Oh snap its still good!! No its halfway frozen right now but come back when it just starts to…read morewarm up ..love this pond..

Easiest day trip everrrrr. We left Albuquerque around 7am, and pulled in around 8:10ish. We spent…read moreabout 2 hours fishing at the lake, and then drove up a few miles and found a great chill spot to fish the river the rest of the day. This is a fishing only lake, no swimming or boating, no campfires or camping allowed. Fishing licenses are required for anyone 12 years or older (if you're fishing, of course), no license required to chill. They are open 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset, and there are portable toilets on site. Owned by the Benedictine monastery, public access is leased from the monastery by the NM Dept of Game and Fish through the Open Gate Program. There is a small dirt trail around the lake, and the lake itself covers six acres and is appx. 20 feet deep. The pond is regularly stocked, and provides good handicap access. It's a nice little spot, it wasn't crowded, even the day before 4th of July, and it was truly an enjoyable morning spent.

What a fun day to go fishing or for some outdoor enrichment! If you are in the Albuquerque or the…read moresurrounding area and interested in fishing or walking around the great outdoors, Monestary Lake is a nice day trip to go check out. The the best of catch spots but serene nonetheless. Of course there is no liquor or glass items but you can bring your dog for an on leash trail walking or food for a picnic. The lake itself is small and there is a larger crowd but enough space to have some privacy but you will hear the joy from others when they catch a fish! Located in the Pecos, as you continue from Monestary Lake there are other fishing opportunities. If you are day tripping or hitting up different fishing spots to your destination, check out Monestary Lakes!

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!

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!

Now this was my by far favorite hike/picnic in New Mexico…read more On the way from Valles Caldera to Santa Fe, we noticed few cars parked on the side off NM State Highway 4. I read about this trailhead but was also sure we'll probably miss it since location was not very detailed. There are two smaller parking areas (both on the left side of the road if you're driving to Santa Fe) and they fill out fast. This trailhead provides access to the East Fork Jemez River and views of lush meadows, gorgeous wildflowers and animals on the way. The trail is rated as easy for the first 2 miles and than moderate for the rest of the way to the East Fork Trailhead ( 5 miles). We only walked 1.5 miles, took some food with us and had a lunch on the banks of the East Fork Jemez River. It was mesmerizing. I wish we had more time to walk the whole trail, maybe some other time.

What a great state park. We enjoyed our 2 week stay and would go back when in the area. They have…read moregreat visitor centers, nice trails for hiking and mtn biking, and it is a nice place to run.

Well! I did not get to spend a ton of time here. We were looking for the one hike in the santa rosa…read morearea, no service as you get on the road taking you into the park. There was some primitive camping, also regular tent camping, boating, some hiking, biking, a day use area for picnicking. There is not any trees or shade here. There are bathrooms throughout the park. Roads seemed to be well maintained. There was a good amount of signage to be able to find stuff. It was a nice park but doesn't really compare to what i am used to in Colorado.

So it's a dry camp. No water. No showers. Gray water dump by hand only. No black water dump. No…read moreelectrical. It's still way better than most RV campgrounds with full hookups. This is why I go camping. Scenery, ample space between the campsites, nice cool weather. It would be a bargain for 5 times the nightly rate. Just don't tell the state of New Mexico.

My family enjoyed the scenery in this park. Driving along, there were places to stop and take in…read morethe view. Tried unsuccessfully to do some fishing, but that didn't stop us from having a nice time. Sat in the shade, enjoyed the sound of the water, and ate a picnic lunch from our cooler. Would come here again!

Nice place to camp. Clean rest rooms, some sites have electricity. Water on the grounds, and a dump…read morestation. The campsites are well maintained.

I asked to stay in a tent area. When I got there at night it was very quiet, but I did notice that…read morethere were a lot of RVs in my area. I felt like I was staying in a trailer park more than a camping ground. I woke up to horrible music and motorcycles and when I got out of my tent it looked like I was out in the trailer park projects. They offered bathrooms on the campgrounds. When I got to the bathroom there was only a porta potty toilet, nothing more. I was fine with the bathroom I just didn't like the environment. I grew up camping and I grew up in Boy Scouts and this is not a place for camping.

The instruction here is top notch! David Lemke is patient, knowledgeable and thorough. I'm a novice…read moreat fly fishing for sure, but he demonstrated techniques with ease and set me up for success to help build my confidence. I would recommend his classes to any beginner out there- even if you are intimidated by the mere thought of fly fishing- you will come away with some new skills and a new found respect for this artful sport. He is a master who teaches with passion and insight.

From the owner: We teach folks that are new to fly fishing the techniques to fly fish for trout. Our service is…read morecustomized to each students needs and one on one instruction is our specialty.