Chaco Canyon & Culture Center

We camped at Bloomfield at the Desert Rose RV park. It was a nice CG.

As for Chaco I'd say how spectacular it is depends on how many of these ancient people national parks you've visited. We have been to just about all of them over the years. Chaco does have more standing walls than most of the others. But otherwise it looks like all of the rest of the similar parks. The rangers seemed to be in an especially bad mood, rather unusual. Maybe the boss had just read them the riot act over something. So that probably contributed to our negative impression.

The road we found to be OK, not much washboard at all but very sandy in places. But we have a 4WD truck. It would also depend on how long it's been since they graded the road and the weather. Avoid any of these roads if rain is in the forecast. Also carefully take note of the way in since you can get turned around on the maze of dirt roads back there.

It was really hot but we were there in mid summer.

We have driven in to see it in the past. With a TC once & with a TT once. It could be done, depending on how bad the road is when there.


Chaco Canyon is neat to see, we used the entrance route off US 550 from ABQ last time in 2012. Our Chaco Canyon Trip Part One in 2012. A hard one to get back into at times. Part Two Why we wanted to do the trip only in the pickup. One could see a good part in one day if get there early enough. If not in an RV.

Alternative-Campsites

Chaco: Hikes & Information

Ditto

There is a RV Park in Bloomfield we saw when we were there.

Bloomfield RV Park Reviews

Ditto in Aztec

Would encourage you to take your TT into the Canyon. Spending a night or two next to the ruins is awesome and unlike anything we have done in 30 yrs of RVs. The road in is the worst washboard I ever drove on but you just have to go slow and easy. Its about 17 miles as I remember and it will take an hour but it's well worth the effort. There are no hook ups and only drinking water so you ahve to have enough water to get by. The camp ground is or was free. There were some prettty big rigs camped when we were there. Did have some things shake loose but I would do it again.

Campground was not free when we stayed there in 2013, but it was inexpensive, half price with Senior Pass. In 2014, the NPS put it into an online reservations system (much better than driving all that way and finding it full).

Chaco is a UNESCO World Heritage site (like the Pyramids, Acropolis, etc.) and visiting was one of our most memorable RVing experiences..

Reading up on it in advance and seeing many of the smaller Ancestral Puebloan sites first enhanced the experience and helped us understand the significance. We attended a one-day seminar at Crow Canyon center near Mesa Verde at Cortez, CO, two years before, and they really gave a base of good info about the "Chacoan World." Worth doing if you like SW ruins... that class is fun and offered regularly.

Staying overnight alongside some of the Chaco ruins at the campground was special, and it is so far from civilization that the night skies are magnificent.