Four Corners Monument - where to stay?

[youroo]

Originally Posted by mike.t

"My question is: what is at Four Corners that takes more than 15 minutes to see and take photos of"
Possibly the OP had planned to enjoy some of the other sights around four corners and not just blast through to get where ever you are in a rush to get to.

It takes a while to become a "Contortionist" in order to have a Body Part in 4 States at 1 time! Youroo!!

[mike.t]

Not really

[fanrgs]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I'm thinking of maybe staying back in Kirkland or Farmington so we can restock the fridge and stuff.

That would be my second choice too, if you are not planning to go to Durango and Cortez, which would be my first choice. The Farmington-Bloomfield-Aztec area is far and away the largest population center in the NW 1/4 of New Mexico, mainly because it is the center of the current San Juan Basin oil-and-gas fracking play. So it has multiple chain grocery stores, a Walmart Super Center, Home Depot, and any other big box or mom-and-pop store or restaurant you may need.

I led a group of car club members to that area last fall and, since they were not RVers, we stayed in a motel in Bloomfield. But if you are at all interested in Anasazi archaeology/culture, I can highly recommend three places to visit during your three days of "recharging". The easiest to visit is Aztec National Monument in the town of the same name. It has a reconstructed kiva (built by an archaeologist before the NPS had rules against such things) that is huge considering the tools they had to work with. Second easiest to visit is Salmon Ruins right in Bloomfield, owned and operated by the county, not the state or Feds.

Much more difficult to visit, but certainly the most spectacular, is Chaco Culture National Historic Park. It is 60 miles from Bloomfield via US 550, with 12-15 of those miles on good gravel county road, 7-8 on one of the worst dirt road you can imagine (where it crosses Navajo Reservation land), and the last few paved (because they are inside the national park). So, don't plan to take an RV there unless it is designed for high-clearance, 4WD roads, especially if the weather has been at all wet. Once you get there, however, I would encourage you to stay for the night-sky program. They hold it at their observatory, with a 25-inch reflecting telescope in a rotating dome, and also set up a 14-inch scope outside. On a moonless night , the galaxies and stars you will be able to see can't help but amaze you.

In fact, if you are traveling from Albuquerque to Farmington on US 550 (a wide, very fast highway), I would encourage you to stop for a night in the Nageezi area for dry camping or 25 miles west of Cuba at the Apache Nugget Casino for hookup sites. The casino has 10 electric-only sites, drinking water, and pay showers at their convenience store/gas station for $25/night.

Because Chaco is an International Dark Skies park, there are no street lights or other extraneous lights anywhere. So, when we left the park at 9:30 PM to go back to Bloomfield, we nearly hit a bull elk. He stepped out of the darkness right at the national park gate as I slammed on the brakes of our rental SUV. His head turned toward us, he looked at us for a few seconds, then he ambled off the other side of the road. After that adrenaline rush, the really bad road didn't seem to be quite as significant a problem, just very, very slow!

Have a great trip!

[mike.t]

Very nice read fanrgs.

[RamblerGuy]

If you stay in Farmington, NM, you may be interested in the Bolack museums. One is Fish and Wildlife, mostly trophies collected by the elder, late, Tom Bolack. The other is technology stuff, collected by his son, Tommy Bolack, the current owner of the ranch. The technology museum is overwhelming to any gearhead.
When we were there in 2013, admission was free, but you had to call ahead to set up a visit. Visitors are escorted through the museums. We got on the wildlife tour by luck 15 minutes before they started, and made a reservation for the technology tour the next day. We were the only visitors that day. The guide let us set the pace and route.
http://www.bolackmuseums.com/

[rhamilton]

Originally Posted by NO3putt

Don't think there is any camping at the monument, however south of Cortez CO there is a nice RV park at the UTE Mountian Casino that when we stayed there accepted Passport America. From there your only 35 miles from the monument. We went on a semi private tour of the UTE Mountian ruins that was quite interesting.

Been at that RV park many times. Simple and clean. An easy walk to the Casino for food, beverages and/or gambling. Easy drive to the 4-corners.

[ependydad]

So I've got reservations made at the next handful of stops.

Albuquerque will be at Coronado Campground.

4 Corners will be Ute Mountain.

Page/Kanab will be Paria Adventure Canyon Ranch (now known as something different).

Thanks all!

[Paulie1138]

Originally Posted by youroo

It takes a while to become a "Contortionist" in order to have a Body Part in 4 States at 1 time! Youroo!!

Twister, anyone?

[mnoland30]

We went to the Bisti Badlands last month. The south end is better, and there is a short hike to some very cool rock formations, and a long hike to many more.
There is no campground, but plenty of places to park an RV. Lots of folks stayed in the parking lot, but we went up the road a few hundred yards to a wide flat spot so we could let the dog run. If it is wet, keep on the gravel. It is bentonite clay in that area, and it gets ugly when wet. Bisti is hard to get too, but well worth the trip. I have also been to Valley of the Gods, and recommend that as well. If you're staying in an RV park, Both of those would make great day trips. Both have gravel roads.

[MNtraveler]

We'll be staying at Ancient Cedars RV near Cortez and Mesa Verde NP but haven't been there yet. There are reservable and non-reservable spaces in the NP** and non-reservable spaces at Hovenweep NM and also at Canyons of the Ancients NM if you want to take your chances depending on the week and day of the week.

**"Spend a night or two in Morefield Campground, just 4 miles inside Mesa Verde. With 267 sites, there's always plenty of space! The campground rarely fills. Each site has a table, bench, and grill. Camping is open to tents, trailers and RVs, including 15 full hookup RV sites that require reservations."