Thanks for the additional info.

I wrote this entry almost a decade ago and returned a few times over the years. A beautiful area indeed.

https://folsommuseum.wordpress.com/

The museum itself is a relic of by gone days, as is the town. Still the history is fascinating and worth the detour. A black ranch, George McJunkin, proved archeological experts of his time wrong, and, too many years later, remains too obscure. He pushed the dates for the indigenous people being here back thousands of years, a process still going on today.

The back roads over Johnson Mesa, past the lonely and much photographed green church, to Raton are beautiful and feel remote. Antelope are common, as are deer, but the views are expansive enough it’s easy to relax and enjoy the winding road.

Sugarite State Park is an under priced and appreciated gem in the state system, with lakes, trails, the remnants of an old coal mining camp.

There’s plenty more too, such as Charette Lakes, perched high above the plains on a remote windswept mesa, Cimaron Canyon’s palisades, even a remote trailhead to the state’s highest peak at Red River.

Good point!

I wonder if this place would change for the worse if it was a designated Wilderness? Awesome looking place, thanks for the report.

I love these small, towns, too. Definitely lots of echoes and voices from the past.

My wife, who is an ardent fan of all things fossils, rocks and minerals, was in heaven. Reminded her of places near Flagstaff (where she used to live).