If traveling on NM 96, there is a great Forest Service campground on Forest Road 316 at the junction with 317. Fire wood is abundant, there is a small creek for non potable water, while there is a leash law, there are never any other campers, at least week days and non hunting season. Pooches Nyx and Jupitor found it very enjoyable. Tall trees, cool air, a peaceful place.
If you have a high ground clearance TV and a shorter trailer, there is one of the most beautiful sites around the corner from where I camped. There are many easy hiking trails and some great bush whacking hiking.
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Last edited by jacarape; 08-05-2008 at 10:30 AM.
Reason: changed a photo
BLOOMFIELD-BERNALILLO: SR-44, a beautiful scenic drive across the high desert NW of Albuquerque, runs between Bernalillo and Bloomfield with many places for o/n parking. Rest areas at MM50 & jct with SR-537. Historic markers, abandoned sections of old road, & hwy dept gravel storage areas all suitable for large rigs are located at MM10, 20, 22, 25, 76.5, 124, 134.2.
Bob
For your info and everyone else.
SR Road 44 number was changed to US 550 when work making the road 4 lane all the way from Bloomfield to Bernalillo was completed...
I gave directions to some visitors and they could not find SR44 on any signs, it cost them a couple of hours extra driving..
Hi All, We've just completed a trip through New Mexico so I have some updates:
Delete the listing for Carlsbad which starts: CARLSBAD: City Park. From 62 & 180E.....
Overnighting is no longer allowed at the City Park and there was no RV parking near the city park except an expensive commercial park. On a related note, the city park is almost unusable because of an infestation of "goathead" weeds! You can't walk on the grass without picking up a bunch of them stuck to your shoes.
Additional information: Pilar: The first CG is about 3/4 of a mile from Pilar and has hookups for about $14 per night. The next CG is about 1.5 miles from Pilar and is on the river side and has several spaces but I don't recall the price. About 2.5 miles from Pilar is another CG on the river side w/about 8 spaces for $5 per night. At about 3.8 miles in there's another CG w/8 spaces for $5/night. And the final campground is about 5 miles from Pilar and has about 6 spaces for $5/night. All campgrounds have water available.
add: Ruidoso/Nogal: There is a rest area along Hwy 37 going north from Ruidoso to Nogal. About 16 mi. north of Ruidoso, around mm8 there is a Rest Area up on a hill which looks like it would make a decent overnight stop. Its about 1.3 miles south of Nogal.
Add (and this is a real find): Santa Fe: Santa Fe County Fairgrounds at 3229 Rodeo Road in Santa Fe has about 10 sites with electricity, some w/sewer, $10/night. It is a gravel parking lot w/utility posts so don't expect much. You can dump at one of the sites w/sewer hookups if need be. At the intersection Rodeo Road and Pueblos, turn north on Pueblos then make an immediate right into the fairgrounds and drive about 100 yards to the offices for check-in. Spots are busy during fairground functions but almost completely un-used otherwise. Nice location about 4 miles from downtown. Fairly quiet. Not many trees!
Santa Fe: Buffalo Thunder Casino, located about 15 miles north of Santa Fe on the east side of Hwy 84/285, has a no hookups area set aside for RV overnighting, but I don't know any more than that.
Add this Dump Station: Raton: There is a free dump station at the Raton Visitor Center at the intersection of Hwy 64/87 and 2nd Street. The dump is located about midway along the north edge of the north parking lot for the Visitor Center. It is a PVC pipe with a green cap next to a water spigot. If the spigot is locked, get the key at the welcome desk.
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Last edited by Bob Thompson; 09-21-2008 at 11:36 PM.
Reason: more info added
Hi All, We've just completed a trip through New Mexico so I have some updates: ... Add this Dump Station: Raton: There is a free dump station at the Raton Visitor Center at the intersection of Hwy 64/87 and 2nd Street. The dump is located about midway along the north edge of the north parking lot for the Visitor Center. It is a PVC pipe with a green cap next to a water spigot. If the spigot is locked, get the key at the welcome desk.
We'll see how long that one lasts! NM Tourism intended to have dump stations at all of their visitor centers, but then some of the local, hosting communities, particularly in small towns, decided that too much poo was going down their drains and started charging crazy rates to the visitor centers. So much for a good idea.
Lynn
Traveling between the Jemez and Farmington on 550 I have stayed several times in the truck parking lot of the Jicarilla Apache Casino. Not purdy, no facilities but cheap and right off the road.
Also re: the above post for Wild Rivers near Questa. It a drive off the main road to the campsites. If you are looking for something a little closer there is a BLM campsite on the east bank of the Rio Grand Gorge a couple of miles in on a dirt road that begins near Lama / St Crisotbal.
I would also highly recommend in the Questa, Red River, Cimarron area the Valle Vidal. Pristine with several BLM campgrounds but about 25 of questionable dirt road in.
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You know, it's been many years since I went up 550, certainly WELL before it became a four-laner. Where exactly is the Jicarilla casino? Near Cuba? (The only one I know about that they run is up on the rez in Dulce.)
Lynn
You know, it's been many years since I went up 550, certainly WELL before it became a four-laner. Where exactly is the Jicarilla casino? Near Cuba? (The only one I know about that they run is up on the rez in Dulce.)
Lynn
I don't think there is a casino in Dulce. This casino IS on the rez at the junction of 550 and 539 between Cuba and Nagezzi. By the way cheap in my above post means free, as long as you stay away from the slots.
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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain- WoZ
So this might be a good place to stay while visiting Chaco?
Lynn
Dunno, if its the casino that I am thinking about, it would be a pretty long haul to Chaco.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
Humm. I just don't necessarily want to try to haul the Airstream in to the campground at Chaco, so need to figure out where the best place to stay would be. So far, I've always considered Farmington, Gallup, etc.
Lynn
No matter how you cut it there are about 20-25 miles of unpaved roads into Chaco. How bad the washboard is depends on when it was last graded. Basicly there are 2 ways in from I-40/ Grants from the south and Rt 550 from the north. Slightly north of Grants is national forest around Mt. Taylor which is real purdy, should be good boondocking. The casino spot is just an overnight parking spot with a perk if you like casinos.
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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain- WoZ
I have never seen any RVs chased out of Lake Arthur Park in Estancia. Real purdy small town park and site of the last public hanging in NM. From Rt 41 turn west on Highland Ave. and you are there. While you are at it stop by and say hay I'm a couple of blocks away.
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Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain- WoZ
Humm. I just don't necessarily want to try to haul the Airstream in to the campground at Chaco, so need to figure out where the best place to stay would be. So far, I've always considered Farmington, Gallup, etc.
Lynn
I think the spot being talked about is the elongated gravel patch with two 18 wheelers parked in it just to the west of the Casino and Hwy 537. See picture and click on it for a larger view. I have stopped there to have lunch in the AS on the way to the Four Corners area. The parking area is fairly large and level. I suppose if you planned to overnight, there is a risk that an 18 wheeler could park next to you and continue to run his engine all night.
Here is a link to a interactive Google Map of the area. Google Maps
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