GO NEW MEXICO
ESSENTIAL OVERLAND APP: Seeking plant identification
Free iNaturalist-powered Seek app uses image recognition to help motorists and hikers name cacti, wildflowers and more
A treelike cactus breaks the monotony of the desert, its branches like a candelabra reaching for the sky.
At 65 mph along Interstate 40, just past Mojave National Monument in California and hundreds of miles north of Joshua Tree National Park, the scenery is a bit of a 鈥淗orse with No Name鈥 blur.
Our adventure crew wondered what this mystery plant could be.
After snapping a picture and uploading it to the Seek app, we had our answer: 鈥淵ou observed a new species! Western Joshua Tree.鈥
鈥淪eek uses the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you,鈥 . Users can earn badges for spotting different types of plants, birds, fungi and more.
Seek is to flora and fauna what Merlin is to birds.
Seek shows you lists of commonly recorded insects, plants and amphibians from millions of wildlife observations vetted by human botanists and experts, according to the app description.
鈥淥ur image recognition technology is based on observations submitted to iNaturalist.org
Share your favorite adventure apps and New Mexico adventure channel, rigs and panorama photos with us at go@abqjournal.com.
GO NEW MEXICO ADVENTURES
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Red River area campgrounds among the piney-est
N.M. 38 between Questa and Red River offers almost 100 campsites amid tall pines and a fishable river
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Fishing Line for July 23, 2026
From tiger muskies to record bass, here鈥檚 where New Mexico anglers are reeling in the big ones this week
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Big rig of your dreams or nightmares
Winnebago's new Arka adventure truck debuted at Overland Expo West, offering extreme off-grid capability at a fraction of the cost of rival rigs.
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ESSENTIAL OVERLAND GEAR: Travoca brings beauty, ice to your rig
Our local test reveals how this beautiful, luggable refrigerator keeps food safe and frozen for New Mexico's outdoor adventures
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ESSENTIAL OVERLAND GEAR: RV step
Metal Depsunny folding stool offers a sturdy, nonslip boost for reaching your rig roof or climbing in more easily
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Window onto the badlands: A visit to La Ventana Natural Arch is an easy hike to a natural wonder
Just a quarter-mile stroll leads to a 125-foot sandstone arch in El Malpais
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Fishing Line for July 16, 2026
From trout limits on the Cimarron River to a harmful algae bloom at Charette Lake, here's your weekly NM fishing update
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Essential Overland Gear Review: Comfortable chair cushion doubles as booster seat
Memory foam pad from HEST impressed on rugged northern New Mexico backroads, proving versatile enough to serve as a driver booster seat, passenger cushion and RV mattress topper