My husband and I wanted a cool getaway during the heat of Texas summer, and although Cloudcroft was 9.5-10 hours from home, it was worth it. Being from Colorado I was seeking the cool evenings, crisp air, pine tree smells and sounds. Plus some REAL hiking at altitude. We stayed at the Saddle Campground, which is one of maybe 4-5 campgrounds in the area. They are paved for trailers/campers, but no hookups or water. Just pit bathrooms, which was fine by us. There was dispersed camping on 568, which is a turn off 244. We chose this campground for the view but also because the hosts at the Pines campground were bizarre about rules...like when we went for a hike on the little Fir trail in the area, they got upset with us for walking through a campground. The hikes in the area are legit - we went over to Bailey canyon and saw maybe 2 people. We did a loop from 568 north and back down through Bailey canyon. There’s also the OSHA trail that’s mostly easy with great views of the trestle and White Sands in the distance. I can’t wait to go back!