Cloudcroft New Mexico is located on U.S. Hwy. 82 and most vacation rentals in the town are easily accessible arriving from both east and west. The western approach from Alamogordo (north of El Paso, Texas, on U.S Hwy 54) is a steep 16 mile climb of nearly 5,000 vertical feet that takes travelers through a variety of climate zones. Most vacation rental renters come in from Texas. The charming mountain village of Cloudcroft owes its existence to the beauty that surrounds it. In 1898, an El Paso-Northeastern Railroad crew was laying out the route for the famous Cloud Climbing Railroad and stopped to rest on the summit of the Sacramento Mountains. A young Englishman on the railroad crew chose the name of Cloudcroft, meaning a cloud in a field.
Standing under the tall, cool pines, looking west to the vibrant slash of Whites Sands almost 5,000 feet below many vacation rentals offer a spectacular view. You will likely be impressed by the white clouds slipping by at almost ground level on many occasions for which the town’s name came from.
Beautiful scenery and spectacular unspoiled vistas are common to many vacation rentals. In particular, the view from the overlook near New Mexico’s only tunnel and the graceful old wooden Mexican Canyon trestle that nestles in a canyon just outside of the village should not be missed and is only a short drive for vacationers. This much photographed remnant of the old logging and excursion railroad has come to be a kind of unofficial symbol of Cloudcroft.
Cloudcroft is a quiet, relaxing and scenic mountain village with year round activities for vacation rental renters. With four distinct seasons and an old country way of life, Cloudcroft always has something for everyone.
Summer temperatures reach the upper 70’s but the nighttime lows remain in the cool 40’s and 50’s. High mountain meadows and cool air are a welcome relief from the surrounding deserts. Warm summer days bring a variety of wildflowers that blanket the meadow and line the roads. Winters open up tubing and ice skating right in town.