SIERRA VILLAGE RV PARK, TAOS, NEW MEXICO

Our Opinion: Neutral. The prettiest commercial park in Taos has both positives and negatives. Small, mellow, funky, with a lively, friendly host constantly working on improvements - of which many are needed. No cell phone or aircard service, and the free wi-fi doesn’t extend to many of the sites. See Comments below.

Date of Stay: September 4 through 10, 2008

Weather During Stay: Highs in the upper 70’s, lows in the lower or mid 40’s.

Site Description: We are in site 40, on the far end of the center row. The 40 grass and dirt sites are level and sufficiently wide for comfort, with maybe a dozen sites in a center row (the only area suitable for big rigs) surrounded by shorter sites around the perimeter of the park. Our site faces a cute, small “common area” with tables and chairs under a patio cover, a small outdoor kitchen, a campfire circle and small fountain.

A laundry room is available, and we peeked into the restrooms. Like many of the on-site buildings, I’m glad we don’t need to use them! A dumpster provides plenty of space for trash collection. The overall feeling of the park is funky, mom-and-pop, much loved by seasonal guest who return each summer.

Rate: The posted rate is $30/night for 30 amps; $35/night for 50 amps. I can’t imagine who would pay that! We chose this park, sight unseen, because it sounded decent in reviews and the weekly rate is $125/week for 50 amps - under $18/night.

Phone/radio/TV: NO VERIZON service here! No phone, no aircard. Very fast WiFi is provided free, but does not reach to at least half the sites, including ours. TV satellite works. Local NPR on 88.7.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: The park is located in narrow Taos Canyon, next to the Rio Fernando de Taos, at 8,350 feet elevation. Unlike the other Taos RV parks, located in the open, high desert, this park has a “mountain” feel. The campground is long and narrow, with a high, heavily forested mountainside as it’s southern boundary - some of the campsites have been carved out of the hillside. Plenty of trees and shade, a blessing in summer. Views are of the mountainside, trees, wildflowers and neighbors. I feel uncomfortably closed in, but many campers would welcome the shade and coolness.

Lighting/Noise: It is completely, totally dark at night. Though the park is close to the road that carries traffic up Taos Canyon (part of the famous “Enchanted Circle“ loop drive), traffic noise is non-existent after dark.

Favorite Sites: Site 40 is nice, on the far end. Big rigs need to be in the center row. Smaller rigs will fit in any of the perimeter sites.

Hiking/Walking: A trail circumnavigates a small pond at one end of the park, and a short “nature trail” climbs the side of the hill. Neither is long enough for exercise, and the narrow road up the canyon is not safe for walking. Hiking is available nearby. Drive around 4-5 miles back to historic old town Taos for pleasant walking.

Comments: We would not be likely to return. Verizon phones/aircard don’t work here, inconvenient during a week-long stay, and the narrow canyon feels too closed-in to me (Laurie) - but these things would not bother many campers.
This is a funny little place… funky buildings that need updating and a few rigs that appear to be housing of last resort for the occupants. Yet the energetic host and the park owner work tirelessly to improve the spaces and have good reason to be proud of the comfortable, useful, “common space” they have created. Some spaces are neat and tidy, with appealing landscaping; others are occupied by a van pulled in close to a tarp-covered tent. In spite of the borderline buildings and some of the rigs, the overall feeling is safe and secure, cool and shady. If you don’t care about cell service or Internet in your rig, and you can stay long enough to take advantage of the reasonable weekly rate, this might be a good spot for you. It certainly is the prettiest of the 4 commercial RV parks we visited in Taos.