©
Clayton trip planner
Create a fully customized day by day
itinerary for free
itinerary for free
Clayton
Clayton is a town and county seat of Union County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,980. Clayton is a crossroads for tourists heading from Texas to Colorado, and Kansas / Oklahoma / Texas to Taos, New Mexico.HistoryThe Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail brought some of the first Americans through the Clayton region. The Santa Fe Trail was first established in 1821 after Spanish rule was evicted from Mexico which opened up trade between Santa Fe and the United States. William Becknell, also known as the Father of the Santa Fe Trail, became the first person to utilize the Santa Fe Trail as a trade route between the state of Missouri and Santa Fe. He established the Cimarron Cutoff, also known as the Cimarron Route, as a faster route between countries as the Cimarron Route shortened the Trail by more than 100 miles. The Cimarron Cutoff went straight through the Clayton region where travelers used the Rabbit Ear Mountain as a guiding landmark. Eventually travelers along the trail began to appreciate the rich soil around Clayton and the rolling green hills which were perfect for raising livestock. Cattle ranchers and sheepherders established ranches in the area, though they were large and far apart. That changed when the railroad came to the area and Stephen Dorsey, a nearby rancher, received the rights to the area where the railroad ran. He soon laid out a town site.To arrange what you want to do in Clayton, use our United States route builder app.
Source
Create a full itinerary — for free!
Plan your trip to Clayton
Get a personalized tripA full day by day itinerary based on your preferences Customize itRefine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedules Manage itEverything in one place. Everyone on the same page.Know more
Popular things to do in Clayton
Side trips from Clayton
Places to visit with Clayton
Santa FeTrip planner
Best for: Religious Site, Art Museum, Specialty Museum
AlbuquerqueTrip planner
Best for: Natural History Museum, Science Museum, National Park
TaosTrip planner
Best for: Bridge, Ruin, Scenic Drive
Los AlamosTrip planner
Best for: Canyon, Science Museum, History Museum
Las CrucesTrip planner
Best for: Historic Site, Park, Natural History Museum
Recently planned trips to Clayton
12 days in United States
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Lamar
Fort Collins
Pocatello
10 days in United States
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Rapid City
Bowman
Cheyenne
5 days in United States
BY A USER FROM ARGENTINA
Taos
Charleston
Clayton
11 days in Northeast New Mexico
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Nageezi
Pecos
Santa Rosa
8 days in Albuquerque & Northeast New Mexico
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Albuquerque
Nageezi
Santa Rosa
3 days in Clayton
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Black Mesa State Park
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Herzstein Memorial Museum