heron lake state park

This is a really nice park. The camping sites are nice with enough greenery for some privacy, close bathrooms, some covered spaces. The visitor center is great with a telescope to watch the nesting ospreys. Unfortunately right now they are in a severe drought so what were once lakeside spots are now lakeview spots, and many of the facilities were closed due to the lack of water.If you are just there for camping, it's still fine, and we enjoyed it, but be forewarned, right now there is not much water in the lake. You might want to call ahead if you have plans that involve the lake.

Happily surprised. Lake is low but still pretty. We camped at non electric and were happy to find huge tables, and nice fire ring. This was an overnight with four other Airstream rigs headed to Colorado. Will make a return visit

Starting off, we went here in the winter, so that could've been the reason it was so empty. We drove to the 'marina' which was dry. With the drought there is no water here to recreate in! Without the water, one wonders how you would spend your time as a camper.

We planned on camping here for riding the Cumbres & Toltec train. Pulled in on a Monday afternoon near sundown in late September. Pulled into the first area, I think It was called Blanco and there were a few campers in RVs and didn't se a spot we liked. Left for Brushy point down the road a piece. Loved it! The entire place was eMMMM/Teeee!!!! So we found a spot of our choice and started to set up camp. Funny, when you have tons of spots to choose from you have a tougher time picking one. We were close to the outhouse and the only disappointment was that the lake water was so far away. I was hoping for a spot like I saw in the NM rservation site with the water right out back but those must have been taken a long time ago before the West went into this 5 year drought. We told scary stories for a while and crashed. Woke up to a odd cat sounding creature noise so I got up and shined the light to no avail. Whatever it was it stopped making noise :) anyhow we spent 2 nights here and never saw another person-or anything that made that noise.... I can see when this place would be busy in season. Looks like a great place for the summer - or anytime. the sites are equipped nicely and there is some separation from the others sites. Some are close but they are not on top of each other. Would stay again in a heartbeat.

This was our first attempt at camping, and it went really well! Finding a site in the dark was a bit of a pain though, but hardly the park's fault!During the day we couldn't find much to do, the water level is pretty low, so access to the lake itself is pretty difficult. There isn't much to do here besides hiking if you don't have a boat.

As long as you can overlook the ecological problems of damming, and boating oil on the water doesn't ruin your day, this is an otherwise beautiful camping area. In the height of the season, you will definitely be around other people, but if absolute privacy isn't your primary concern, it is worth stopping by!

I hear Salmon snagging is great there. The lake is a no wake lake so great for fishing with out speed bouts disturbing you.

Water was cold clear and ready for you to play in. We jumped in and caught our breath. It was cold in the beginning but on the rocks it wasn't so bad.

Great lake for sailing. Good camping facilities and very clean. Close enough to Chama to be very accessible.

Our favorite place to camp in New Mexico is Heron Lake State Park. We keep trying new places and we are always disappointed because we compare those places to Heron! I am a single mom of two teenagers and have enjoyed sharing my love of nature with my two kids every summer at Heron. I spent my teenage years sailing on the lake with my parents and sisters and the beauty of the pine and juniper trees that surround the area, the mild temperatures (mid 80's in the summer), and especially the to-die-for sunsets makes this lake the absolute best! We always stay at Brushy Point Campground, which is a non-electric site. This area seems to attract more quiet campers while Salmon Run seems to attract those who like to play their music all day, disrupting the serenty of the lake. Willow Creek is an electric site and does not allow for easy access to the lake shore. Our favorite spot is at Brushy Point, camping spot #75, for it is right on the tip of the peninsula and is a large site. It is not a reservation site, so we like to go during the week when it is most likely to be available. Most spots are good ones, though--we've never been disappointed. Brushy point has two areas--one for reservation sites only and the other is first come, first served. We've never reserved sites because we always seem to go there and find a great spot. Still, spot #75 is the best! Sunsets from this vantage point are incredible! The shower facilities are relatively clean, but are located in the Salmon Run campground. We either drive there, or there is a beautiful nature trail that surrounds the park--we walk that short trail to the showers and back. During drought years such as this one, the lake levels are very low. As a result, it's a little bit of a hike down the hill from the camping spots on Brushy Point to the water, but it is still doable. When I was a teenager in the early 80's the water was right up to the camping spots. Not so today. My kids love finding fossils in the rocks that line the shore. We take the nature trail that surrounds the lake and enjoy seeing the lake in different orientations as we walk this easy, leisurely path. For a more adventurous hike, we go to the trail on the other side of the dam that crosses the Rio Chama. You walk down the canyon via a steep staircase at first and then a series of switchback trails, and you can fish or enjoy the river once at the bottom. There is a suspension bridge at the bottom you can cross that leads to a trail on the other side that eventually leads to nearby El Vado Lake, which is about 5 miles away along this path. When we are ready for more water fun, we head to the dam by the boat ramp (not the dam by the marina which is near the entrance to the park). This area has beautiful orange rock underfoot and a cliff that many jump off of into the water (not me!). Last year, my adventurous daughter, at 16 years of age, took our inflatable boat and rowed herself out to the island near the center of the lake. That was nerve-wracking, but since it is a wake-free lake, she was safe. It took her about 1 1/2 hours round trip. This year we hope to take the new sit-on-top kayaks we just purchased to enjoy what the lake has to offer. If you need any supplies, there is a small store just outside the entrance to the park. They have a small selection of camping gear, bait and tackle, firewood, hygiene products, a little bit of food, and what we always go for--ice! They are very friendly there. There are bald eagles and peregrine falcons who frequent the park. That's always a treat to see them soaring in the air. Nests have been established atop poles in the park. We've seen one deer, and there doesn't seem to be a bear issue there, for we've never been warned about keeping our food secure. The rangers have several programs in the early morning or evening to educate people about the plants and animals in the park. As far as insects are concerned, we've sometimes come home with a few itchy bug bites, and other than a few flies and ants here and there, we've not been bothered by insects. I always feel very safe in the park, which is important to me since I go alone with my two kids. The drive from Albuquerque is a little over 164 miles and takes about 3 hours since driving through the little towns from Santa Fe to Espanola takes a while. Once you are beyond Espanola, be ready for the beautiful country that inspired artist Georgia O'Keefe and make sure you stop for a picnic lunch at the Echo Amphitheater off the side of the road north of Abiqui (don't know how to spell that!). Also, the sign pointing the way to Heron Lake when you turn off the higway and travel to mile marker 8 (that's where the Brushy Point Campground is) is brown and hard to see. We've missed it once, so if you drive over the river and find yourself in Chama, you've gone too far!Enjoy Heron--it is our vacation hero, saving us from the stressful theme parks and time constraints that typical vacations make you endure. Although we've been there a zillion times, we are never disappointed except when we have to leave!