Quote:
Originally Posted by Jampcourt
My husband and I also thought of camping somewhere else close by and visiting Chaco as a day drive, but there is just not much close by!
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You are right about that! It appears that the nearest campgrounds with any hookups are in Grants, about 2 hours south of Chaco on I-40.
There are at least 3 campgrounds in Grants. None is elaborate, all are easy to get to, comfortable, and CHEAP ($18 for full hookups!) I recommend staying away from the Cibola Sands KOA - if it rains or snows even a little, it turns into mud. Blue Spruce campground is good. We've stayed at both of those. We've not stayed at Bar-S, because it appears to be near a big Love's truck stop, which would be noisy.
EDIT May 2018. We stayed at the Cibola Sands KOA recently, and were much happier than last time. The campground has been re-graveled to cure the mud problem, and cleaned up and expanded. It is also well off I-40, and so is quieter than Blue Spruce.
Incidentally, Grants is an interesting town in itself, and close by a number of interesting places to visit. Think especially about Acoma Sky City, an old but still occupied Native American village built atop a high mesa. Yes, you hike up the side of the mesa to get to the village. El Morro National Monument has petroglyphs, some moderate hiking, spectacular views, and a hidden water hole used by Indians, as well as Spanish and Anglo explorers, for thousands of years. El Malpais National Monument has some serious hiking, plus lots of volcanic leftovers such as lava tubes and caves. Since the Grants area was overrun by volcanic lava long ago, there was a lot of mining in the area, and there is a mining museum and tour in town.
Incidentally again, Grants has the only real hospital in the area - otherwise you have to go into Albuquerque, and fight your way through crowded streets and traffic.
Bill