year, but the parks were nice and inexpensive. If you can tolerate the heat, the Texas show at Palo Duro is fun.
You probably won't go through Raton, NM, but if you do, check out Raton Pass Campground, located right at the top of the pass. It's spectacular; we spent our third night there and liked it so much we spent two extra days there. Our back window hung over a cliff and looked south down the pass back toward Raton. :)
Hey folks,
We're planning our route out west for the first time ever! Yay! We're visiting family just north of Dallas, and the most direct route across Texas towards our final destination of Colorado for the summer looks to be Texas route 287 to Amarillo, then 87/64 to Raton New Mexico. Does anyone know if these routes are rig-friendly? Thanks in advance for any information!
Karen
That's exactly the route we took back in 2008. It was a good route then. We had lots of wind when we left Amarillo but that can happen any time in that part of the country.
I'd say "go for it",
Jim
Well I travel that route about everyday for work (on intermodal trains) to and from Childress which is about 220 miles from Ft Worth. 287 is pretty much a 4 lane hwy with a median when going through towns it comes together as a regular 4 lane. Childress is a good place to stop and eat for lunch and most of the eating places are more towards the West side of town. The Thia Kitchen on the North side of the HWY has real good food and very reasonable. If you are not into that Dawson's one block up on the South side has ample parking for your rig and they have a lunch buffet for around 10 bucks which includes many different things that are very tasty from 1130AM until 2PM. There is also a WalMart on the very West end of town just before leaving. If you need a place to stay the Best Western has sights with 50amp service, full hookups for around 25 bucks a night. Not to fancy but for an over night stay a pretty good spot with all eating places within walking distance. Watch you speed 287 is a major revenue route for many of the small towns as you go in and out of them. Also if you decide to head North and then West hwy 83 north otu of Childress is a very nice hwy we usually take it when we head to SD and NE a relaxing drive with very little traffic. The town of Candian North of Childress has a nice campground at their fairgounds level blacktop sights and about 15 bucks to stay honor system pay. Hope this helps and safe travels to y'all....
-- Edited by Tom N Gina on Monday 19th of March 2012 10:26:17 PM
I live about 100 miles south of Dallas and for the last two years I have traveled in a 40 ft MH - with tow - to the mountains near Fort Collins.
It would be helpful for those who are familar with travel in the three states to know exactly where in CO your final destination is. It's pretty much a given that none of the "normal" routes from TX that one would select will be any problem for all types of RVs. But if you are going north to cities along I-25, then taking Hwy 287 out of Amarillo until you can cut west would offer you a "flatter" drive than going over Raton Pass. But, despite being at 9000 ft altitude it's still Interstate quality. If you decide to do the Raton route then my I suggest a stay at Cedar Rail RV Park and then do the trolley tour in Trinidad.
I would also repectfully suggest that you get a fill up in Amarillo. Gas/Diesel is cheaper than in NM or CO.
Have fun.
While Rick's (TXRV'R) idea is also a good one, the route takes one up through the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and the road turns west at Lamar. Then it goes through La Junta and Rocky Ford to end up catching I-25 at Pueble.
With that route, one will be going through more towns, giving you the opportunity of getting some fruits and veggies around Rocky Ford. Now, it you are planning on going up before the fruit/veggie season, that won't be a benefit.
Either route is RV friendly, but the Amarillo/Dalhart/Clayton/Raton route will actually be shorter if I remember right. If you like seeing cattle and antelope, that would be a good route as well because that part from Clayton to Raton is ranches and grassland.
If you go that way, once you cross over the summit of Raton Pass going north, watch somewhat to the west side (left) of the canyon and you may see an old abandoned mission church.
We've traveled that route for years.
Terry
Terry> What have you got against the Oklahoma panhandle?
Not a thing, Rick. I was raised in the Oklahoma Panhandle. If it weren't for the limited number of jobs out there, I'd still be there. We also lived in Amarillo for a couple of years; back when I was driving 18-wheelers.
Long ago, the consideration was kicked around that the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma ought to secede from the rest of the two states and form together as a new state. After all, the capitols of both states sometimes tend to ignore the folks in the Panhandles.
For evidence of that last statement, drive some of the roads in the Oklahoma Panhandle.
However, it is really the people of the two Panhandles that make them great.
Terry
I knew that you were an Okie when I made the tongue in cheek comment.
It's interesting to watch one of those History channel programs on how Texas was split up into different states. Can you imagine how much in-fighting there would be between the two panhandles in picking a state capital?
Oh, I doubt that there would be any infighting. Okies are smart enough to leave the politicians on the "Texas side."
And yes, I knew your comment was tongue-in-cheek. Who knows, maybe my above comment was too????
Terry
Hi Everyone - I realize this thread is from 2012 but we are about to take this trip from Dallas (Denton area) to Sante Fe and then on to the Four Corners area in NM. We are newbies (2 1/2 months now in our Voltage 44 ft. Toy Hauler) However, we have already traveled from OK to NC and back again and stayed at everything from nice to not so nice campgrounds. (State parks, Fam Camps, and strange right off the Highway RV parks)
I was wondering if there are any recommendations for one night RV stays along the way. It looks like we will be heading out 287 to Amarillo possibly stopping in Childress first then site seeing near Cimarron. (Ancestors from this area)
Thanks in advance for any help!
Beverly,
First of all, I don't think I've welcomed you before, so welcome to the forums. With regards to "reviving" an old thread, it is normally better to start a new one rather than revive an old one. In many cases, some "old" information in old threads may be out of date or no longer applicable, but following readers don't necessarily notice the dates of the posts, so they think everything is current and correct.
As for your route, I'd say that the roads from Dallas (Denton) to Amarillo will be good, but I've never driven that route. I say they would be good because it is a major route for both automobiles and trucks, so I'd say it was well maintained. As for any construction, I'd suggest calling the Texas Department of Transportation to check on any that might be going on.
In Santa Fe, watch that you don't try to take your RV through downtown. I did that back in 2009 with a 26-foot fifth wheel and only found one filling station big enough to allow me to get in, and even that was tricky. At that time, we were headed to Pagosa Springs and didn't know about the bypass on the west side of Santa Fe. I can't help at all with places to stay as we've only stayed in one RV park in Amarillo, and it was on the west side of town and pretty much featureless but easy to get around. It's another that is right off of I-40 and it's called the Oasis RV Park. If you are aware of the "Cadillac Ranch," it is just west of that and the Oasis even has a small Class A buried as they've done the "Cadillac Ranch."
As for Cimarron, it has been many years since we were up there, but west of Cimarron is Cimarron Canyon State Park with RV parks/campgrounds at each end of the canyon. A beautiful area along with Taos, Red River, and Eagle's Nest.
Terry
Thanks for the welcome Terry and the helpful information! I am more of a reader and not much of a poster when it comes to these things but I am teachable (hopefully) and now will remember NOT to revive old threads.
And thank you Rickl! Going to look into it now.
-- Edited by rbks on Wednesday 8th of June 2016 07:26:05 PM
-- Edited by rbks on Wednesday 8th of June 2016 08:28:40 PM
We drove that exact route about 6 weeks ago when we left Dallas. No problems, other than boredom from the unchanging flat terrain for most of the route in Texas.
We try to keep our driving to about 4 hours a day. So we stopped the first night at Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah, and the second night at Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo. Both will be hot as you-know-what this time of year, but the parks were nice and inexpensive. If you can tolerate the heat, the Texas show at Palo Duro is fun.
You probably won't go through Raton, NM, but if you do, check out Raton Pass Campground, located right at the top of the pass. It's spectacular; we spent our third night there and liked it so much we spent two extra days there. Our back window hung over a cliff and looked south down the pass back toward Raton. :)