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

Great Lake with camping spots and Beautiful views. A little on the windy side. The lake is long so…read moregood for wakeboarding or tubing. Bathrooms are clean and have lots of toilet paper! South shore camping is known to have more nature. There was a mountain lion spotted in the area before our arrival. There are critters so make sure food is secure when you leave the site for the day. Not good if you want your dog off leash. Even well behaved dogs, they are very strict.

We stayed at this campground, in Colorado but close to the New Mexico border, for one night in our…read moresmall Class B camper van in late April, 2024. We actually had reservations further along at a national park but decided to shorten our driving distances for the day. We were able to make our reservation online. This is a very nice campground, with sites nicely spaced out and some nice amenities. We were in the Carpios Ridge campground which has 63 sites for RVs, trailers, and tents on a ridge 150' above the lake. We're actually pleased that our mapping app took us on an indirect route to the campground as our site did not have a water-view and we might have missed the lake otherwise! My understanding is that this is an Army Corps of Engineers (COE) campground that is managed by the state of Colorado. In April, 2024, the seven sites with full hookups were $41, with only 50 amp electricity: $36, and basic: $28. You also need to purchase a state of Colorado daily vehicle pass for $10. (This is expensive as we've stayed at other COE campgrounds for 1/2 off as holders of the NPS interagency senior pass, and without the need for a vehicle pass. $46 with state of Colorado management vs $18 were it COE management -- plus we had already paid for a site at Zapata Falls Campground that we wouldn't be using. The campground has clean restrooms and free showers (for campers only), as well as laundry facilities (in theory) and a book exchange. There are shared water spigots, as well as walking trails in the vicinity. There is also a shared dump station. The Visitors Center was already closed when we arrived and wasn't open yet when we left the following morning but we were able to buy our vehicle pass at a kiosk. We saw rangers patrolling the area. Only two concerns are worth noting. First, as already mentioned, the discrepancy between pricing of state and COE campgrounds. Also, the washing machine ate my $2 without the machine starting. More than the irritation of losing the $2, we really needed to do laundry after having been on the road for few week.

Cool campground but needs a lot of TLC and maintenance. Not a place I would return..read more

Lots of drugs and strange people. Loose dogs. Repair guy named Todd would not let me use the shower…read morehouse without standing outside the door and inspecting after. He threatened two or more tenants with physical assault as well. Shower house was very dirty, overflowing trash, old clothes left on counters. Owners are nice but don't realize what's happening in their park. Avoid at all costs for your own safety.

Management rushed us to unhook and set up less than 10 mins after we parked up. After driving for…read more15 hours being rushed to set up is very annoying. It's a decent view if you get the one spot that has it, otherwise you'll be looking at the highway.

Very nice campground! Mom and pop business and very clean! Would definitely recommend and would…read moredefinitely return!

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.

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!

The first paragraph is for the park itself, the second is for the restaurant / bar…read more The Park is absolutely beautiful! We showed up to the resort with no reservations and they had spots available for reasonable prices. Despite having guest wifi, It is pretty remote- so if you need to stop for fresh groceries your last chance is Ringo's. However, There is a store at the resort with drinks, snacks, alcohol, and fishing gear. There are boat and paddle board rentals for activities on the lake. While camping in July, the weather was nice and cool and only ever got close to hot around noon. At night it would get a little chilly but if you have blankets you'd be fine. There was a bear one night that climbed a tree above our campsites, but the park staff made sure to monitor it completely and have supplies on hand. It peacefully went back into the woods the next night. We went swimming in the lake and there were tons of crawfish, they didn't bite of pinch, just swam away backwards or sometimes accidentally walked on your feet lol. Overall it was super great. There is a restaurant at the resort with inside and outside seating. There is a bar indoor with wine, bottled drinks, and supplies/spirits for mixed drinks. We went Sunday night and they happened to have a live concert going outside. My expectations for the food quality were pretty low, and then I got the food and was BEYOND SURPRISED! The chicken sandwich was large and crispy, the fried okra was fresh. And as someone who has never had green chile- my mind was blown! I would definitely plan on eating here again if I was staying at the park/resort.

It's beautiful, but it's full of people. It's what happens when one of these places becomes popular.read more

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!

Volcano Erupted 60,000yrs ago. We are holding the the…read moremolten Lava Rock. It's everywhere. You can go all the way up but we are not doing that. This place is beautiful and can hike all the way up. We were just driving by and coulnd't do it today but we will I swear! Worth the stop to see tjis historical site

Our visit to Capulin Volcano National Monument was absolutely fantastic--an unexpected gem on our…read moreroad trip! This place is not only rich in natural beauty and history, but also super family-friendly. We were especially thrilled to get in for free thanks to the Every Kid Outdoors program--our daughter is in 4th grade, and the monument participates in the initiative, which made the experience even better. Driving up the volcano was both scenic and a little thrilling with winding roads and sweeping views. Once at the top, the views from the rim were absolutely breathtaking. You can see miles across the surrounding landscape--plains, mesas, and distant mountains--all from the rim of an ancient volcano. It made for some truly stunning photos, especially with the big New Mexico skies as a backdrop. We took the short walk into the crater and around part of the rim trail. The trails are well maintained, and there are plenty of signs to help explain the geology and history. It's a great mix of education and outdoor adventure, especially for kids. There were also picnic areas and clean restrooms, which made the stop convenient as well as memorable. This was a perfect family outing and one of the best photo ops of our trip. Highly recommend stopping if you're anywhere nearby--beautiful, unique, and surprisingly fun for all ages!