New Mexico/Colorado

[billymyers56]

My wife and I will be making first trip in a couple of weeks. Looking for a good place to stay a few days in the Santa Fe or Durango area. Thanks for the in put.

[eubank]

What kind of places are you looking for? Full hook-up outfits? Boondocking places? There are lots and lots of choices!

Lynn

[Lumatic]

Black Canyon (federal) or Hyde Park Memorial (state) campgrounds on SR 63 are some of they prettiest anywhere. Located up in the Sangre de Christo range. Hookups are limited. The aspen should be starting to turn about now and the area tends to get crowded with the leafer crowd.

[mojo]

Most of the National Forest CG's in these areas are closing for the season right now so be sure to check the NF websites to check on availability.

[eubank]

Same thing down here in the Carson National Forest: All of the NF campgrounds that I know of around here close right after Labor Day. At this time of the year, though, unless you have a generator or some other way to keep your batteries fresh (like electrical hookups), you're liable to get kind of cold in the mornings. We had our first freeze a few days ago; it was a cool, crisp 34 this morning.

Down in Santa Fe, though, it's a good deal warmer.


Lynn

Originally Posted by mojo

Most of the National Forest CG's in these areas are closing for the season right now so be sure to check the NF websites to check on availability.

[Lumatic]

I think Black Canyon usually stays open into October. Hyde Park Memorial is operated by NM State Parks. They do have a website.

[pappy19]

The Hacienda is where we stayed just last week. It's an older campground but very nice. Make sure you eat at the Bobcat Bite, open from 11-7, and Tia Sophia's downtown.

Pap

[arodriguez60]

The State Parks in Northern New Mexico are open year round and are very nice. The close the showers somewhere around Oct. but many sites offer elect and water. My favorite is Heron Lake State park. The Weekend of Nov 10 is not a good weekend because it is the first day of Koanee salmon snagging at Heron . This means total chaos. Oher times it is a wonderful lake.

[arodriguez60]

There is also a campground that reopened in Espanola recently. It is the Okay Rv and lakes. it has full hookups and a laundry. has a convenience store and 2 trout lakes. Just about half a mile from a Walmart. Espanola is 30 mi north of Santa Fe and 5o mi south of Taos. Lots to see in the surrounding areas.

[Howard E]

Originally Posted by pappy19

The Hacienda is where we stayed just last week. It's an older campground but very nice. Make sure you eat at the Bobcat Bite, open from 11-7, and Tia Sophia's downtown.

Pap

The Bite is only open Wed.-Sat. Gotta have the green chile cheese burger!

RV spaces can be tight Sept. 30 - Oct. 9 due to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

[scorpiontimo]

If wanting to stay in Santa FE try Rancheros De Santa FE, we stayed there last summer until end of Oct still open nice place looks like a state or Fed park on old Las Vegas hwy right off I 25, north of town Rancheros de Santa Fe Camground and tell Tom and Sue, Sean & Rondi sent you.

[Howard E]

The first patches of yellow are starting to show on the aspens high up on the Sangre de Cristos at Santa Fe. The last week in September should be great color for the train ride from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO.

[eubank]

Yes, I drove through Cimarron Canyon yesterday, and there's a bunch of yellow showing on the cottonwoods higher up in the canyon. The aspen are still a bit behind, though.

Lynn

[EricktheSOB]

In durango it depends upon the desired amenities. You could try Ignacio, the Tribe has a RV park and it is close to the new casino. Alpine Rose just north of Durango may still be open, but check first. There are also forest service campsites and Vallecito Lake to check out.

Farmington has Mom and Pop, which is very plain, Lee Acres is VERY expensive i have heard. (I used to see the guy that owned it but his wife died recently) THe farmington ones may be full of Oilfield guys right now. It is construction season in the gas patch. I have been spending my days in beautiful carrizo canyon (Great to camp if you know whos land your on) watching a 12" natural gas line being buried.

Avoid Shiprock until after October 9. The Shiprock Navajo Fair is scheduled then and US491 will be blocked and there will be 200,000 indians running around eating cotton candy and riding carnival rides for the week preceding it.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by EricktheSOB

Farmington has Mom and Pop, which is very plain, .... THe farmington ones may be full of Oilfield guys right now.

Avoid Shiprock until after October 9. The Shiprock Navajo Fair is scheduled then and US491 will be blocked and there will be 200,000 indians running around eating cotton candy and riding carnival rides for the week preceding it.

Mom and Pop is a favoreet of mine. Only cg I know of with a G scale model railroad and museum.

Another goodun is Angel Peak so of Bloomfield (photo). 7 mi in on sometimes washboard, but it is on a mesatop overlooking a great canyon. Also closeup views of the gas wells. Nice campsites, never even half full, no hookups, and if I remember right, free.

Ditto on Shiprock during the fair. Also Farmington and Gallup for the same reason

[Boondocker]

Navajo Lake State park is very nice this time of year.

[kingfisher24]

i wanted to visit raton's sugarite canyon state park and clayton's clayton lake state park in mid October....but sadly find they will be closed for the season...can this be so....

[arodriguez60]

From what I can see on the NM state park website those two parks are not closing for the winter. Here is a link http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/Med...erClosures.pdf

[Lumatic]

Did the fire go through Sugarite?

[kingfisher24]

just went to the site and they say sugarite and clayton are closed......
for the season
i may just call for grins and see