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Much of New Mexico is protected public land. In fact, the National Park Service manages 19 sites within the state, including two national parks ( Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands ), eight national monuments, four national historic parks, one national preserve, and three national historic trails. Many of these host many, many thousands of visitors per year— and with good reason!

What you might not know, though, is that New Mexico also has 35 state parks—and they're quite fantastic. Outdoor recreation is big in New Mexico, and these parks help support local economies statewide. Like the state's National Park Service sites, the state's state parks are worth visiting, too!

There are nearly three dozen state parks in New Mexico, but one of the very best is Cimarron Canyon State Park . It's about an hour east of Taos and has much to offer. Read on to learn more about it.

Cimarron Canyon State Park isn't huge—it's only 378 acres. However, you're sure to find it's big on beauty when visiting it. It sits high in elevation at 7,500 feet and runs along the Cimarron River. The park is very long but very narrow as it follows the river and U.S. Highway 64.

Along the route, you'll find several day areas and four campgrounds with 94 developed campsites. People come from all over the state to camp, hike, fish, hunt, picnic, and watch wildlife in this Cimarron Canyon State Park.

Wildlife is abundant here. Birds soar above the canyon and stop by the river to drink. Animals are common, including deer, elk, bear, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and porcupines. Anglers love fishing for brown and rainbow trout in the river. If you time your visit right, you'll also be amazed by the vast number of wildflowers in this park at this rather high elevation.

One of the biggest draws in Cimarron Canyon State Park is the cliffs of the Palisades Sill. These cliffs are made of volcanic rock called dacite, mostly feldspar and quartz. The cliffs towering above the canyon are beautiful to view. Rock climbing here is not permitted.

Hiking is a popular pastime in Cimarron Canyon State Park. Many people enjoy walking along the river or along the scenic drive route through the park. However, if you'd instead like to tackle some elevation gain, then you might like the Clear Creek Trail . This trail is a 4.2-mile out-and-back trail with 1,089 feet of elevation gain along the way. It offers some great views!

Alternatively, if you're looking for a real challenge, you might try the Tolby Creek Trail to Mount Phillips, which starts in the park. This trail is rated hard and is 23 miles in length— you'll gain 4,366 feet of elevation on your way to the top of Mount Phillips.

No matter what you decide to do while visiting Cimarron Canyon State Park, you're sure to be impressed. Despite its relatively small size, this park is beautiful and has so much to do. New Mexico is full of amazing and breathtaking things, so get out there and explore it! Visit this state park soon, and you'll be sure to want to return again soon.