Location
Heron Lake is situated in far northern New Mexico, only about 15 miles from the Colorado border and a few hours’ drive from the Four Corners juncture of NM, CO, AZ, and UT. With a surface elevation of 7,155 feet and high mountains within view, the lake offers cool relief from summer heat; temperatures seldom reach 90 degrees even in mid-summer.
The Jicarilla Apache tribe owns the land west and northwest of the park. The NM Game and Fish Division owns and manages lands adjacent to the southern boundary of the park, known as the Chama Fish and Wildlife Area. The Laguna Vista Landowners Association (LVLOA) is a group of landowners that own property on or near the park’s northern boundary.
Driving Directions, maps
- From Denver, Heron is about 5 and 1/2 hours
(331 miles via Walsenburg and Alamosa)
(314 miles via Fairplay, Poncha Springs, and Alamosa)
- From Phoenix, Heron is about 9 hours
(620 miles via Albuquerque, 9 and ¼ hours)
(575 miles via Farmington and Chama (9 ½ hours)
(Add 1 hour eastbound and subtract 1 hour west when
Arizona and NM are in different time zones)
Directions:
From Albuquerque
Take I-25 N to exit 276B for 599 bypass around Santa Fe and proceed about 14 miles; then merge onto US 84/285 North through Pojoaque to Española, about 25 miles.
Upon entering Española (milepost 188), turn left (west) just past the Dandy Burger and cross the Rio Grande to remain on US 84/285, then turn right (north) and very shortly thereafter take a diagonal left (northwest) to remain on the highway.
Proceed north from Española to Abiquiu (milepost 212 by Bode's Store), Ghost Ranch (m.p. 225 turnoff, m.p. 227 Piedra Lumbre visitor center, m.p. 229 Echo Amphitheater), and Cebolla (milepost 242/243) past milepost 254 to just south of Tierra Amarilla. There scenic US 64 comes in from
After passing through Tierra Amarilla, slow down; the turnoff to the lake is between mileposts 172 and 171. Turn left (west) on NM state highway 95 and drive west about 5.3 miles to
(If you are towing a boat to the ramp or wish to stop at the Visitor Center, do not turn off to the marina; proceed past mile marker 6 to the Visitor Center a bit further to the turnoff for the Willow Creek boat ramp [mile 6.7] and the first set of park campgrounds.)
From Denver:
Take US 285 through Fairplay to Buena Vista. Fairplay has services available.
As you drive through, you can enjoy the high meadows and gently rolling terrain of the South Park country and cross over the South Plate where it's a small stream. After leaving the South Park country, you'll climb through some hills and then get some great views of the Collegiate Peaks as you approach the south edge of Buena Vista, which also has motorist services. (The main part of Buena Vista will be north up US 24, away from your travel.) The segment from the US 470 East loop to the US 285/24 junction near Buena Vista is 102.2 miles.
At the Buena Vista junction, stop and turn left to continue on US 285 toward Poncha Springs for 21 miles. You will travel down the valley of the Arkansas River except for the last few miles, when the river bends east and you climb over a hill. On the north edge of Poncha Springs, stop (across from the Sears appliance store and the dairy snack place) and turn left, driving on US 285/50 a few blocks into town. Where US 50 goes east toward Colorado Springs, you will stay straight to continue driving south.
Drive 28.5 miles south from downtown Poncha Springs on US 285. This will take you over Poncha Pass and into the north end of the San Luis Valley.
Slow down and turn left at the US 285 - CO 17 intersection to drive more directly to Alamosa via CO 17.
Drive south 49.8 miles on CO 17 to Alamosa. En route, you'll pass through Moffat, Hooper, and Mosca (limited services), passing by a side road to Crestone, the 38th Parallel Forgotten War marker, side road to Great Sand Dunes Natl. Monument, and the Colorado Alligator Farm.
At the edge of Alamosa the LoafnJug #10 usually has good gas prices and has room for truck and boat parking in back. If you have a City Market card you can save a few cents per gallon here.
At the LoafnJug, turn right on US 160 / CO 17 (Denver Ave.) and cross over the Rio Grande into downtown Alamosa and drive on for a block or so.
Then turn right on US 160 / Main Street. Drive west on Main for just under half a mile. A Mexican restaurant on the left has parking in back with room for boat trailers. There's also a brew pub on the right, but parking will require you to venture a bit further afield.
Now, as you come to the edge of some road construction and US 160 continues westward, you will turn south to re-join US 285.
Drive south 28.1 miles to Antonito on US 285. En route, La Jara has very low gas prices and a grocery store and other services. It also has a slow speed limit. Bend right and drive a few blocks westward, enjoying the view of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad depot, yard, and trains to your left (south). At the west end of the train yard, US 285 goes south.
Continue west on what is now CO 17 (traffic for US 285 turns south at Antonito but you don't!).
Drive west on CO 17 through the mountains to the CO-NM border (49.3 miles) and beyond on NM 17 to Chama and the intersection of NM 17 with US 64/84.
En route, you'll pass by an Elk farm near Mogote and some old ruins. About 10 miles out of Antonito you'll begin to climb into mountain country, with a very gradual rise as you climb up the valley of the Rio Conejo. Horca has a restaurant and lodge. After crossing the Rio Conejo in Horca, you will climb steeply up to the summit of La Manga Pass (10,300 foot approx. elevation). Then you will continue through the high country (watch for livestock on the highway) for several miles (past a restaurant) to Cumbres Pass (10,015 feet elevation), which is a stopping point for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. A few miles below Cumbres Pass, CO 17 becomes NM 17 as you descend into the Chama Valley and enjoy great views.
Chama has several bed and breakfast inns, a number of motels and lodges (but no chain properties), cabin rentals, restaurants, auto parts, package liquor, rv supplies, a convenience store, three gas stations, and a good local grocery story, so most travelers' needs can be met here.
On the south side of town, close to the Sundial convenience store, continue straight to drive south on US 64/84 toward Tierra Amarilla. Drive about 10 miles south on US 64/84, enjoying the view of the Brazos Cliffs on the left. Shortly after passing the side road toward the Brazos Cliffs and the side road to the El Alamo Cafe, and a little bit after mile marker 172, slow down and turn right on NM 95 toward Heron Lake.
After turning right (west) on NM 95 toward Heron Lake, drive 5 miles to the Heron Lake State Park entrance. En route you'll cross over the Rio Chama, pass by Ed's Grill, the Laguna Vista gate, and the Heron Store, which has gasoline, basic groceries, RV parts, and fishing supplies.
Near mile 5.8 is the driveway to the marina. The driveway to the boat ramp and most campgrounds is further down the road, so don't turn here unless you need to talk to someone at the marina.
Near mile 6.3 is the state park visitor's center.
Near mile 6.7 is the paved driveway to the boat ramp and the Willow Creek and Blanco campgrounds.
Near mile 8 is the driveway to the Island View and Salmon Run campgrounds. Right near the road is a pole with an osprey nest. The driveway forks: left for Salmon Run, straight for the main Island View campsites and the shower facility, and right for the Island View reservation sites 101 - 114. Fork right if you snagged one of the reservation sites. Welcome!
From Phoenix via Albuquerque:
North to Flagstaff, 145 miles via I-17.
Then east through Winslow and Williams into New Mexico. East on I-40 past Gallup (Hacienda Motel is an interesting lunch stop), 185miles. Continue past Grants, and into Albuquerque.
Then north on I-25 about 50 miles to Santa Fe. Take exit 276B to Loop 599 around the west and north sides of Santa Fe as described below in the "from Albuquerque" directions.
From Phoenix via Four Corners:
At Gallup, 330 miles from Phoenix, you'll diverge onto a more scenic route and go north on what used to be called US 666, The Devil's Highway.
Take exit 20, Munoz Blvd., Shiprock, Zuni, NM 602, ramp 491. Drive north 85 miles through the Navajo Nation to Shiprock.
Take US 64 east 29 miles to Farmington. Farmington has plenty of facilities. You have an option of a truck route around the south side. Or, If you need to detour left toward the shopping mall and a lot of restaurants, you can turn left from Broadway Ave. onto E. Butler Ave. or Scott Ave. to go onto East Main. But, you'll eventually want to get south back to East Broadway and take it east as it continues as US 64 to Bloomfield, Dulce, and Chama.
Drive east on US 64 for 82 miles to bend north as you descend into Dulce, the capitol of the Jicarilla Apache tribe. Dulce has a Best Western, casino, and a nice hardware store and grocery. Annually, Dulce hosts the Little Beaver Roundup. Your route will skirt a few miles south of Navajo Lake. If you are adventurous, before you get to Dulce you can split off toward Stone Lake and then continue on a shortcut to El Vado and Heron Lakes. However, this shortcut will require that you have great confidence in your overland navigation and rough-road driving skills.
In Dulce, turn right and drive 13 miles further east to the US 64 - 84 intersection.
Bend right and drive 13 miles further east to continue east on US 64 -84 and cross over the Continental Divide and enter the village of Chama.
On the south side of town, close to the Sundial convenience store, turn right and drive south on US 64-84 for about 10 miles.
Enjoy the view of the Brazos Cliffs on the left. Shortly after passing the side road toward the Brazos Cliffs and the side road to the El Alamo Cafe, and a little bit after mile marker 172, slow down and turn right on NM 95 toward Heron Lake.
After turning right (west) on NM 95 toward Heron Lake, drive 5 miles to the Heron Lake State Park entrance. En route you'll cross over the Rio Chama, pass by Ed's Grill, the Laguna Vista gate, and the Heron Store, which has gasoline, basic groceries, RV parts, and fishing supplies.
Near mile 5.8 is the driveway to the marina. The driveway to the boat ramp and most campgrounds is further down the road, so don't turn here unless you need to talk to someone at the marina.
Near mile 6.3 is the state park visitor's center.
Near mile 6.7 is the paved driveway to the boat ramp and the Willow Creek and Blanco campgrounds.
Near mile 8 is the driveway to the Island View and Salmon Run campgrounds. Right near the road is a pole with an osprey nest. The driveway forks: left for Salmon Run, straight for the main Island View campsites and the shower facility, and right for the Island View reservation sites 101 - 114. Fork right if you snagged one of the reservation sites. Welcome!
Previous segment:
http://bucc18.blogspot.com/2007/07/heron-lake-i-introduction-venue.html
Next segments:
http://bucc18.blogspot.com/2007/07/heron-lake-iii-boating-and-nmsc.html
http://bucc18.blogspot.com/2007/07/heron-lake-iv-lodging-and-services.html
http://bucc18.blogspot.com/2007/07/heron-lake-v-what-to-do-or-see.html
http://bucc18.blogspot.com/2007/07/heron-lake-vi-useful-info-html
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