Best Glamping near Chama, NM

We really enjoyed our two days at the park this fall.  The sites a quite large and well spaced.  It felt more like being out in the woods by yourself as we couldn't see another camp site from our trailer.

If you are coming for the lake you maybe disappointed.  With the drought, the lake level is very low and the shore line off in the distance.  We came for the peace and quiet and that we found in abundance.  The park was clean and well maintained.  Cell service was 2 bars but speed was acceptable.  

Any sized rig will fit and we stayed in the Blanco loop with power and water.  We will stay again is we find ourselves in north central New Mexico.

I would have given this property 5 stars but they’ve become unfriendly to families. Children under 13 are not allowed in the hot springs.

The camping area is more of a campground than an RV park, in a positive way. Many of the sites are shaded with mature trees. A river runs by the edge of the campground (It can’t be seen from most sites).

Hike or mountain bike right from your campsite. No open flames are permitted but there’s a community campfire by the main lodge.

There’s an amazing restaurant on the property. Yoga is available in the yurt.

The site is like a number of other campgrounds we have seen that were created alongside county or state reservoirs. The campground is in a good location in Northwest New Mexico. We ended up staying an extra night here due to the amazing sunsets as well as the peace and quite. They have self checkin and well maintained pit toilets. The camp was about half full on the weekend in August. Each site had some shade and privacy depending on location. The exterior sites on our loop had a great western view to see the sunsets. The water level of the reservoir was very low and some campers were trying their luck at fishing. The have a couple of stores a few miles outside the camp with limited supplies. The roads are well maintained gravel and the sites all a bit uneven if you have a trailer or van. We took the dirt road southwest to exit the park. This was a mistake the road is very rough and requires a high clearance vehicle and 4x4 after rain. We were pulled over by local reservation police who were looking for poachers. The seemed to be overzealous tribal police pulling people over for no reason on a public road. It made for an interesting morning. I would give this a try if you need a short stay site on you way somewhere

General: 54-site campground in four loops; the Pedernal Loop has water and electric hookups, the Chama and Puerco Loops do not and there is a walk-in tent site loop. There is also overflow camping. 

Site Quality: Sites appeared to be mostly level (at least in the Pedernal loop); most were paved but a few were gravel. Most were back in, but some were pull-through. There are two ADA-accessible sites in the Pedernal Loop. Many have reservoir views. Site 14 has a generous-sized paved driveway. Completing the site is a lantern hook, BBQ, and covered picnic table. Too bad it was so darn windy that we could not enjoy these amenities. There was also a garbage can at the end of each site but no recycling that I saw. If you do not need hookups, sites 34 and 39 (in the Puerco loop) provide excellent water views. 

Bath/Shower House: Basic with two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. Very clean. There are also very clean vault toilets located throughout the campground. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it works. 

Activities: The Abiquiu Lake Vista Trail is a 4-mile hike and bike stacked-looped trail (so you can add or duplicate interconnected loops). Boating access is one mile away. Fishing is also popular. There is also a volleyball net and a very nice modern playground. We were there at the end of April, so it was very quiet (which is the way we like it). Shout out to great camp hosts – we were greeted upon arrival and they made sure we didn’t have any questions or concerns. For $16, this is affordable but with the senior pass, $8 is a bonafide bargain!

My wife and I spent 3 days here in late May.  Because we planned out trip a little late, we actually stayed the first night in Spot 16 (no hookups) and then the last 2 at Spot 14 (electric and water).  Spot 16 was in the "Chama Loop" and I have to say, this loop is really not for our rig (a 30' Class A).  We had a pull in spot, and fit okay, but the spots here are all on the smaller side and we mostly saw tents and some truck campers and a couple of Class Bs.  We could NOT get level on our site without some serious efforts and more blocks than I really like.  We never got level enough to feel comfortable putting out our slides.  When we moved the next day to Spot 14 (in the Pedernal Loop, where the only electric/water sites are), it was much better.  Leveling was easy as can be.  The hookups were very conveniently located and we had no complaints here.  Very spacious lot.  Picnic tables under cover, a grill and a fire pit.  

Spaces between spots are fairly generous.  Not huge, but far better than most commercial sites.  We felt very much "alone" here.

Some great things:  the camp hosts Al and Cindy were INCREDIBLY helpful and friendly.  Best hosts we've ever had!  The playground is excellent (we don't have little kids, but we actually enjoyed the swings and such ourselves one evening!).  The views of the lake are very good (you can't get down to the lake from here, but the extra height made for great views), and the walking trail from the visitor center to the boat launch goes right through the park, so you can join it easily if you wish.  Dump station has two dump spots, which was nice.  There are lots of picnic areas, and the tent sites looked very nice too.  

Not the greatest:  other than the aforementioned levelness issues, I was amused to see how steep the road down to the little "front gate" is.  Not ideal for RVs!  You come down off a Mesa to the much lower campground on a fairly steep grade, and 2/3 of the way down, you have to stop to check in.  Just seemed weird.  The dump station has NO hose hookup for the non-potable water (just a weird contraption that sprays water everywhere), so no easy way to flush the black tank, which I don't love.

Connectivity:  no wi-fi.  And the cell signal is spotty.  We were able to use my iphone to create a Verizon hot spot, and actually, after a struggle, could watch some Netflix.  But then surfing sometimes went from slow but okay to non-existent.  My one word review would be:  inconsistent.  And now, we don't spent our time surfing the internet, but for doing research, checking email, etc., it was not ideal.  Workable, but not the best.

We'd stay here again in a second.  We've already talked about what we'll do next time we stay here.

We had to have a couple tires replaced on our RV and not only were they able to fix us up with new tires at their Chevron Station, but she was able to find a space in their RV Park for a couple of nights. It wasn’t a great space, but it was fine. There are some nice large trees, grass in some areas, but not for our space. Although our fellow RVers weren’t real close, we were close to the shower facilities and there were lots of small campers using those giving us very little privacy. We are traveling with a very timid dog making it more difficult for us. We did not use the restrooms so I cannot comment on those. About every space has a picnic table but no fire pits. Somewhere in this distance there was a dog that barked almost continuously during the day, but I don’t think it was in the RV Park. Their prices are very reasonable and I would stay here again.

Our stay at Twin Rivers has been awesome. The manager is sweet and helpful. The spaces are Huge lots of room to roam. Full hookups 50/30amp. No wifi but very good Verizon and AT&T service. Not much in town to do but there is the Cumbres & Toltec train to ride. Lots of hunting and fishing in the area.

Easy access. Great rates. Not far from town. Quiet. Gorgeous night view.

I enjoyed it. Wasn't too busy. It had a decent lake for kayaking and sailboating. Make sure you bring some shade

The campsite is well managed. The spaces are well thought out. Check the website and enjoy.. NO water anywhere

Camp spots are nice and roomy. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There is no septic dump at your site, however they do have a dump station on the way out. Love the fact that they have quiet hours.

We had a great time camping at Heron Lake. The sites were large enough for multiple tents, had vault toilets nearby, and was easy to drive to trailheads and the lake. Only con was how low the lake was so we weren't able to just walk to the water

Always a great experience when I go here! Love love love this place.

Heron Lake has several campgrounds with most sites being first come first serve. Most sites have a lake view. There is a good walking distance to the water and very little shade. Lots of wildlife here! We saw deer, coyotes and bear droppings. Sites are kinda spaced out, have benches, fire rings and cost $10 a night per car. We came with intentions of paddle boarding but it was way too windy! It can get crowded on the weekends, but you'd have the place all to yourself during the week.

This campground fluctuates between nice and incredible right along with the water levels. We camped at Heron lake in 2008 when the water levels were higher and enjoyed the lakeside, and swimming in the lake so very much. As the water levels recede, it leaves behind deep, mucky clay. Walking through it, our feet would sink in at least a foot; it was hard to wash away. The clay/shale like material has left behind hundreds of fossils waited to found in the dried mud-like rock. Regardless of the water level, our family enjoys fossil hunting (remember, leave only footprints--which is easy to do in the muck).

The campground itself has showers in one or two of the loops, and a small playground. There is some great fishing nearby. The campground makes for a nice weekend getaway.

This is a beautiful part of the state. Not to hot, as it is above 7000 feet elevation. Trails, lake, boating, and wildlife watching.

Stunning spot, lots of tent sites, room for maybe 12 campers of modest length, mine is 26' spot #9 is prime for a camper with a driver side slide/kitchen table. unknown if it's seasonal but the biting flies, primarily deer flies are beyond bearable, I survived 4 days, most other campers left after one night. The camp host is very friendly, and knows the best fishing holes.

This place is very quiet and I enjoyed my two nights I stayed here. It is $16 a night and you can pay via cash or they have cards… Well. The upper lot is first come first serve and the lower lot is reasonable. Both of them have really good views and both areas can be windy. The showers were still closed at the end of May during my stay they’re open. There are trash cans as well as clean restrooms. I enjoyed this place so much because of the lack of campers. During the summer, I imagine it fills up and due to the nature of the campsites only having feet between them, it would not be an enjoyable experience when busy. There are some really nice hiking trails in the area and you are pretty close to Black Canyon national Park as well. I had enough AT&T service to work pretty seamlessly in the top loop. As others said, all asphalt and no trees.