What does it take to leave the conveniences of everyday life behind and spend a summer exploring the American Southwest in a converted cargo trailer? For us, it takes a little planning, a willingness to embrace the unexpected and a desire to discover just how little we really need to be happy.
That’s the idea behind our Free to Wander series on Cupcake and Cornbread Adventures.
With our little 6×10 cargo trailer packed and ready, we left Tennessee for an extended adventure across New Mexico, searching for beautiful free campsites, cooler mountain temperatures, interesting small towns and experiences we might never discover while staying in traditional campgrounds.
Our first three episodes took us from the rugged canyon country of eastern New Mexico to the beautiful mountain communities of Red River and Angel Fire. Along the way, we discovered some wonderful campsites, experienced a few unexpected surprises and learned that sometimes the best part of traveling is simply not knowing what comes next.
Episode 1: Mills Canyon — Our First Free Campsite in New Mexico
Our adventure began at Mills Canyon Campground, tucked away in the rugged canyon country of northeastern New Mexico.
After spending the first part of our journey crossing the country, we were ready to get off the highway, find a quiet place to camp and settle into the slower pace of life we’d been looking forward to. Mills Canyon turned out to be a wonderful introduction to New Mexico.
Surrounded by dramatic canyon walls and the beautiful landscape of the Canadian River valley, this remote campground offers a completely different experience from the crowded RV parks and commercial campgrounds found along major highways.
One of the things we love about traveling in our converted cargo trailer is the freedom it gives us to explore places like this. We don’t need electrical hookups, a paved campsite or a long list of amenities. With our portable power station, solar equipment, simple cooking setup and everything else we’ve built into our little trailer, we can make ourselves at home in some pretty remarkable places.
Mills Canyon was the perfect opportunity to settle into our summer routine.
We also enjoyed discovering the history of the area, including the remains of the old Mills Orchard, a reminder that people once worked to establish a thriving agricultural operation in this remote canyon.
Our first episode captures what this entire series is about: finding beautiful places, enjoying the outdoors and discovering that a comfortable camping experience doesn’t necessarily require spending a lot of money, all while boondocking in our cargo trailer conversion.
Free camping, rugged canyon scenery, local history and our first taste of life on the road in New Mexico – Find Episode 1 on YouTube
Episode 2: Red River — Beautiful Mountains and an Unexpected Night our Cargo Trailer
Leaving Mills Canyon behind, we headed toward the mountains of northern New Mexico and the popular mountain community of Red River.
The change in scenery was remarkable. The wide-open landscapes of eastern New Mexico gradually gave way to towering mountains, beautiful forests and the cooler temperatures we’d been hoping to find.
Our destination was the Mallette Creek dispersed camping area, located near Red River in the Carson National Forest.
For travelers looking to escape the summer heat, the higher elevations of northern New Mexico offer an appealing alternative to the hotter desert regions of the Southwest.
And for us, finding a free campsite surrounded by mountains and pine trees was exactly what we’d imagined when planning this adventure.
But our stay at Mallette Creek wasn’t quite as peaceful as we’d expected.
What started as a beautiful camping experience turned into a rather interesting night when a nearby group decided to party well into the early morning hours. With off-highway vehicles coming and going and plenty of nighttime activity, our peaceful mountain getaway suddenly became a lot more entertaining than we’d anticipated.
Things got even more interesting when the New Mexico State Police showed up around four in the morning.
It certainly wasn’t the quiet night we’d envisioned!
Still, experiences like this are part of dispersed camping. Unlike traditional campgrounds with designated sites and campground hosts, free camping areas can attract all kinds of visitors. Sometimes you find complete solitude, and sometimes you find yourself with unexpected neighbors.
Despite the nighttime excitement, the Red River area was beautiful and gave us plenty of reasons to appreciate this part of New Mexico.
One of the lessons we’ve learned from years of camping in our cargo trailer conversion is that you can’t control everything around you. Sometimes you simply have to laugh, adapt and enjoy the adventure.
And this particular adventure gave us a story we won’t soon forget.
Beautiful mountain camping, off-highway vehicle activity, unexpected neighbors and a late-night visit from the police – Find Episode 2 on YouTube
Episode 3: Angel Fire — Slowing Down in the Mountain
For our third episode, we continued exploring northern New Mexico, eventually finding another wonderful free campsite in the mountains west of Angel Fire.
Our destination was the Fernand de Taos dispersed camping area.
After our memorable stay near Red River, we were ready to settle into another beautiful mountain campsite and enjoy a few days of the simple life.
One of the advantages of traveling with our cargo trailer is that once we find a campsite we like, we can unhitch the trailer, get everything leveled and use our vehicle to explore the surrounding area.
And that’s exactly what we did.
Our time in the Angel Fire area included exploring the nearby communities, visiting a local farmers market and enjoying a hike through the beautiful mountain scenery.
Of course, no episode of Cupcake and Cornbread Adventures would be complete without a little cooking!
Cupcake prepared some of our favorite camping meals, including bagels and sausage for breakfast and hamburgers for another meal. Nothing particularly fancy, but that’s one of the things we enjoy most about our travels.
Good food somehow tastes even better when you’re surrounded by mountains, breathing fresh air and enjoying a campsite that didn’t cost you anything.
Fernand de Taos also gave us an opportunity to show viewers what dispersed camping in this part of New Mexico is really like. We explored the campsite, discussed the surrounding area and shared practical information about camping at higher elevations.
For anyone considering a similar adventure, understanding road conditions, campsite accessibility and seasonal temperatures can make a big difference when planning a trip.
But beyond the practical information, this episode was really about slowing down.
We weren’t rushing from one tourist attraction to another or trying to fit an impossible number of activities into a single day. We were simply enjoying the opportunity to spend time together, explore new places and appreciate the freedom our little trailer provides.
A peaceful mountain campsite, nearby communities, a farmers market, hiking and cooking with Cupcake – Find Episode 3 on YouTube
Three Campsites, One Simple Idea In Our Cargo Trailer
Looking back at our first three episodes, it’s remarkable how different each destination turned out to be.
Mills Canyon introduced us to the rugged beauty and history of eastern New Mexico. Red River delivered spectacular mountain scenery along with a camping experience we certainly hadn’t planned. And Angel Fire gave us the opportunity to slow down, explore and appreciate the simple pleasures of life on the road.
Each destination reminded us why we decided to build our cargo trailer in the first place.
We wanted the freedom to travel without spending a fortune on a large RV, expensive campgrounds or equipment we didn’t really need.
Our little trailer may not have all the luxuries of a conventional camper, but it gives us everything we need to enjoy the journey.
And with plenty more of New Mexico waiting to be explored, our Free to Wander adventure was only getting started.
Follow our adventures at cupcakeandcornbread.com , and join us on YouTube for the rest of our Free to Wander series.
Simpler Life – More Adventure.
Want to see our current floorplan in our 6×10 cargo trailer conversion? Click HERE!
