Chaco canyon camping

[classic34]

We are planning on visiting Chaco canyon next Spring. I realize that there are campgrounds near Chaco and really do not want to take my trailer down a dirt road to get in there.

Has anyone come up with another solution to the problem?

Any dry camping along the main road?
Make a long day trip from Albuquerque?

Thanks for the input. Rich

[Lumatic]

I suggest Angel Peak Recreation Area. I have been there a bunch of times and there is hardly anybody there. It is on 550 south of Bloomfield. It sits on a mesa overlooking a canyon. The drive in is 7 miles on a gravel road. There can be washboard, but it sure beats the road into Chaco. It is also close to the Bisti Badlands which is an undeveloped area with interesting geological formations. Bisti is on Navajo land. Angel Peak is in an active natural gas area so there are some wells in the area. It is dry camping, and vault toilets. It's also free!

There is also a commercial RV Park with hookups called Angel Peak RV Park on the west side of Bloomfield. Never stayed there.

[Lily&Me]

No dry camping along the main road, and no campgrounds close, as I recall.


Maggie

[AnnArborBob]

You might also check with the Chaco ranger station shortly before you arrive (a few days.) Sometimes that road isn't too bad, other times is can be a real bone rattler. We are also hoping to visit Chaco again in the spring and would really prefer to stay on site. At night it's a magical place to be. If the road is in good shape, the dirt issue is not really a big deal as you can always go to a truck wash on your way out but if it's wash-boardy, then staying off site is definitely the way to go.

[polarlyse]

We were there at the end of August. Weather was dry and the road was fair to bad. In places if you got to about 40mph things smoothed out. But many places you couldn't come even close. We did not take our airstream in.

[tsunami]

Drove the road into Chaco last year and it was rough as a cobb, but we went slow and moved from one side of the road to the other trying to find the smoothest path. Also, check the weather because there are a couple wash areas that you have to drive across. We went through maybe 50 to 60 yards of solid mud almost a foot deep, with no way to wash it off once we arrived at the campground. Chaco is a wonderful place to camp, hike and see the sites. You can get fresh water at the visitor center. The Ranger lead stargazing was very interesting. Great place for photography

[mojo]

There is also the Apache Nugget Casino on 550 south of the entrance to Chaco. I understand they now have RV parking with hookups.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by mojo

There is also the Apache Nugget Casino on 550 south of the entrance to Chaco. I understand they now have RV parking with hookups.

Ah, the Apache Nugget is in Dulce, not that close to the road to Chaco. Maybe some other casino?

Lynn

[Lumatic]

Apache Nugget Casino is on rt 550 22 miles west of Cuba on the Jicarilla Apache reservation. Maybe there are 2? We stayed there a few times overnight before they had hookups

[eubank]

Ah, I just looked it up. The casino /hotel /restaurant place is in Dulce (capitol of rez); the casino / truck stop is down along 550.
Lynn

[mojo]

The casino in Dulce is called the Wildhorse Casino....home base of the Alien Reptoids.

[MomcatA]

Nix on Angel Peak RV Park in Bloomfield. There's another on the east side of town (can't remember the name) that is much better. Our plan was to leave the Airstream in town and tent/truck camp in Chaco. But it was cloudy with occasional rain, so we stayed in town and drove the hour or so into Chaco for the day. Still it was a great experience.

[Len n Jeanne]

We stayed at the BLM Angel Peak CG in 2007. It was nice, but a little weird in that there was a lot of active oil pumping going on in the area. It is not all that close to Chaco Canyon, but it was the best we could do. We tried to camp in the park and at the entrance station the ranger told us there were still spaces available, but by the time we got to the campground it was completely full. It was a long drive in and out of the park, and another long drive to and from Angel Peak.

Chaco is a really cool place, with some nice hikes on the slick rock. I think the inaccessibility must be part of a management strategy to limit the number of visitors to protect the ruins. Just a hunch.

[mandolindave]

I have only backpacked and tent camped in that area.

But I would suggest that you adjust your game plan to include un hitching.

There are just too many wonderful places that are tough to get to even with just a car.

[Lily&Me]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Chaco is a really cool place, with some nice hikes on the slick rock. I think the inaccessibility must be part of a management strategy to limit the number of visitors to protect the ruins. Just a hunch.

i was told exactly that last summer when I was there.

Also told that the campground, itself, is over unexcavated ruins....which is why you can back up to cliff dwellings.

It is a pretty amazing place, and worth the trip in.


Maggie

[mguinn]

We were there in fall of 2012, and we are still finding loose screws from the washboard road. We drove very slowly, but apparently, not slow enough. We even destroyed our refrigerator! I would find a safe place to leave the Airstream and tent camp. Maybe the nearest chamber of commerce can help you this. We visited Chaco after visiting Machu Picchu in Peru. Incredibly fascinating!

[Jim A]

Ruins Road RV Park in Aztec. Then do day trips to Chaco. No resort by any means but functional and easy to get in and out of. Pretty much have to be self contained but the power is good. A bonus is its just a few blocks from the Aztec Ruins. By no means consider taking the AS down the road to Chaco. Its rough at best, a friend did it with a smaller trailer and it did everything from shaking things out of all the cabinets to actually breaking the door on the fridge. Just take it slow with the tow vehicle and your ok. With one precaution, if it has been more than a light rain, don't even think about going in. The road in/out turns to slick mud, like driving on ice. Wait a couple days. With that all said, It's a fantastic and magical place to visit! And if you really want to over night, take a tent. There is a nice campground near the visitors center

[classic34]

Thanks everyone for all the information. I am printing the responses now so that I can refer to them later. I appreciate all the knowledge that is on this forum. Rich

[jim.waters]

Here we are at the wash September 29, 2014.

[Lily&Me]

I drove in there last summer, letting the weather and the park rangers dictate when and whether I went.

I drove very slowly, had no problems and nothing shook loose or broke.

Don't be in a hurry, and if it's wet....go another time.

My thoughts.


Maggie