Pine Campground

So this is a first impression. I have just gotten my rig (23 chevy 3500 DRW and NL truck camper) parked. Sites are right on top of each other. Never mind your next door neighbor, you will be surrounded on 3 sides with other campers who are just steps away. You can hear every “clinck” of their fork when they’re eating. I can not imagine dragging a towable around this very narrow road with sharp turns. Trees everywhere, just high enough to get in the way but not helpful for any shade. My site is so small and off level, I don’t have enough blocks to level back to front, only side to side. As soon as I stepped out of my rig, I lost my footing because the parking pad is so narrow and the edges are crumbling to such an extent I lost my balance and almost tumbled down the incline into my neighbors spot. I had to get my dog out of the rear of the cab and had to carefully lift her down because if she had jumped out, it would have been an 8-10ft drop because there is NO ROOM. The electric hook up is broken. My 30amp plug will not stay connected because the plastic female receptacle is cracked, so it won’t hold my cord in. I had to McGyver it with a bungee cord to keep it in place. It’s crazy hot considering it’s the end of September, 86F, so I turned on my A/C and five minutes later my power watchdog shut everything down, probably because of the electricity coming to the pedestal is pulsing up and down because it’s old and hasn’t been maintained. This is my first experience in a NM state park and I’m not impressed. I bought an annual pass because I wanted to take a good couple of months to explore the state, and I’m afraid I wasted my money. I can see a small scrap of the lake from my site, but it’s mostly a view of my rear neighbor in the spot below me. I certainly hope things get better because this is an inauspicious start to my exploration of NM state parks. My site is B 22. If you do camp here, avoid this site because there is nowhere for you to park you TV if you’re towing. My truck takes up the ENTIRE parking pad. The only other vehicle that could fit this site is a van. 3 bars AT&T LTE.

We arrived on a Wednesday afternoon for a full day of fly fishing with a guide on Thursday. The site was clean and neat and not very full. That would change. Due to fire conditions charcoal grilling and campfires were prohibited.
The men’s shower could have been cleaner.
We would and hopefully will return again to this great campground and fish the amazing San Juan River. Kudos to New Mexico for this campground and the fishing opportunities in the Navajo Dam State Park.

We stayed at the Pine Campground in Navajo Lake State Park during the first week of May at campsite 71. Our site had magnificent views of Navajo Lake and the marina, as well as a nearby trail leading to the lake. Our site was a level pull thru with paved pad, we had 30 amp hookup, water hookup, picnic table with shelter, and fire ring. The restrooms were located nearby with free hot showers, clean, and well maintained. The trash containers were located at the entrance to the loop. We received 4 bars of Verizon service at our campsite. We choose this campground for it close proximity to the incredible and awesome Aztec Ruins. We look forward to returning for a longer stay at this perfect campground.

The park itself is great. Lots to do and great fishing in the San Juan river. We stayed at Juniper camp ground at site J139. It took about 30 min to maneuver in but finally made it with zero scratches. I have a 38’ toy hauler. There aren’t very many sites at Juniper that can accommodate a rig this big. Plus exiting was also a challenge. From this site it’s not easy getting down to the lake as it’s a steep hike down. There are no hook ups at this site but no problem for us. Three bars AT&T and three bars Verizon.

Arrived Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and this place was a zoo. Every site was full with so many huge rigs and big boats that the campground was bursting at the seams.

By Monday afternoon the campground was 2/3 empty and much more pleasant. Our site was near the top of a hill overlooking the marina, among juniper trees that afforded some privacy. Other sites were basically just wide open parking spaces, so thoughtful site selection is important here.

Not sure we’d rush back if our friends didn’t have a boat. The location is convenient to Aztec Ruins and Salmon Ruins, but getting to this state park from anyplace else is a lengthy drive.

Note: as of June 1, 2021, showers are still closed due to COVID. Won’t be surprised if cash-strapped New Mexico “forgets” to restore many of these amenities for quite some time…

I stayed here for 28 days in one month actually, I took the mandated break of 6 days between stays. I came back for a second stay because of the peace and tranquility of the park. I highly recommend this park. The rate I paid for the water and electric hookup is with the $225.00 non resident annual New Mexico pass I purchased several months ago. The pass is well worth it. I'm a full timer spending the winter here in beautiful New Mexico. The only reason I gave the access rating only 4 stars is that the front sign is overgrown with shrubs in the direction I came from driving over the dam. I tow my car and had to go through the natural gas fields to turn around when I missed the entrance. The head ranger is not paying attention. Don't trust Google Maps Navigation app to get you into the park.

In a 28ft fifth wheel, plenty of room for trailer and tow vehicle. Site offers a view and great privacy for a campground. Well kept area. Water and elec site. Trail to waters edge but is small and steep. Rented boat from marina. Nice marina with super nice employees. Lake is beautiful. Site availability is a little confusing at first but one of the employees stopped what he was doing and loaded me into his utv and rode me around the area and explained everything. Would stay here again for sure. It’s a good way out of town so plan ahead. It is about 45 minutes to Durango which is an excellent day trip.