Albuquerque Balloon Festival, experience with camping there?

What you need to know.

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/guest-guide/rv-information

There is tons of RV parking around and near the fields, but advance reservation is strongly recommended, especially for sites adjacent to the main venue, which are often booked a year in advance, many by RV clubs of various kinds. Those further away from the main field are somewhat less in demand, for obvious reasons.

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

:)
Lynn

We have camped at VIP area just to south of the field. Short walk to center of field and price includes entry passes for the time you are there. Worked great for us. No utilities but there are sewer and water trucks available for a fee.

We also camped at the VIP section and recommend it. Three night minimum stay. Bookings for 2015 open roughly a year in advance, a couple of weeks after this year's event ends.

More detail from our trip currently on MotorHome website, but same info applies to trailers:

MotorHome Magazine article ABF

In the article, click the arrow link - their webmaster added a really fun-to-watch high speed video of the balloons launching.

Thanks! That's what I was looking for, something like the VIP camping. I wasn't planning for this year but if I found the information I wanted, I'd book it for next year.

We did this in 2008 and still may do it again. Camping on the balloon fiesta grounds expensive, but it might be worth it. We paid 30$/night min 3 for dry camping and it was easy walking distance to the launch field gates. There was a shuttle to the gate, but we were always off their schedule. If you can make a reservation at a more remote campground, pre-investigate parking at the BF site. We were in a coach with no towed.

Matt

We went in 2011 and then again last year. There was a bit if bad weather in 2011 and many of the events were canceled but it was still worth attending. That time we stayed at Stagecoach Stop RV @ $80/night and took the shuttle buses from about five miles south of the RV park to the Fiesta grounds. Though this was acceptable and required some very early rising (about 4:30 a.m.) it was nowhere near ideal.

Last year we had reservations at Cochiti COE about a 45 minutes away from the Fiesta grounds. This again would have been acceptable but not ideal but we didn't have reservations for any of the RV spots near the Fiesta field. When the government shut down, we were originally told we wouldn't be able to use our Cochiti reservations so we decided to go to the first come/first serve RV spots on the fiesta grounds but not immediately adjacent to the launch field. We went in a day early and easily registered and found a spot overlooking one of the places where many of the balloons land. It was dry camping but was a wonderful experience. There was a constantly running shuttle for the five minute ride to the balloon field. These RV spots are called "Standard RV Parking" in the Fiesta's literature.

You can see our blog entry for the 2011 visit here. Last year's blog entry is located here.

When we go, we stay in VIP 2 East, on the bluff overlooking the field. Then we pay the extra fee to be parked on the front row on the fence so we can set in our RV and watch all activities on the field and in the vendors area. They also provide free shuttle from the parking down to the field and back, if you don't want to make the hike up and down the bluff trail. It is the premiere parking site, other than the full hook up area, just south of VIP 2 East. VIP 2 East is worth every penny and then some.

Done the Fiesta twice. 2007 & 2012. Owners club with reservations the first time.

Just showed up, no reservations, the second time. The reservation requirement depends largely on when you plan to arrive & where you want to be.

IMO the VIP section is too expensive & too overated. Private CGs miles away from the Fiesta grounds are too expensive & too much of a hassle to deal with what with the getting up super early, the shuttle &/or the parking & traffic.

Best place is the dry camping area about a mile from the launch area. Balloons launch at 7:00AM. Most days the air currents have the balloons right overhead this area by 7:15. Some land in a large open area within this camping area. If you want to go to the launch area ride the numerous free shuttles or walk.

The busiest time in the CG is the first weekend. By Sunday afternoon there are plenty of vacant sites. Even more as the week goes by. Water truck & honey trucks are on constant patrol.

Albuquerque is like Alaska, the Holy Grail for RVing. You have to do it at least once.

Don't stay at Enchanted Trails...not real enchanting. If we were to do it again, we would do either the VIP or on site dry camping. Also not to be missed is sleeping in a little and heading out through town to where the balloons are landing...lots of fun watching them come down and pack up. Also the night time light off is beautiful.