RV camping in the historic city of Santa Fe, New Mexico is certainly a possibility but it can be pricey. Instead, we recently found a spot at Cochiti Lake Campground, just about an hour away. But the difference in feel between the historic bustle of Santa Fe and the relaxed nature of Cochiti Lake might make it worth the drive. And the fact that this is an Army Corps of Engineers Campground which makes it very affordable is another reason to consider it.

What’s at Cochiti Lake

Cochiti Lake offers various camping options, from developed campgrounds with amenities to more primitive sites. Choose a camping area that suits your preferences and needs. We happened to get a camp site with water and electrical hook-ups. The site also had a nice little shelter structure and a concrete pad. The shelter housed a concrete picnic table as well.

Overall the roads and conditions of everything at the campground were pleasant. The hilly topography meant walking along the roads was a pretty good workout and, remember, you’re up around 5,600 feet of elevation so some of us (me) got pretty winded traversing the roads by foot.

Most of the sites had little lights on poles but I didn’t see these come on and that was a bonus. There is very little light pollution here so the view of the sky is incredible.

Friends of ours were along for the journey and camped closer to the lake. Their site was also rather large with similar amenities with the exception of water and electric. They were taking full advantage of their solar system!

In addition to the view of the night sky the fact that the campground is built along the hills surrounding the lake means that all the sites seem to have a really good view of the lake. This was pretty pleasant to wake up to.

Being a reservoir, Cochiti Lake offers boating and fishing depending on the time of year. There are also hiking trails and other outdoor recreational activities.

What is an Army Corps of Engineers campground?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates and manages numerous campgrounds across the United States. These campgrounds are often located near lakes, rivers, and reservoirs managed by the Corps, and they offer a variety of outdoor recreational activities.

Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds can be found in various regions of the United States. They are typically located near water resource development projects, such as dams and reservoirs. Such is the case of Cochiti Lake.

What is Cochiti Lake

We admit, we didn’t think there would be many lakes worth visiting in New Mexico. We are finding out how wrong we were.

Cochiti Lake is a reservoir located in Sandoval County, New Mexico, USA. The man-made lake is the result of a dam built by the US Army Corps of Engineers beginning in 1965, for sediment and flood control along the Rio Grande. The dam took a decade to complete and is one of four flood and sediment control units along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. It is among the 10 largest earthfill dams in the US.

The primary purpose of Cochiti Dam was flood control, as the region was prone to seasonal flooding along the Rio Grande. Additionally, the reservoir serves as a water storage facility, providing water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses downstream.

The Cochiti Dam and Lake are located near the Cochiti Native AmericanPueblo. The dam and reservoir had implications for the Pueblo's land and water resources, and agreements were made to address these concerns during the planning and construction phases.

Cochiti

The name Cochiti comes from the name of the tribe and loosely translates into “people from the mountains.” The Cochiti people are part of the Keresan Nations and are officially K’úutìim’é, which is a subset of the Keres people. Interestingly their language is one that is relatively unique and part of the preservation includes the the Keres Children's Learning Center, an independent Keres immersion school, was founded to aid with preservation of their language and culture.

Wikipedia has a really interesting look at these individuals if you’d like to learn more. It’s a very interesting read.

Peggy’s uncle and aunt live in the area and their house is on leased native lands. They are not part of this tribe but her uncle had served for years on the volunteer fire department team in the area. Not surprisingly, the fire department was called fairly routinely to resolve alcohol-related issues at Cochiti Lake Campground so the signs may not be as big a surprise as you might imagine.

Things to consider

Immediately surrounding Cochiti Lake there isn’t a lot of tourism-related activities although, as mentioned, you’re only an hour from Santa Fe and all the things there are to do in that historic town.

Do know that you are getting there by traveling through Native American land and they don’t take kindly to speeding. Follow the signs and you’ll be just fine.

One of the things that really surprised me is the number of signs posted that state that alcohol is strictly forbidden at Cochiti Lake Campground. This was another thing that was taken very seriously. Seems strange that alcohol is so strictly prohibited but it is.

While we were there, no campfires were allowed. This may be seasonal. We had a propane fire pit that we used each evening and the ranger didn’t stop to tell us we couldn’t use it, so we believe that’s an acceptable alternative.

Additionally, we visited when the water level was at a historic high level. The ranger at the gate let us know to be extra careful if we went kayaking. We did not go kayaking.