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!

The staff here is rude and act like they are doing you a favor by letting you pay them $20 to see a…read morefalls, the view of which is ruined by the dam, clearly built above it. I do not recommend.

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.

This is one of the only local Albuquerque outfits to offer rentals for use on the Rio Grande…read more Without much competition it's still a first class operation. The owner, Mike, was fantastic on every level. He provided us with great service, info on river conditions and put in and and out points on the river (also on the website), was friendly and even helped us when we discovered we needed crossbars for our rooftop luggage rack to transport the kayaks. We found some some universal crossbars at a nearby auto store. He even helped us install them and provided the necessary tools we needed and did it with a smile. Since we got a very late start, we finished in the late afternoon/ early evening. He knew of our desire to return the kayaks the same day even though it was a 24 hour rental. So we called when him when we finished our expedition and he had no problem with us dropping the off the kayaks after hours (he was still there working). We rented sit-on-top kayaks which came w/ life vests and the paddles. As new comers to the sport, he provided some excellent tips which came in handy & helped us enjoy our adventure even more. We happened to go out on a day when the river flow was less than ideal ( just under 200 f/s. iIdeal is about 300/f/s) but we still had a good time and experience ( check out his river conditions info on the website, very helpful!). Occasionally we would have to get out and pull the kayaks over rocky rapids areas or sandbars ( I had to do it more than my girlfriend since I weighed more which is to be expected). But on a hot day "touching" the water felt good. Expect that your gear will get wet getting in & out on the river. We weren't experts but it's not hard for water to find your packs strapped in on the back of the kayak or in the cockpit with you. The most difficult part of the adventure had nothing to do with Mike or The Quiet waters operation. It had to do with Covid restrictions and accessibility to in points and out points on the river. Since he is restricted from dropping people off and picking them up due to current government regs, we had to transport the kayaks ourselves. It requires at least two vehicles, one of which needs to be able to carry the kayaks. There is a lot of extra driving to and from start and endpoints, but regardless we found it worth it. Additionally, the put-in and take-out points are difficult to find but Mike/Quiet Waters made it easier by giving us some tips and providing GPS coordinate info of where the dirt roads are that lead to the put-n and take-out points (online you can choose which adventure you want to take and which put-in point you want to start at and which take-out point you want to stop at. GPS coordinates are on the website) We chose the Algodones location as the put-in point and Corrales as our take-out point. About 10 mile river trip. Took us about 4 hours without stops (made a little longer than the estimated time of 3 to 3.5 hours because of the shallows mentioned earlier). The Algodones location requires a 1/4 mile hike with equipment to put in. It's not easy especially with two kayaks. No signage about what direction to take to get to the water. I walked ahead and scouted before we started carrying all of the gear in the wrong direction. That took some extra time. Entering the water has its difficulties as you have to get the kayak and gear down some short, steep embankments at the dam. Not the cleanest area. There was a lot of rubbish from day use folks around. But we finally found a good entry point and were off. It was easier place to carry the kayaks to the car at the Corrales exit point, but it still requires a short jaunt up a hill on a narrow path to the parking lot. The river at the Corrales point is VERY ROCKY AND SHALLOW. As you approach the location, you need to stay to the far left of the river to navigate the deeper water. Go right--though it's the wider side--and you'll end up having to drag your kayak. We went right and it made the ending to our trip not as enjoyable. For the most part we didn't run into many people on the river. We saw about 5-6 groups floating in rubber rafts. Everyone was so nice and we would chat as we went by. There were also several fishing groups near our start point in Algodones where you had to make sure to navigate their lines but they were all friendly. There was some fishing going on in various locations beyond Algodones (catching catfish). The shameful part of using the river is how the local and state governments and interests groups like the Sierra Club do everything they can to NOT allow for easier access to and from the river. It's such a great resource that could help to further the tourist economy ( I don't need to tell anyone who lives here that economic infusions are badly needed). Shame on all the local and state politicians who stand in the way of making this adventure more tourist friendly and usable and who cater to special interest groups!!

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.

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.

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).

Plenty of riverside parking. Natural green grapes grow. However, this a very small overall sized…read morepark

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!