Reviews

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: 22 sites (many are closed due to rockfall). Sites are small —- no Big Rigs here —- gravel, level. No shade. Very clean restrooms. No electricity. No showers. Potable water and dump site in campground. In spring it can be extremely windy: make sure you have a durable tent and stake it down well. No cell service. A bit of wifi at the Visitor’s Center. Both roads into the site are terrible. The North one generally is more passable than the South one. Telephone the Visitor’s Center for current conditions. People coming to Chaco for one day/night with trailers or Big Rigs should camp at Horse Thief campground, Nageezi, NM, located on the North way to Chaco just beyond where the paved road ends, then take only your truck or towed vehicle into the park itself. You’ll save yourself a lot of grief driving.

Posted Jul 07, 2024 by Florence from Midwest. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: Wonderful and unique site to visit. We had visited previously but came back specific to camp which allowed extra time to see the ruins and to experience the darkest sky we’ve seen anywhere. The camp sites are mostly well spaced and level. Flush toilets and potable water in campground. No cell reception at campground. No shade, which we appreciated as it was cold. The roads are 16 miles of dirt from the North/East and 20 miles of dirt from the South. We came from north and left on south. South was in better condition on this trip. Both doable by regular car. Just take it slow. Read online that county and feds had pushed to get roads paved, but conservationist and some tribes liked it rough to discourage visitors that would erode the site. Another reason to visit - no crowds!

Posted Nov 16, 2022 by Doug from Utah. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: Camped at Chaco for 3 nights late October 2022. It is an amazing place and should be visited. However, as has been stated, the road in (we came from the north, road from south is reported to be worse by NPS) is terrible. It is continuous washboard with some washouts. I traveled 8-10 MPH and still bent a rear stabilizer that shook down from the rough road. We are now having abnormal tire wear and learned we have two bent axles on our trailer. Not 100% sure it was from the Chaco road, but suspicious. The roads in the park itself are paved and great. My opinion is that unless the NPS can come to some agreement with the local governments that are responsible for the roads for improved maintenance, they should make Gallo campground a tent only facility. I will visit again because it is amazing, but will camp outside the park unless I use a tent.

Posted Nov 15, 2022 by Steve from Colorado. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: DO NOT TAKE YOUR TRAILER ON THIS ROAD!!We attempted it and finally turned back 2 miles short of the park entrance. The road is a nightmare with continuous washboard. You will think you can tolerate it, but believe me, you will be sorry. It is not about high clearance, it is about you and you vehicles being continuously battered by washboarding. BEWARE!!

Posted Sep 27, 2021 by Sally from Capitola, CA. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: There is now potable water in the campground and at the visitor center. Nice bathrooms with flushing toilets. The campground itself is fine ... level, scenic, spacious. The ruins are spectacular. However, the roads in (we came in from the north and departed via the south route) are horrendous. The north route is several miles shorter. Both equally bad. Heed the advice about avoiding when wet. Miles with no gravel. No cell coverage. Why the federal government, which runs this national monument, cannot improve the access roads for safety reasons, is beyond me. If you’re not pulling a travel trailer like we were, you can go faster over the washboard. It took us over an hour to drive the 18.5 mile south route. We will not return, thank goodness.

Posted Sep 26, 2019 by Brenda from Oregon . This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: camped three nights in August 2017. To experience Chaco Canyon be sure to visit Pueblo Bonito and I strongly recommend the hike up to Pueblo Alto. As the other reviewers stated, you must traverse 13 miles of unimproved gravel/dirt road to get to the park (from the north) and it can be extremely rough (but worth it, just take your time). The Gallo campground is nice with Pueblo Ruins on the grounds. Minor correction to prior review: There is NO Potable water in the Campground. There are two Potable Water Spigots at the visitor center. There is a dump station at the campground. The Campground bathrooms are very clean (no Showers). I would have given 5 Stars if there had been potable water at the Campground.

Posted Aug 25, 2017 by McRider from Texas. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.

For Gallo - Chaco Culture National Historical Park: I camped here in October 2016. Getting there can be tricky - don't trust your GPS! Write down the directions and follow them manually. I drove north from Gallup and Crownpoint. The unpaved road is around 20 miles long and very rough. However, in dry conditions it's fine in a passenger car.

I recommend reservations, but if you're winging it, arrive early to lay claim to a site that will be vacated later that morning. There are several tent only sites and the remainder are okay for RVs. The campground has flush toilets and running water.

Beautiful area with many hiking trails, elk, amazing sunsets, and ruins of the Chacoan civilization. Loved this place!

Posted Mar 05, 2017 by ZombieCat from Nomad. This is the subjective opinion of a traveler and not of AllStays LLC.