Rancho Cerro Gordo - Arriving by Car

Although you hardly need a car once you reach Rancho Cerro Gordo, getting here in the comfort of your own vehicle is an option enjoyed by many travelers every year. Although driving in Mexico is not quite the same as driving in the States, this relatively short hop across the border can be still undertaken by most any driver of reasonable ability. It is definitely easier and faster to follow the main highways on your way to Hidalgo, but for those seeking a little adventure and wanting to experience a bit of the local flavor of rural Mexico, several other routes exist - see the map for details.

To make your approach as simple as possible, make your crossing in Laredo, TX. The journey will take at least three hours and depending on border formalities and traffic, it may take much longer. If you prefer to travel by day (and in Mexico this is advisable if only for navigational reasons), it's best to cross the border sometime in the morning. There is a great RV/campground called "Vaquero Village" on US 83 just a couple of miles north of its junction with I-35 (see map) where you can camp for the night for $10. Also fill up with gas north of the border because the in Mexico gasoline is dirtier and more expensive. Your car insurance policy is not valid in Mexico, and it's a really good idea to purchase insurance before crossing the border. (This can be done in Laredo but it's cheaper to do it well ahead of time through your travel agent.)

Two toll bridges lead across the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Crossing the border per se is straightforward, but to proceed past the city limits of Nuevo Laredo you will need some paperwork for yourself and your car. This can be taken care of at a perplexingly difficult to reach government building located near the river between the bridges. To get there, follow sporadic signs and/or head east (be careful because one-way streets are not always marked), get on a divided highway that follows the river eastwards, then very soon make a wide U-turn at a light, keeping all the way to the right. You'll enter a 2-way road, pass under the east (#2) bridge and turn left into a large parking lot in front of the building. It's also possible to get here from the west via a similar series of shenanigans.

To get your papers in order you will need your passport, credit card, the original registration papers for your car, and about $30 US or Mexican cash per person. You will fill out some forms and drop the cash to get your visitor's visa, then proceed to get your temporary vehicle import permit (payable by credit card, also about $30). They will give you a sticker to put on your windshield, and you're finally ready to go!

Proceed east back onto said divided highway that bypasses the city of Nuevo Laredo in a long southward arc. After 12km (7 miles) turn left onto Mex. 85 south, following signs for Monterrey. Once well outside of town you will pass a checkpoint where you will show your freshly obtained papers. Just under 50km (30mi) later, you will reach the start of the toll highway ("Cuota"). It costs about $18 and will take you 120km (75mi) to the outskirts of Monterrey quickly and without hassles. The alternative is the (free) Hwy 85, which is a good road overall, though only two lanes wide. The main drawback is that most of the commercial truck traffic also goes this way, presumably because the cost of the extra time taken does not add up to $18 in Mexico. The road is therefore quite busy and you might witness some frightening passing manoeuvres. If you opt to go this way, proceed about 50km (30mi) further and bypass the town of Sabinas Hidalgo on the east, making a well signed left turn just before the town. Eventually the free and the toll highways unite just before passing the Aeropuerto del Norte. (You are now on the outskirts of Monterrey; see detailed map.) 6km (4mi) further south you will reach an interchange with Periferico Mex. Hwy. 40; you want to head west towards Saltillo. After only 5km (3mi) exit this highway onto Mex. 53 northwest toward Monclova. You are now on the home stretch: Hidalgo is only 20km (12mi) away. Entering the town fork left at the gas station, then follow green signs to "Parque Recreative Potrero Chico". This involves making a left turn at a roundabout, then keeping right after the tracks, left in front of the cement factory, then a quick right-left skirting the factory and a park on the right (see map). Continue straight (south) uphill towards the imposing cliffs and canyon of Potrero Chico. After 2km (1 ¼ mi) fork right, then 800m (1/2mi) later turn right, leaving the pavement at a sign for Rancho Cerro Gordo. Follow this rough dirt track with care for another 800m (1/2 mi) and you're there!


			Arriving by Car

	Although you hardly need a car once you reach Rancho Cerro Gordo, getting here in the comfort of your own vehicle is an option enjoyed by many travelers every year. Although driving in Mexico is not quite the same as driving in the States, this relatively short hop across the border can be still undertaken by most any driver of reasonable ability. It is definitely easier and faster to follow the main highways on your way to Hidalgo, but for those seeking a little adventure and wanting to experience a bit of the local flavor of rural Mexico, several other routes exist - see the map for details. To make your approach as simple as possible, make your crossing in Laredo, TX. The journey will take at least three hours and depending on border formalities and traffic, it may take much longer. If you prefer to travel by day (and in Mexico this is advisable if only for navigational reasons), it's best to cross the border sometime in the morning. There is a great RV/campground called "Vaquero Village" on US 83 just a couple of miles north of its junction with I-35 (see map) where you can camp for the night for $10. Also fill up with gas north of the border because the in Mexico gasoline is dirtier and more expensive. Your car insurance policy is not valid in Mexico, and it's a really good idea to purchase insurance before crossing the border. (This can be done in Laredo but it's cheaper to do it well ahead of time through your travel agent.) Two toll bridges lead across the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo) into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Crossing the border per se is straightforward, but to proceed past the city limits of Nuevo Laredo you will need some paperwork for yourself and your car. This can be taken care of at a perplexingly difficult to reach government building located near the river between the bridges. To get there, follow sporadic signs and/or head east (be careful because one-way streets are not always marked), get on a divided highway that follows the river eastwards, then very soon make a wide U-turn at a light, keeping all the way to the right. You'll enter a 2-way road, pass under the east (#2) bridge and turn left into a large parking lot in front of the building. It's also possible to get here from the west via a similar series of shenanigans. To get your papers in order you will need your passport, credit card, the original registration papers for your car, and about $30 US or Mexican cash per person. You will fill out some forms and drop the cash to get your visitor's visa, then proceed to get your temporary vehicle import permit (payable by credit card, also about $30). They will give you a sticker to put on your windshield, and you're finally ready to go! Proceed east back onto said divided highway that bypasses the city of Nuevo Laredo in a long southward arc. After 12km (7 miles) turn left onto Mex. 85 south, following signs for Monterrey. Once well outside of town you will pass a checkpoint where you will show your freshly obtained papers. Just under 50km (30mi) later, you will reach the start of the toll highway ("Cuota"). It costs about $18 and will take you 120km (75mi) to the outskirts of Monterrey quickly and without hassles. The alternative is the (free) Hwy 85, which is a good road overall, though only two lanes wide. The main drawback is that most of the commercial truck traffic also goes this way, presumably because the cost of the extra time taken does not add up to $18 in Mexico. The road is therefore quite busy and you might witness some frightening passing manoeuvres. If you opt to go this way, proceed about 50km (30mi) further and bypass the town of Sabinas Hidalgo on the east, making a well signed left turn just before the town. Eventually the free and the toll highways unite just before passing the Aeropuerto del Norte. (You are now on the outskirts of Monterrey; see detailed map.) 6km (4mi) further south you will reach an interchange with Periferico Mex. Hwy. 40; you want to head west towards Saltillo. After only 5km (3mi) exit this highway onto Mex. 53 northwest toward Monclova. You are now on the home stretch: Hidalgo is only 20km (12mi) away. Entering the town fork left at the gas station, then follow green signs to "Parque Recreative Potrero Chico". This involves making a left turn at a roundabout, then keeping right after the tracks, left in front of the cement factory, then a quick right-left skirting the factory and a park on the right (see map). Continue straight (south) uphill towards the imposing cliffs and canyon of Potrero Chico. After 2km (1 ¼ mi) fork right, then 800m (1/2mi) later turn right, leaving the pavement at a sign for Rancho Cerro Gordo. Follow this rough dirt track with care for another 800m (1/2 mi) and you're there!