Villanueva State Park — Attraction in Las Vegas

All in all, absolutely gorgeous place. Mature trees, in a canyon with cool rock walls and ruins, camping on the river. Our particular campground (23), though towards the end of the camping area so not as crowded as the beginning of the road, was very exposed and had no covered picnic area like the first 22. We ended up finding the best spot for our tent between two trees so we got some protection from the sun (East is towards the mountain on the other side of the river from the camping area btw). The river access is great, though a little low when we went during August. Some great little hiking trails around (recommend downloading the AllTrails map beforehand to make sure you stay on it). The park rangers are extremely friendly and attentive, bathrooms cleaned daily, drove the road multiple times a day, keeping an eye on things. The gate locks at 7 (so make sure you're inside before that!) and helps with the feeling of security and safety. And bull frogs hopped through our campsite! Loved him!

Now, we are tent campers, so the people who ran their generator from 8 AM-10 PM (when they had to turn it off) in the campsite next to ours was absolutely maddening and they left a whole bunch of trash. Friday was super full and busy (as was Saturday) and mostly trailer campers with generators (!). There was some of this going on the whole time, but the others next to us used their generator sparingly and were considerate. Sunday night seems to be when the tent campers come in and our neighbors were great, clean and considerate. Also, since there is a trail that runs along the river, behind the campgrounds, entitled people kept walking through our campground to get to the river and playground (some looking in our tent!) Also lots of bugs due to the proximity to the river, but thats to be expected. It seems as if the campground is also the park for the community of Villanueva and surrounding areas so family picnics and kids birthday parties brought a lively spirit to the area. A lot of people driving on the road.

All in all, really fun trip, just not really our preferred type of camping as we like some privacy and quiet. Will probably be back at some point. Thank...

This review is about the campground and from the perspective of a RV camper who needs internet during the day to work.

I'd like to share some information that may not have been mentioned before about this park—it actually has two campgrounds. One is on the ground level, the MAIN campground with reservable sites by the river. The other one is located on top of the hill called EL CERRO CAMPGROUND, which you can reach by turning left on the road just after the office building. This one is probably newer. While there aren't any hookup sites available up there, you'll find a more open sky and a peaceful atmosphere. There are vault toilets too. I personally had great AT&T reception on the hill, which I didn't have on the ground level, and I was able to set up my Starlink with a clear sky. The cost was $10/night for these dry sites.

The campground on the hill tends to be particularly enjoyable in the spring and fall because there are no hookups, but if you're prepared to handle a few hours of hot temperatures during the day, it can still be a viable option in the summer. It's worth noting that these sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis, as they didn't mention "reservation sites" like the sites on the ground level. Surprisingly, during my visit, I noticed many vacant spaces, all of which were quite nice. Starlink was easy to set up with no obstructions here.

When I visited the park in June, during the summer, it was indeed quite hot during the day. However, the temperatures cooled down to the comfortable 60s at night.

On the entrance level of the park, you'll encounter a greater number of trees and a more wooded setting and the river. The "reservation sites" are all here, and you can call or make reservations online many of which offer water and electric hookups. Unfortunately, I had no reception in this area, and the presence of trees hindered the use of Starlink so you better make those reservations before arriving to the park. There is a dump site and water available if needed.

The surroundings were stunning, with a couple of trails to explore, and in very hot days you can enjoy swimming in the river. It truly is a...

This is a hidden treasure! Set on the banks of the Pecos River and in a little canyon, it's beautiful and lush. Cottonwoods, ancient junipers, we even saw an old grapevine. We were there in mid-May and had a mix of cool days with rain and warm sunshine. Did start to get some bugs...not sure if there are mosquitos as the season progresses. We were delighted to have a spot with electricity (must book online) and the the Park had an open WiFi so we could be in touch with the outside if need be. Our T-mobile had zero connection. The main bathroom had shower and flush toilets and were cleaned daily. Nice group area for events, though I'm not sure I'd really like to be camping during events as there were some day use folks whose music was too loud during the day...the canyon seems to echo. That's really my only complaint, though finally a ranger asked them to turn it down. We didn't check it out but there is a general store a short drive away in the tiny village of Villanueva. Drive through rural New Mexico to get to park with a mix of charming Adobes, some crumbling back into the earth, farms and fields, some nice homes mixed with some broken down trailers. But in general a lovely drive from the North. Good paved road, though bumpy in spots. We had to stop for an escaped donkey, so stay alert! Some nice hikes from park, and there is a secondary campground on bluff above the river amongst the juniper...no electricity up there and little shade for an rv but some great views. Many campsites in both campgrounds had adobe or stone structures with picnic tables, charming and thoughtful. We will...