Beautiful lake. Access to the lake includes rough roads which are narrow and steep in places…read more Beautiful and peaceful setting.

Beautiful lake with underground spring fed supply. Dam/levee, campgrounds, port-o-lets. Hiking…read moretrails. Beautiful setting.

This waterfall blew my mind! I didn't know that such a large waterfall existed in NM! I'm so glad…read morewe hiked it, and I'll be back! The water was pretty frigid, but still fun!

Stupid ranger Lady got mad because we drove over the speed bump at 10mph and would let us in. We…read moredrove 3 hours just to have this stupid bitch turn us away because she was on a power trip, i also think it had something to do with my caucasian ethnicity! She treated me less than because of my ethnicity! someone need to take this ladies job immediately!

A big lake on the otherside of a magnificent dam. Very quiet. We ate our picnic by the boat ramp…read morewatching a solitary small yacht sail away and some kyakers close behind. The lake was very still. Bathrooms are available. Campsite looks good. Not really any trees or shade other than the picnic huts. Was clean when we were there.

Dirty. Litter everywhere. No shade. Lots of wasps. Just was not an enjoyable trip. We won't be back.read more

Beautiful place for a hike! We did the moderate level…read moreChamisa trail. It had elevation and rocky sections. Definitely not for beginners. If doing this trail, ensure you are wearing hiking shoes/boots and bring plenty of water.

(September 27):…read more What a great drive! I've always wanted to see the Fall Foliage in Santa Fe. I absolutely loved the breathtakingly refreshing views and crisp air. Every turn was better then the first and there are a few pull outs, nice to take pictures. Can't wait to go back.

State number 23=NM in my quest to paddle the lower 48. Thank you Mike at Quiet Waters for hooking…read moreus up with 2 Kayaks + equipment. Great communication and knowledge. We had a great time at the Lake. Would highly recommend.

Had a great time floating down the Rio grande. Highly recommend this for locals as well as visitors.read more

This park was a good overnight stop for us when pulling our RV from South Dakota to Texas in…read moreSeptember. Yes it is desert, but I liked the dry breeze after dark, and the view of the stars was awesome! As was mentioned earlier, not the easiest place to find for out-of-towners, so pay attention. We plan to stay here again one night this October.

This was a fun area to spend a hot afternoon in Santa Rosa. They have a swimming area, a peddle…read moreboat area and a bounce house water challenge area. We didn't do the bounce house stuff, and I believe there is a fee to partake in that. There is a $5 fee to park, but this is good for both the Blue Hole and the Park Lake areas. We just enjoyed the beach and swimming area where you can dive off the dock at the diving board, or climb up and go down the tube water slide. There are life guards stationed around as well.

Such a beautiful park. It's super clean and has plenty of areas you can rent to camp. During this…read moreseason it's free to hike the trails. I did a small river trail and it was beautiful. The river wraps around and gives it a scenic view. Love it here.

Golly, what a nice state park - and what an easy drive from either Albuquerque or Santa Fe…read more Nice campsites and impeccably well kept trails. Two moderate and reasonably short trails (up the canyon sides and around on top - both under 2 miles total) and one easy one (along. the river, an out-and-back just over half a mile long). Lovely views on every trail. Nice employees. $5/car for day use. You'll fill out a ticket, stick your fiver in an envelope and shove it into one of those posts with a slit (on pain of a citation). It's well worth it. Villanueva is easily accessed from either Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Beyond that, follow the state park signs that are easily visible on the road and not your Google Maps if you want the least adventurous last mile on your way in (Google will cut off some driving, but you'll be on a one-lane barely improved gravel road that sometimes washes out). Bear in mind, you're climbing over sandstone and you'll want boots with ankle support and good tread for safety. You'll want to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes at the appropriate times and places and I noted a bear track today so keep your kids and dogs close. People who are freaked out by heights might not dig the views or the climb up the canyon walls, but there's no place where you're in danger of falling off. However, you're most definitely in danger of turning an ankle if you're not paying attention, so pay attention! Bonus tips: Villanueva State Park is a great place for a picnic or to bring fit tourists on a half-day adventure. Starting in Albuquerque, you can easily go out I-40 and loop back on I-25, stopping in Santa Fe for lunch or supper. Villanueva is also pretty close to Las Vegas, NM, and there are definitely things there worth checking out (and good places to eat).

Visiting is a little more complicated than some other parks/monuments, but if you just read the…read morewebsite you'll get it figured out! The key is that reservations are required, both from the NPS and from the Cochiti Pueblo. Get the NPS reservation first, and only then get the Cochiti Pueblo one (link to that is on the NPS site!). Don't drive to the trailhead, drive to the Cochiti Pueblo visitor center first, check in there, then follow the guide car (runs pretty much continuously all day) to the NPS entrance. The trailhead has multiple pit toilets, all of which were well maintained. The hike through the slot canyon and up onto the ridge is absolutely stunning. There really aren't words to do justice, nor do the pictures really convey things either. The hike into and through the slot canyon isn't steep, although there are some pretty big steps required to clamber over some rocks here and there, and it can be narrow and is often sandy. There's not a lot of elevation change though until you get through the slot canyon, then you just switchback straight up a couple hundred feet onto the ridge. That section isn't terribly long though, and the views from the top are well worth it. The first third of the hike and the last third are pretty exposed to the sun, so make sure you apply that sunscreen and bring plenty of water!

Incredible. Reservation was easy. Gov Rec Ticket and Cochiti Tribal Pass, so two tickets. Worth…read moreevery penny. We got our tickets about 5 days out from visit. Check in at Visitor Center on arrival to check off your name on the list. Visitor centre has good restrooms, snacks and a few gifts and some very pleasant staff. Next Line up behind the white pilot vehicle and he will guide you in for a few miles where they will check your pass. After that its another few miles to a small carpark with restrooms and then off your go. We did slot canyon. Half a mile walk through amazing scenery/narrow passages through the stone and some climbing over rocks. I found it quite easy but do go before the sun comes out. We started at 9.30 am. After this section, which took us about 40 minutes due to lots of photo ops you will see another sign saying 1 mile to overlook. We almost gave up as the first climb looked hard - its not, just go on. We are in our 60's with dicky knees and it was not issue, just use your bottom when you have to. A light pair of garden gloves would be handy for when your hands scrape the boulders. All practical stuff here, the views speak for themselves. it's stunning and because of the limited access you meet few people along the way. As always with State Parks, check the website for any passes required or closures.

Great experience with Tyler and Robert taking my family of 4 fly fishing for the first time…read more Positive and patient teachers - learned a lot and spent a beautiful day on the Pecos. The shop itself was great as well - got us a trip organized last minute including getting us set up with gear. Hope to be back soon - highly recommend.

Rarely do you find a store with such passionate people as The Real Life. Ivan is a master in…read moreteaching you, either a beginner or an expert, how to love this sport. The knowledge they have on where to catch fish is amazing. They know the exciting waters and fish of New Mexico. I have caught the bug (and already many fish) thanks to Ivan and his expert Guides.

A beautiful lake and campground. Quiet. Turquoise blue waters. Able to see deer and eagles on your…read moredrive up here. Just wish that the lake levels haven't been so low the past few years to the point where it was impossible to use the boat ramp. Also, having water close to Albuquerque is a necessity and makes the 6 hour roundtrip day trip worth it

This is a nice place to go hiking and kayaking/canoeing. There are several campgrounds in the area…read morebut most of them are closed due to Covid. The hiking and water activities is worth the trip!