An Afternoon Well Spent !!…read more It has been many years since I've been to the Raton area and typically whenever I was in the area it was just a quick to use the bathroom or get gas. On this visit, it was on a Friday afternoon and I had a few hours to kill and wanted to actually see some of the area. I remembered from years past that there were some lakes up in the mountains that I had always wanted to see and now was my chance. The Park is only about 20 miles from Raton and the roads were not that busy. The drive up is really nice as you see mountains, hills ranches, and some great scenery. On the way to Lake Maloya I stopped at one of the smaller lakes, Lake Alice and spent about half an hour checking it out. There really isn't access to that lake but you can tell its frequented by anglers. It is a nice small scenic lake. I then made my way up to Lake Maloya which is a reservoir for the area and right on the Colorado border. The lake is magnificent!! On a nice warm summer day, there was a nice breeze and no bugs. There were boaters on the lake, some people canoeing and some campers but it was not that busy at all. I spent a good two hours stopping and driving farther up the lake until I came to the gate that takes you to Dorothy Lake ( for another time). The views are just amazing, I suggest bringing a canoe or kayak and spending a good day there. I'm not sure if there is swimming since I didn't see anyone swimming in the water. Next up was Sugarite Canyon, and when you stop at the main entrance they use the honour system where you pay, so please pay!!! I made my way to the visitors center and got a map of the trails. The canyon is a great place to hike and I saw no one else on the trail and felt like I had the place to myself. I can't describe how nice it was walking through the canyon, and all there is to see. I highly recommend hiking with a buddy since it is in a remote area and I saw a few different animal tracks as I made my way through the trails. In short, this area is worth a visit, you can spend a few hours there or a few days, its truly part of the magnificence that is New Mexico.

Google know all about this place but not yelp? We are fixing…read morethat right now. As the parks service says "The nature enthusiast will appreciate the abundance of wildlife, birds, butterflies, and wildflowers among the lakes, creeks, forests, and meadows. Nearly all outdoor recreation activities are possible: Fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and camping." All true. This is a huge park. Full of lakes, trails & wildlife. We took a 6 mile loop trail starting at the dam yesterday and saw NO ONE else. Lots of scat indicate there lots of moose and bear around, so be aware. There are numerous other trails as well add the aforementioned activities. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

Exactly what we wanted for a one night stay! Trees, deer, great wi-if, quiet, clean, walking area…read morefor pets, and extremely nice people managing the site. The site is older, but that just gives it character!

Nice clean park. Owners have been there for 20 years and are very helpful. Easy access to the sites.read more

This weekend we decided to venture in to the Culebra Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the…read moreSan Isabel National Forest to enjoy the wildflowers and try our hand at fishing. The headwaters of the rainbow trout-stocked Purgatoire River run through Purgatoire Campground and we were lucky enough to pitch our tents just a few paces from it this weekend; the crashing and tumbling water providing a surprisingly perfect "white noise" each night for slumber. The area surrounding the river is absolutely stunning with wildflowers and dense aspen and conifer growth everywhere. And, as is usually the case, it isn't until after we experience a place such as this that I become curious about its history. This weekend was no exception. Just 30 minutes of research this morning revealed an intriguing irony: the attraction and abundant life that characterizes the Purgatoire River is shrouded in historical mystery, hardship, and death: "It was once thought that Spanish explorers, namely a party led by Francisco Leyva de Bonilla in 1593, were the first to visit the Purgatoire River in the sixteenth century. An attack by Native Americans killed all but one of the Bonilla party at some point after it left New Mexico and reached the Great Plains. The attack was initially thought to have occurred on the Purgatoire; the river was so named because of the unblessed Catholic souls that were allegedly sent to el purgatorio--purgatory--along its banks. The name stuck (its current version is French), but the river may be named for the souls of men who never reached it--the location of the Bonilla expedition's demise remains uncertain." (Ref: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/las-animas-county) At any rate, it is well worth the 2-1/2 hour drive from Colorado Springs to visit this alluring area and imagine what it was like before paved roads, iPhones, and grocery stores. To get there: Purgatoire Campground GPS coordinates are: (Latitude, Longitude): 37.2525, -105.10917 37°15'9"N, 105°6'33"W From La Veta, Colorado, take State Route 12 south for 25.3 miles to Purgatoire campground sign. Turn right onto gravel Route 34. Go 0.2 miles to "T" intersection. Turn right and drive 4 miles on rough gravel road to campground. The campground is very clean and monitored by camp hosts, Helga and Larry. I recommend Site 4, in particular, because it sits on the river and is sandwiched in between just one other campsite to the right and open space and the 5-mile North Fork Trail trailhead to the left.

Traveling through north Texas and want a simple and free spot to camp? Boom! You found it! Yes, I…read morefound it first, but now you are all welcome to Yelp find it since it wasn't on here before and definitely deserves to be. Even if you just want an out of the way spot to park and sleep in your vehicle, this spot will do. Part of the U.S. Parks & Forest Service, but there is no fee to this well maintained area. Yup. FREE!! It's down a dirt road and about 12 miles from the nearest town so expect a Texas ranch scenic drive to get there. It has one big parking lot and an area with 6 large concrete picnic tables (2 have ADA access), 4 standup bbq pits and 3 ground fire rings at each edge and back area. There is only 1 small container for refuse and 1 for recycling so plan to take out your trash if you have more than a small bag full. 2 vault toilets are also on premises. The area is patrolled by the Texas Sheriffs in this area. Met a very nice one that passes by in the evening. A park ranger will also pass by in the mornings to clean and check on the area. Was warned about coyotes in the area so watch out for your fur babies! You'll hear them at night. Very cool. Enjoy and keep it clean. :)

Sites are small even though the site reads large rigs, our 40 ft fit was difficult to get out and…read moreto dump site. Hook ups are on wrong side for rigs, hoses and electric cords need to reach under to attach. Doggies need shoes bootie, goat heads and large barrel stickers WARNING. HIKING TRAILS, really exceptional with amazing sights, this is a DARK SKY at night park with beautiful views. WiFi is available when gift shop is open 830 a.m -1230 This campground is reserved all on line with self serve when you arrive. Ranger is there for need but not visible camp host, bait shop canoe rental available. Know your weather report before going,does get sudden wind storms and cold. Tent sites are available look level ,clean . Dump station on way out must be well thought of in approach to dump, wider turn must be made onto grass to approach and empty.

If nothing else I am an abundantly honest reviewer. I am a resident of Oklahoma and I think it's…read morecool that we have a park area around the highest point in the state, but beyond the mesa itself, there's not much here. Of course this is in a desolate spot in the far eastern part of the panhandle and that's just not much around, AT ALL! If you do decide to come out don't expect to be accommodated beyond a permanent port a potty and a fence with some basic rules of the park. Overall really not much can be expected from the state of OK as there really isn't much here. The views though of the landscape are second to none. It really is quite incredible the nature and wildlife that you can find out here. Despite giving this only 3 stars I say it's well worth the trip out to see it, but I don't want to give it 5 stars and set somebody up for disappointment. If you're going to make the drive out, be sure to look up the fossilized dino tracks just up the road and the tri state marker. Both are within 10 minutes of the park entrance!

Place is amazing and staff is fabulous! Highly recommend we had a blast going to polio campground!read more

Quiet campground, good location for a basecamp to see historic Cimarron and the Enchanted Circle…read more Marie the new owner was super helpful and friendly setting us up in the right site for our camper and tow. She even offered to take us to Raton to get a tire on our 24' C class motorhome replaced when we discovered the tread was coming off the carcass. Will definitely stay again!

Met the new owner, today actually was his first day of new ownership, and he was very helpful and…read moreaccommodating. Park was very well kept. Lawns were mowed, new rock on the driveways and hookups, plug ins and water worked like it should. Excellent nightly prices for 50amp or 30 amp full hookups. This park even has Wi-Fi!! Can't wait to stay here again on our way back to riding off-road in Colorado!

Well, I don't even know what to say about this place. It is definitely not maintain very well,…read morethe bathroom floor is looks about like dirt, showers look OK. management or the owner whoever was here, it's OK. you can definitely tell there's a drought in New Mexico as everything outside is just dry. I will definitely never come back to this place again. thank goodness I have a nice camper van to sleep in. This place is very run down. uggh.

Was a great experience! We had a great time here. Nice and clean. They provided "bear boxes" to…read morekeep your food secure. Enjoyed the fishing too!