ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AREA. I was their June 2022. The pollen just about killed me but what an experience. It ticks all the boxes. Plenty of First Come First serviced spots and reserve spots. The lake just a mile up the road is magnificent. There is a FF/FS camp ground at the lake but spots are pretty limited. I have booked again for June and July. Looking forward to floating my Oru Inlet in that gorgeous lake.

Those of us who frequent this campground appreciate it’s remote location. Fewer people use that side of the lake. Is it the bastard child of the area, absolutely. It’s funky and worn. The road there is long and treacherous. That’s why it gets very little use and that’s exactly why I love it. I’m sad I won’t be camping there this season. The Cochiti side is frequented by Behemoth sized RV’s and very few trees. While by appearance it’s is “nicer” it does not offer the same ambience as Tetilla. I’m glad they are making the improvements. It seems to me they could have been doing these updates in the offseason. Construction still goes on in winter here. No real excuse for waiting until high season but whatever.

This has been on my bucket list for decades. Having traveled Hwy 550 so many times over the years I would always be overwhelmed by the setting which is still OVERWHELMING.

This was the last of 3-2 night stays in search of the perfect paddling spot. I booked it back in March 2021 for June of the same year. It’s funny how your mind replays what you think you saw and then there’s the reality. It should be stated up front this property is a commercial endeavor owned by the Town of Silverton which is situated a brief drive, straight down hill. I had expected a much more refined experience than what I encountered because of viewing it from above in my car while driving by each time. It was NOT at all what I had imagined.

It is a breath taking spot there is no denying that and they take advantage of that. The camping is one step above dispersed. While there are fire rings, but no fires, at each site and a picnic table little else was been done to the sites themselves. It’s a sprawling compound but the vault toilets are few and a fair walk between. The sites are on top of each other and the terrain around them is filled with fallen trees and exposed roots and rocks. Trip hazards abound. One woman’s land yacht was wedged beside the road so precariously she had to install bright day glow green pool noodles to each exposed corner in hopes no one would hit it. My site had a beautiful view of the lake but no place to pitch a tent. There was barely enough room to function. It was situated directly next to the only road in and out and it had a constant steady stream of vehicles in and out all day and even until 10:00 at night. Dirt was flying everywhere and no one observed the 5mph speed limit. Several people left after one day for that very reason. No TP in the toilets but they hand you a roll at check in???

The lake is beautiful but small. It looks bigger from the road. There were thousands of tiny dragon flies everywhere it was amazing!

Bottom line this is really for families with kids who want to play in the boats they have available for rent. Showers are $5.00 for 4 minutes so there’s that. I didn’t see any evidence of drinking water but there may be. I bring my own so I didn’t have a need. Someone came buy peddling propane and the garbage truck loomed by around 4PM. The place was packed tight. They have added some new spots as you enter the compound for RV’s but they have literally been bull dozed out of the hillside below 550 and are not at all inviting, red clay and zero vegetation but I imagine they have a great view.

The couple who manage the place are very nice people and very accommodating. Of course, this is commercial endeavor in every way so expect accordingly.

I packed up and left after only one night. The incessant traffic noise from the 550 (think semi trucks struggling up or down the million dollar highway at 10,000 feet) and the steady stream of vehicles just a few feet from my bed was just too off putting. Turns out Ride Across the Rockies was going on and the road all the way to Durango was crowded with skinny tire cyclists testing their mettle on Molas and Coal Bank passes. It made for precarious driving on that two lane road that has nothing on either side. So everything was booked for that weekend probably from Ouray to Durango was was a zoo when I got down the hill. Glad I made it a week day trip the traffic going up the hill was thick looking for weekend relief from the incessant heat.

I’m glad I did stayed at least the one night. There are other spots that are more attractive there just make sure you really check the map before booking a spot. It’s a popular place for one good reason. The views are OVERWHELMING but the accommodations, sadly, left a lot to be desired. It’s really too bad because it’s a gem location and they rely on that in hopes you won’t notice the other.

Last time I saw Vallecito Lake was in April of 2019. It was virtually empty of any water and that is not an exaggeration. Every bit had been drawn down and it being April the Spring melt had not yet started. However, the area around the lake had captured my soul and I had been hankering to return in early summer to it witness the lovely lady in all her glory. She did not disappoint.

I kayak and this trip was the second of 3 consecutive two day stays in search of the perfect padding spot. I recreational kayak and my area has one body of water close to me but it’s 65 miles away. I was seeking a place water play vacation.

There are two sides to Vallecito Lake. The public side and the private side. The public side is USFS managed the other is a free for all of vacation rentals, RV Parks and homes ranging from little woodsy to magnificent “cabins”. With a sprinkling of homes on the public side with outstanding water access and views for miles obviously been there for quite some time. All around is old forest with huge stands of ponderosa pine and Colorado blue spruce, wild roses and raspberry’s. Along with huge stands of burn scars from more than one, must have been terrifying, forest fires. The place is SPECTACULAR, not too “resorty” but busy. Even during the week while I was there.

There are several USFS campgrounds on Road 501A North Canyon, Graham, Pine Point and Middle Mountain. All of them offer the same shady, wooded campsites some of which are lakeside. Which would be great when the lake is at capacity. There are plenty of vault toilets and drinking water. No showers. There are picnic tables and fire pits at every site. We were able to have fires at the time of my visit but the fire restrictions were just going into affect the day after I left. In fact there was a wild land fire just a few miles away but was quickly dispatched. The camp hosts were very responsive and they take very good care of the property.

Not all sites are reserved at these campgrounds. About half are first come first served and many were vacant at my visit. But it was Monday - Thursday. I noticed it begin to fill up the night before my departure day and things got a bit more active but once darkness fell it was silent.

Now about the water. The lake was at 67% capacity and was not expected to exceed that this 2021 season. There was no snow on the surrounding peaks which should still have had observable snow pack on them in early June. McPhee Reservoir on the other side of Durango was at 47%. El Vado in New Mexico was at 17%!!! All of the bodies of water in the west are severely challenged. Lake Mead/Hoover Dam is being repeated all over the western states. It’s a real shame to see the changes that are occurring at all of our favorite spots. While water was accessible it was a good hike with a 48lb kayak and most of it was very rocky. But the water was magnificent and well worth the hike.

Did I mention it was in the high 90’s while I was there. Which is unheard of. It was brutally hot and chasing ice was a challenge. Most places close by ran out requiring a trip to Bayfield. Also, amazingly, while my cell phone was worthless my iPad rocked and I could send and receive texts and even water my lawn via the b-hyve app.

Be sure to check out Lemon Lake and the campgrounds above. The Lake looked to be at about 50% which was very sad. The campgrounds were not as heavily used and were offering all of the same as other USFS campgrounds.

I will be back again but I will make my stay much longer. I give it five stars just for the pure ambience.

This was the first stop of 3 - 2 night stays on this search to find great camping with easy access to water and preferably within a days drive of my house. I recreational kayak so access to water is at the top of my list of must haves if paddling is on the list of must do’s. This was a survey trip to see what’s out there for folks like me.

I booked two nights going to quite a bit of trouble of obtain them. I booked all three stays on the same day in March. Two weeks before my trip I receive an email from the Parks department cancelling my reservation, issuing a refund but offering no explanation or offer to assist in finding another spot. Getting to speak to an actual person… could not be done. I left voice mails at the dam, at the. State office and even the Governor’s office but apparently no one was at work. Two weeks later a really helpful gal called to say she had just started two days prior and discovered a full voice mail box. She was absolutely amazing at facilitating a solution within two days. Clarissa, you are a Goddess! Reserve America is a pain to navigate and I will leave it at that.

Now about the campground. It is exactly what one should expect in a desert landscape. Very few trees and very dusty and rocky. It was 100 degrees when I left for my trip deciding to wait until late afternoon to avoid setting up in the blazing heat. I arrived at 10:00pm or so. It was 73 degrees. I came in from the east side 64 to 527 and there were deer and elk EVERYWHERE!!!! Which is why I arrived so late, you just have to slow down. Mostly cedar and pine and natural gas oil wells EVERYWHERE!!!! I got to my appointed site and I simply could not navigate from where one parks to where the actual site was and which, by the way, while lakeside it was convenient to water it was not. If you have a few people to help haul everything down to where the actual water is great, but alone in 100 degrees. Also, I travel with two small dogs and shade is paramount. Well shade they do have such as it is. The showers were not available due to, you guessed, a water shortage! I just put up the tent and went to sleep which wasn’t too uncomfortable. Next morning at 5:30 the sun was out and the heat was building. I packed up and moved on up to Colorado where it would surely be much cooler.

I might like to visit Sims Mesa Marina at Navajo Lake again, if it ever fills again and perhaps in the spring or fall but NOT in summer. So many of our fine bodies of water boaters and anglers have come to rely on for recreation are in serious jeopardy due to a 10 year what is termed “Exceptional” drought conditions. It’s really such a shame.

Side note: be sure to take the Navajo Dam shortcut when leaving Sims. It’s a well maintained, but very dusty road. The views are spectacular and driving across the dam is a bit nerve racking. The drive down from the dam all along the San Juan drainage below the dam is well worth checking out for day use only but there are several “holes” they call them where the fishing is said to be amazing and the parking lot reflected it’s popularity.

So it’s on to Vallecito Lake outside Bayfield, Colorado. Specifically Pine Point USFS Campground. The search for paddling opportunities continues.