Planning Austin to Ouray - help

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Hi Folks:

I have reservations in Ouray CO for a couple of weeks. Now I am planning on how to get there from Austin TX, and where to stay on the way.

When we go up to western CO, we usually go west on I-10 until Ft. Stockton, then head up through Carlsbad, Santa Fe, etc. Although longer, we find this easier driving than making the long diagonal across Texas to Clovis NM.

I also have my heart set on spending one night in Chama, NM. Every time we drive through there it just seems so beautiful. Any recommendations for an RV Park there?

Any other recommendations for where to stay on the way? Probably will spend one night in the Carlsbad/Roswell area.

We like to stay outside of major towns if we can.

I am familiar with the Texas State Parks. Are the New Mexico State Parks good?

Want at least electrical hookup each night. Electrical and water good. Full hookup good.

Thanks for any advice.

Audrey

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Hi, Audrey. We do the long diagonal. With the Casita it takes 12 to 13 hours from Jonestown. We stay with friends in Santa Fe, but I'm pretty sure they have electric hook-up at Hyde Park (NM state park), which is a little ways up the ski area road.

I've heard the state park at Santa Rosa is nice, but haven't tried it yet (it's so close to SF, that we always just push onward).

Last year we stayed at the SP on Lake Colorado City (Texas, just south of Sweetwater). It was okay; far enough up the road to be worth the relatively late departure the next day... a bit strange, because it's across the lake from a huge power plant.

When I was a kid my family used to camp at Monahans Sandhills SP (near Odessa, TX). I have great memories of it and would like to go back.

There is a cg south of Clovis NM that we've considered staying in before... but, again, we always just keep pushing northward.

And then the other possibility might be the SP on Lake Sumner.

I'm actually quite interested in the answers you get to this. We've been looking to vary our trek to Santa Fe... it's a drive we make a couple times a year (not always with Casita in tow).

:sunny

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Just south of Clovis. I stayed there for one night on my way from Tierra Amarilla to Blanco, where I am now. It's a small park, but very clean and quiet. There are no-hook-up camping spots ($7 I believe) and hook-up spots with water and elec for $14. There is also a shower shack with "automatic" heat regulation. Ha! Very invigorating if you like cool showers in the morning.

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The sheep ranch I stayed on for ten days is just south of Chama. Since I stayed at the ranch I don't have any recommendations for RV parks in the area, although there are several right in Chama. (And I'm sure none of them had llama night watchmen as I did!) Try the Elk Lodge Cafe right on 64 for food. It's right next door to one of the parks just south of town. Also, the welcome center there at the main intersection in Chama has a free RV dump! When I left Los Ojos (right outside of Tierra Amarilla) I drove north to Chama to use that dump and then south through Santa Fe, Fort Sumner, etc. to spend the night at Oasis.

The drive from Taos to Tierra Amarilla on 64 is NOT to be missed. One of the passes was 10,650' according to my altimeter. An excellent test of your rig's pulling power!

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Orginally posted by Robert Brummett

Just south of Clovis. I stayed there for one night on my way from Tierra Amarilla to Blanco, where I am now. It's a small park, but very clean and quiet. There are no-hook-up camping spots ($7 I believe) and hook-up spots with water and elec for $14. There is also a shower shack with "automatic" heat regulation. Ha! Very invigorating if you like cool showers in the morning.

[b]Thanks, Robert!

I've wondered about that park. Clovis is just about the perfect distance for us to over-night between Austin (area) and Santa Fe.

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Orginally posted by Audrey Harvey

I also have my heart set on spending one night in Chama, NM. Every time we drive through there it just seems so beautiful. Any recommendations for an RV Park there?

Any other recommendations for where to stay on the way? Probably will spend one night in the Carlsbad/Roswell area.
Audrey

Audrey;

We spent one night in Heron Lake State Park just south of Chama. Water and electric some sites, showers. The camp hosts name is John. A really nice guy with an interesting history. Will go back

Cochiti Lake Corp of Engineers park .Off of 25 just west of Santa Fe
Water and electricity some sites. Camp host from Texas. Will go back

Valley of Fires Nat Rec Area. On 380 between Carrizozo and Socorro
Water and electric some sites. Will go back.

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Thanks for all the help. We we got our itinerary figured out. In Chama, we are going to try the Sky Mountain Resort which is on the river, but a bit out of town (like quiet areas). The Rio Chama RV Park is also supposed to be excellent. Our second choice was the Heron Lake State Park. Will probably go and visit it anyway - there is supposed to be a nice hike along the river.

Probably will stay in the Carlsbad area as well. There are several RV parks around Lake Brantley which is 15 miles north of Carlsbad.

Audrey