Captain James was spot on w/ FISH ON! all day long! Continued admiration from the other boats as I…read morefought 18-22 inchers...Beautiful Rainbows or Beastly Browns! The envy on the San Juan Quality Waters River to All others! FISH ON! then call Captain James. Unless I beat you to it! & let's not forget his guided FISH ON! Thanks Captain! See you soon

Diggin' It!…read more However, for full disclosure, we went rather late in the fishing season (mid July) for optimal fishing success! We stayed at El Vado Lake State Park, rolled in on a Saturday afternoon and there were a fair amount of campers there at that time. However, most were recreational boaters, skiing and such. But by Sunday night they rolled out and we damn near had the entire campground, and lake, to ourselves. It was awesome! During our weeklong stay we only caught about six keepers (small mouth bass), but tons of babies! Early Spring must be awesome fishing, and according to the nearby Ranger, right after the ice thaws it's amazing! Duly Noted! The campground is very nice with decent showers nearby, running water and each site has really nice sturdy covers to keep out of both the sun and rain. If I were to list a negative point it might be the fact that the bank is rather steep and rocky. So bank fishing isn't the greatest, but we plan on giving it another go earlier in the season. And so should you!

I was pleasantly surprised at this state park. The scenery is great! Unfortunately, there were no…read moretrees for shade, and no internet service, even with Verizon, although I did manage to snag a few minutes during my stay. I have heard of people using other roads to get there, but if you use 112, you should be fine. Photos - https://landcruisingadventure.blogspot.com/2019/07/el-vado-state-park-new-mexico.html

Beautiful place. Cold nights year round. Nightly Frost expected even in the warmest months of summerread more

We came up here and seen the established campgrounds had already been occupied and I really wasn't…read moreinterested in camping with neighbors. We drove a little ways in and sought at a clear space, slight slope, off of a dirt road. We walked in and foraged our spot. I definitely liked what we had found and carved out as our own. We stayed here one night unfortunately, I personally would have rather we stayed another few night but the husband likes to camp lakeside and the only place to do that really is at the west neighboring el vado/heron lake. We made wonderful memories here. I would definitely come back

Plenty of campsites. Campsites located along highway 95…read more Limited sites with electric. Lots of tent or single vehicles sites. Lake levels are low. Several hiking trails. Plenty of places for photos. Chama River below the dam is a good hike.

This place is great place for kayaking or canoeing! It's easy to get into the water and worth the…read moreeffort. The water isn't too choppy and there aren't many motorized boats on the water usually, except for some small pontoon boats. The rate for a single vehicle is $5 and there is an envelope and a lot you put the money in near the parking lot near the dam structure.

Great store. Super happy they are back in business. They are still resupplying so good for themread more

The staff is really friendly. They have an extensive selection of fishing apparel and gear. They…read moreare very knowledgeable about the local fishing conditions. They provide fly fishing guides, as well. Half of the store is fishing apparel and gear. The other half is grocery items and gifts. They have cold drinks and tobacco products :) Oh yeah...Fox Creek Store is "The Home of the Original Chickenfoot™" www.chickenfoot.info

They know nothing about June in the upper reaches of the Conejos and creeks around Platoro.. Bugs…read moreare too big. The carry nothing under #20's. Wasted $100 and a day of fishing until we figured it out. San Juan tactics, Walked into the store. I was the only customer. 3 kids(?) were telling fish stories and ignored me for 10 minutes or so until I asked a question... They have the flies for the lower river. Otherwise, it's a waste of time and just disrespectful. No reason to darken their door again. Update: My buddy talked to the owner. He laughed and said "Oh well." We will never darken their door again. He's just a sales guy who knows nothing about his products. Cost us at least a day of fishing. We are a group of retired men fishing around the country. We spend a month or so at each location.. We will never be back. The arrogance is and continues to be stunning. The last review is from 6 years ago. Under new management? AVOID.

Pat the owner was very helpful and called us prior to our trip with details to help us have the…read morebest day trip possible. Pat fitted me with all the gear I needed to fish in below 32 degrees water. Tom the guide was very patient and knowledgeable. He took me up 8 miles to fish in the mountains as well as many other places to fish, that as new fisher and not aquatinted with the local area, I would never had known about. Tom taught me how to cast and walk in waders and by the end of the day I was able to drop my fly is spots Tom told me to drop it. I even got three hits on my line. I'm ready now to go back and my wife will be joining us.

Great service and friendly. Very knowledgeable of the area and great fly selection.read more

Just arriving home in TX after a great trip that included Pagosa Springs, Williams Creek Angler and…read moreguide Dave Gravely. Never in that area of CO before and was hoping for a good time with my son in law at a time of year not that active normally. Dave not only knew exactly what fish were biting (salmon were just beginning their run - earlier than ever before), he was exceptional in every way, from guiding and patience to exceptional lunch! What a great day that became a true highlight for us. You can't wrong with WCA and especially Dave Gravely!

We went on a 4 hour horse trail ride with their popular and happy wrangler named Tony. A man that…read morereally loves his job. What a great, beautiful and fun ride we had. Looking forward to checking out their elk outfitting they offer. QVC Toni B.

Just finished a five-day horseback ride/packing fishing trip into the Weminuche Wilderness guided…read moreby San Juan Outfitting and it was a fantastic experience. Whether you're an experienced horseman or a novice like me it's an experience you'll never forget. The mountain scenery was beautiful, the camp was comfortable, the food was delicious, and the fishing just doesn't get any better. At one point I was pulling out a trout on every third or forth cast, wow! I could not have done anything like this on my own. San Juan Outfitting handled the logistics, and their knowledeable guide coached us through the entire trip, even advising on where and how to catch the fish. If this is something on your bucket list, like it was mine, or just wanting to fish a new fishing spot, or wanting to experience a new and fun adventure -San Juan Outfitting is your ticket. They delivered what they advertised (http://sanjuanoutfitting.com).

Rio Grande Del Norte is vast-there are many different areas to explore and various corners of this…read morenational monument that range from moderately trafficked to fairly remote. Taos.org has a great summary page of the different areas. https://taos.org/explore/landmarks/rio-grande-del-norte-national-monument/ I had done some further research after this overview and opted to visit the Wild Rivers area in the morning and the Rio Grande Gorge area later in the day after lunch back in Taos. Wild Rivers is about 50 minutes from Taos but a scenic drive. Once you are in the public lands, the scenery gets more and more amazing. In the Wild Rivers area, there's a visitor center (currently only open on weekends), a scenic byway with overlooks, campgrounds and hiking trails that take you down to the river. I opted to do the trail to Big Arsenic Springs. The byway was very well signed and there's day use parking that does have a self paid fee. Since it's a BLM administered park (federal) you can instead display your America the Beautiful National Parks pass. Amazing scenery of the river and surrounding canyons along the petroglyphs towards the end of the Big Arsenic trail. The hike I opted for was short (2.5 miles but with an 800 ft elevation gain on the way back up from the river.) The park does an amazing job maintaining the trails and the well graded switchbacks made it a pleasant hike. On the drive out, after my hike, I stopped at other scenic view points. Later in the day, I visited another section of the park, closer to Taos where you can walk across and take in vistas of the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. If you're visiting Taos and love the outdoors, a visit to this park is a must. It's quieter than your typical national parks with fewer amenities but still an awe inspiring outdoor adventure (without the crowds!)

We took an hour walk on the West Rim Trail that's part of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument…read morewhile visiting the Rio Grande bridge in late May 2023. The trail starts right at the parking lot and it's beautiful. Gorgeous views of the river too. Many bunnies that day.