Riana - Abiquiu Lake

It's a lovely location, and the camp is hosted by the Army Corps. They do a good job, the facilities and grounds are very well maintained. Drinking and marijuana consumption is strictly prohibited, with the hosts making regular rounds. The sites are so close together it may as well be one big group camp; I could hear everything going on in the sites around me at all hours of the night. Even when folks were in their tents and campers. Forget trying to enjoy a quiet evening stargazing. Was surrounded by large family groups who were having a great time, which I'm glad about, but it is not my cup of tea for camping.

We have stayed on the Pedernal loop multiple times and it has always been great.   The sites are well laid out, with plenty of room between neighbors.  Access to the campground is restricted (closed 10pm-6am), so it is always quiet, with just those camping driving around.  Rangers and sheriff patrolled a few times.  Camp hosts were very friendly and helpful.   All the grounds are clean and well maintained, trash cans at every site.  The electrical pillar for our site was new and worked perfectly.  Water also worked with no issues.  Shower house is clean and well maintained.  Access to a few trails, but water access requires a bit of a drive.  Amazing views.

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!

Really enjoyed camping here. Great sites for our 17' camp trailer. Awesome view of Abiquiu Lake with amazing sunsets nightly. Hot showers, clean pit toilets, BBQs, tent pads, picnic tables & friendly camp hosts. Senior Passes work here for half price discount. Quiet time from 10pm-6am is enforced & enjoyed. Occasional loud boats & partying on the lake below on weekend nights so be aware. Wind gusts are common so tie down the tumbleweeds or they'll escape!

Camped 2 nights at site #38 on the Puerco Loop. Reserved thru rec.gov while at the site. Wonderful campground hosts. Site was not quite level for our campervan, but close enough. Good views of lake & surrounding area from site. Vault toilet & drinking water a short walk away. Juniper provided minimal privacy. Site has lantern poll, fire ring, trash can & table. No hookups at this site. $6/night with senior pass. Restroom/shower house within walking distance. Facilities & vault toilets were very clean. Hiking trail in campground. AT&T & T-Mobile service. Overall, quiet & peaceful stay.

We enjoyed this place. Perfect for some sightseeing, hiking, and close enough to Santa Fe/Taos if you want to visit those cities (about an hour drive to either). Lots of stars & quiet at night.

We have come to enjoy COE campgrounds as they are usually well laid out and kept in very good condition,  The first loop is all that but the other two loops are not large rig friendly.  The Pedemal Loop is big rig friendly with the site mostly level and paved with electric and water.  Chama loop is for smaller trailers and many of the sites are not very level although we did get our short 5th wheel into one with some creative use of leveling blocks.  The Puerco loop is really only for very small trailers and tents. 

The location is fantastic.  The views from the campground are wonderful and there is much to do in the area.  The Ghost Ranch is just down the road with great hiking and of course the home and studio of Georgia O'Keefe is in Abiquiu.  We intend to go back when we have more time.  It also didn't hurt that Verizon had great service.

Our family stayed here for four days (late June 2021) at Sites 21 and 25.  The first thing you will notice hear is how friendly the camp hosts (Al & Cyndy) are.  By being so involved with everyone that stays here I think that most guests behave themselves.  We had one "problem neighbor" (blaring music, loud generator, barking dog) but this was addressed quickly by the camp hosts.  Area is beautiful - I mean really beautiful.  Campsites are well spaced out with lots of extra parking.  New playground was a huge hit for our grandkids.  Facilities were kept clean.  Lots of things to do in the surrounding area (Plaza Blanca hike, Echo Amphitheater, Ghost Ranch) and the store in the town Abiquiu (Bode's) is very well stocked.  With the lake level so low there weren't a lot of boats on the water.  The Swim Beach is not really a beach with the water so low but the area around the marina is nice enough for kids to play in and around the water.  All in all a great place to camp and recreate.  We will certainly come back again.

The campgrounds is nicely laid out and decent. There isn't much for shade or privacy. The camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. There are nice trails that you can hike or mountain bike. Some are near cliff edges and not for the beginners. The lake is nice for New Mexico and sees a lot of use. Didn't get a chance to fish or get to the waters edge this trip. The area is near where Georgia O'Keefe lived and did some of her work.

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.

Spot is well maintained. Usually lots of others around so not super “off grid” but it’s nice and you can view the lake! Beautiful to drive around too. Pueblo land, be respectful!

We stayed in site # #9 for 5 nights with the National park pass it was $40.00 with water & electric & a view of the lake. The best site is #1. There is NO alcohol allowed in the park so don't get caught with any they will pour it out. 2 Older men were having a beer in their site & they made them pour out 2 cases of beer. Be smart put it in a cup & hide the cans. The camp host were great people suggested a place to eat called El Farolitos (bring your own booze they don't sell it but let you drink), a little drive to get there & nothing near it but a Mars polar landing sculpture. 

Beautiful view of the Flat top Mountains nice cool lake to take a dip or kayak.  We found a lot of fishing lures wrapped around small bushes that were underwater before the lake dropped 20 some feet. 

The fishing was good from the kayak lots of crappie. 

The ghost ranch is not far & worth checking out it's got a great museum of paleontology, Dinosaurs and Indians. There is an echo theater close by neat little walk to it the sound carry's & echos.

After a drive up to Abuquiu Lake NM from Albuquerque we checked out some possible boondocking campsites down river from the lake. We only found a couple of possible sites to get my 34ft 5th wheel into. Very peaceful area, beautiful views and decent Verizon cell service.

The campground is open April 15-Oct 15

Great campground sitting up from the lake with awesome views. Free showers, several loops, tents separate from RVs- what more could you ask for! There is lake access nearby and some nice hiking trails, but to be honest, the main attraction is Abiqueu and Goergia O’Keefe country. Tons of great hiking to places she hiked to and painted. The campground is just a few miles from the town of Abiqueu, which was O’Keefe’s main home. Be sure to stop in and visit with the librarian, she’s a great resource for information about the area. And the gas station at the bottom of the hill has a pretty good restaurant! Sites don’t have any trees, but the sage provides a bit of protection from the winds. Be sure to stake your tent well as it gets very breezy in the daytime (winds die down with the sun set). One of the nicest amenities (besides the free showers) were the lantern hooks/posts. You just don’t see those very often. Camper beware, the tent only loop is next to the group campsites, so expect some noise.

this campground is a gem. We stayed 1 night in a non electric site then 4 nights in a site with electricity and water. The views were awesome. It was peaceful and quiet. Good hiking opportunities. The two camp hosts were great! Restrooms and showers were good.

Beautiful surroundings. Mornings chilly. Nice showers!

This is one of the nicest Army Corp of Engineer campgrounds I’ve stayed in. Sites are spacious, all with a view, and with options from horse camping to full hook up. While it’s “lakefront” getting down to the water is a 20 minute hike.

Bonus Tip/ visit Ghost Ranch to learn about the vibrant history of the area.

Great views of the lake in which you can swim (and boat). Not a lot of shade, unless you snuggle in with a Piñon tree, but we spend our days on the lake or hiking Ghost Ranch, which is a few minutes away.