Best RV Parks & Resorts near Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands

We stayed here one night in April, 2020, during the height of the Coronavirus shutdown. We live in Albuquerque, and just wanted to take our little Class A out to stretch her legs and let us have something resembling a getaway! The park is very in tune to the Coronavirus. Essentially, it's become a non-touch park...the gift shop/front desk is closed and all the transaction was done by phone, with our papers waiting for us on arrival. We asked for a spot with a little distance from others and they easily accommodated with a lovely pull through spot with a picnic table, some grass and some nice trees to either side. Some of the long term campers were still pretty close to each other, but based on signage we saw around, they are working to clear folks out and to be open primarily for overnight guests, which will keep the crowds WAY down. Needless to say, we didn't need to use the laundry or restrooms/showers. There are restrooms& showers in the main building and there is also a freestanding facility in the middle of the resort. There is a pool and hot tub...neither looks terribly impressive, but not bad either.

The overall park was clean, and the leaves were just starting to burst out on the trees, so it made for a nice spot. Electric was in good shape. The pad was pretty level, so we had little trouble setting up. The water hookup is below ground so that was a little bit awkward. We enjoyed sitting at the metal picnic table on the bit of grass we had, and I used our new portable grill for the first time! So why not five stars? Well, I'd do 4.5 if I could. The water hookup is a slight deterrent. And as others have said, the noise from the interstate is there when you're in bed, for sure. We were in the middle of the resort, but we could hear the traffic all the time. It is NOT terrible...a bit of "white noise" perhaps...but if you think this might be difficult for you, please be prepared. Although most of Albuquerque's nicer RV parks ARE right along the interstate, so it'll be tough to avoid! We had a nice stay, and look forward to a return visit.

We love it here! We stayed for a weekend at campsite #6. Ours and A few other sites have RV hookups (electric only). No sewer hook up but dump station on site with water. There are multiple Drinking water spigots available; one next to our campsite 6, at the group shelter, by the dump station, and another spigot at the office / visitor center (closed right now) but that had a lock on it. Some sites have a nice brick and metal shelter and a charcoal grill, but all sites seem to have a picnic table, and fire ring. This is a pretty small electrical loop campground and some sites are pretty close, separated by trees, and vary in driveway length. There’s tent sites (some have good privacy) as well as day-use only sites that look very clean and with shelter. Our site had the picnic table and charcoal grill on one side of the driveway and the fire pit on the other side which is kind of weird but that just means we can drive in or back in depending on our awning side preference. I saw in some reviews that this was a problem for people.

Behind our site there’s a horseshoe area and group site not too far after. The group site has a small parking lot across the way for it and has a large shelter area with nice cement tables and large grills. Next to the office there’s a trail for the outer loop and nature trail. There are several trails within the park and all are pretty easy (kid-friendly) and not too long. This is a pet-friendly campground with dog stations to pick up after your pet. Make sure to bring your own firewood and kindling as gathering is not allowed in the area. There is phone signal for t-mobile and Verizon as well. Vault toilets were clean but no showers.

There is no lake or stream/river in the state park. The nearest lake is Manzano Lake it’s about 10 minutes from the campground in the small town of Manzano. Fishing and picnicking, not a very large lake - more like a pond really but still beautiful and something to see and do. Currently the lake just opened and there’s a sign at the entrance that the fish have not been stocked. Not much for some decent stores around but a grocery store in Mountainair (25 mins away) Also nearby is the Quarai Ruins (15 mins) to check out which has some trails and also pet friendly so long as they’re on a leash.

Also, getting here by GPS, just takes you to where the pavement ends on HWY-131 but you’ll need to go another mile on unpaved road to get the the campground. Just follow the signs for the state park. Also, make sure to check on weather because although the unpaved road is typically well-grated and maintained; when it rains hard - it tends to wash out which makes the last mile to the state park hard for some. Also, there’s not gas stations nearby to this camp.

Overall a great and beautiful place to stay. Definitely bring some bug spray and repellent, lots of flies and mosquitoes to be had! There’s not a whole lot to do besides relax, eat, and check out some trails so bring your own entertainment as we brought a remote control all-terrain car, frisbees, lawn darts, board games, card games, etc to entertain the kids. We would definitely recommend the place and we will certainly be back!