Throwing it back to when Epic Family Road Trip and their new friends Lifestyle Overland met up for a trek through Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. Trails were traversed, winches were deployed, and lifelong friendships were forged in an unforgettable landscape. 

By Epic Family Road Trip OB 4010

We had just completed the build of our ‘19 Jeep Rubicon. After an incredible trip to the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas we were anxious to get out west where there is an abundance of BLM land to camp on and endless trails to drive across. 

From Oklahoma we pushed through to the Texas Panhandle and then into New Mexico.

Along the way, we reached out to our fellow Overland Bound members and new fellow YouTubers, Kevin, Sarah and Caroline of Lifestyle Overland to see if they were interested in showing us some of their favorite spots in southern New Mexico. We had met them a few times at various Overland events and expos but had never had the chance to go camping together.Kevin replied that they would definitely like to show us around and sent us the coordinates for a trail that starts in Queen, New Mexico and meanders through a portion of the Lincoln National Forest. He said to make our way to the end of the first leg of the trail and set up camp. If we drop a pin on our Garmin GPS they would meet us later that evening.

It had rained recently and as we started into the trail, we found the red sand to be slick and many of the tire ruts to be filled with mud and water. Just the way we like it.The landscape shifted and we found ourselves on top of a ridge with steep cliffs on either side. The views were incredible!

We carried on through the valleys and over the hills. The trail was very rocky and challenging in some parts and fairly smooth and passible in others.

As the sun set, we were nearing the end of the trail and began to look for a place to set up camp.

We weren’t 100% sure that we were in the right spot,  but we were tired and hungry, so we set up camp and sent off our GPS location.About half an hour later, we saw the headlights of the Lifestyle Overland rig in the distance and were quite relieved that first of all, we are in the right spot and secondly, they were able to find us.

After a wonderful nights sleep in the pristine silence of the Lincoln National Forest we got up, made breakfast and headed out on the trails. Kevin and Sarah were leading the way this time and took us up a steep incline to one of the highest points in the area. At the top, we stopped to enjoy the views and climb the fire lookout tower.

The tower overlooks Dark Canyon which is spectacular and definitely worth checking out if you are in that area.We carried on through some technical, challenging and very fun trails.

Now that we have the two Jeeps, Caroline, Pete and Dan were able to get a lot of driving time, and what a place this was for them to practice their wheeling skills.

This is a wild and beautiful area and we could easily imagine we were riding through the days of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County wars.

After climbing some steep and rocky hills, one of which required a bit of help from the winch, we continued on looking for a place to settle in for the night.

The camp spots here were plentiful and very remote. It was hard to decide where to stop for the night, but we made our eventual decision based on the weather forecast. The winds were expected to be fairly gusty in the high country so we opted for a beautiful sheltered spot off of the ridge.

After we set up camp and enjoyed dinner, we all gathered around the campfire to share stories and laughs together well into the night.We love the Overlanding lifestyle because it takes us away from the crowds and busyness of modern-day life. It affords us the opportunity to live simply and immerse ourselves in the stillness and solitude of the wilderness. It allows us to disconnect and unplug.

There is however, another aspect of Overlanding that we love, and that is the lifelong friendships that are forged along the way.

A special thanks to Kevin, Sarah and Caroline of Lifestyle Overland for showing us around your beautiful state. We learned so much just by watching you navigate the trails together and we look forward to the next time we can all get out exploring again.

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