Top 6 Lakes in the Santa Clara Mountains

Getting its name from the Tewa word for “wild chokecherry place,” Abiquiú is a historic village along the Rio Chama where striking red rock cliffs and mesas frame the high desert landscape. The town is best known as the home of Georgia O’Keeffe, who called the area home and featured the dramatic landscapes prominently in her art. Abiquiú also offers outdoor adventure at Abiquiú Lake and cultural exploration at the 18th-century Santo Tomás Church and nearby ancestral Pueblo sites. Today it serves not only as a creative and scenic hub, but also as a practical resupply stop for riders on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route as they pass through northern New Mexico.

Small purblo settlement in the Chama valley with a store for essential resupply. Bodes also has hardware and curios.

Fenton Lake State Park is 37 acres in size and a great spot for running, camping, and fishing. This area features the Rio Cebolla, wooded areas, the Hal Baxter Memorial Trail, and Fenton Lake. If this area looks familiar, it might be because it was a 1976 movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Fenton Lake State Park is 37 acres in size and a great spot for hiking, camping, and fishing. This area features the Rio Cebolla, wooded areas, the Hal Baxter Memorial Trail, and Fenton Lake. If this area looks familiar, it might be because it was a 1976 movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Ashley Pond Park, situated within the Manhattan Project National Historic Park, holds significant historical value in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Named after the founder of the Los Alamos Ranch School, Ashley Pond, the park was a focal point during the Manhattan Project (1943-1947). It housed military facilities and played a crucial role in scientific research. Today, the park is a peaceful space with picturesque views of the surrounding landscape, and features memorials and interpretive signs commemorating the Manhattan Project's scientific and historical contributions. There is also the Ice House, which stands as a memorial to the Los Alamos Ranch School days and Project Y, on the southern bank of the pond.

Hot or warm springs near Jemez Falls. There are several here with the top being the largest and warmest pool. As you go down they get smaller but also more natural and deeper. Definitely recommend, especially during the week when you can swim here for hours without meeting another person.

Clear Creek and Las Vacas campgrounds are just 6 kilometers south of San Gregorio Reservoir Lake. If you have time, you just have to go up the clear river to be able to access this body of water. The pitches of these campsites are spacious and pleasant. You have drinking water, tables and benches and benefit from calm and relaxing nights in the heart of nature.

Spacious, clean, with well water hand pump at neighboring Rio de las Vacas Campground