Tuesday, October 22 Through Wednesday, October 23, 2019
There are two KOA’s in the Albuquerque New Mexico area. One of the KOA’s (Albuquerque North / Bernalillo KOA) is north of Albuquerque in Bernalillo along Interstate 25. The other one is inside Albuquerque (Albuquerque KOA Journey) on the eastern side of the city along Interstate 40.
We stayed in the KOA in Albuquerque off I-40. Right off I-40 in this case means that the retaining wall supporting the right hand lanes of eastbound I-40 is directly behind a row of RV’s as shown in the top picture.
Lots of noisy trucks drive I-40, especially when the northern east/west freeways in upper elevations are closed by early winter snowstorms. This was the case when we stayed there. While the park was noisy, the noise wasn’t distinct. It was as if giant fans were running. Lots of white noise but nothing that would keep you up at night unless fan white noise keeps you awake.
This is a busy park. Reservations need to be made in advance. At certain times of the year, reservations need to be made a year in advance. For example, during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the entire city of Albuquerque is 100% reserved. The 2020 Balloon Fiesta will be held in early October.
We arrived early in the afternoon and got setup. Around 4:00 PM, newcomers arrived in droves. Until that point, the park’s WIFI was wonderful. Crowded park made crowded WIFI.
Both AT&T and Verizon mobile data speeds were great, especially when the WIFI was busy.
The weather was good. The dogs enjoyed a few of the many dog runs in the park. The park map shows only two dog runs.
However, each of the dog runs on the map has at least two individually fenced in areas.
I saw another dog run that wasn’t on the map. The shade covering much of the dog run was a really nice feature given the dry arid Albuquerque climate.
Even though the assigned campsite was the shortest campsite in our section, it was plenty large enough for overnight needs but not large enough for a week. One thing worth mentioning. Each campsite was clean and orderly. Nothing appeared broken or rundown.
Restrooms were clean. The above restroom is a newer updated version of the standard KOA restroom design. They also had clean unisex bathrooms, each with a sink, toilet and shower.
The laundromat was spotless. The machines appeared in good order and looked to be at most a year or two old.
The swimming pool looked inviting even though it was a bit too chilly to think seriously about taking a swim. There is also an available hot tub.
The KOA’s staff was friendly, efficient and professional. Based on our good experience in this park, I’ve decided that I want to return. There is lots to do in Albuquerque and surrounding area, some of which you might consider a bit quirky. For example, I want to spend a day exploring the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Petroglyph National Monument, Coronado State Monument, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and many more. I would also like to do the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta but that will be hard to schedule as most of the spots in the park are pre-reserved by the campers from the previous year. The balloon thing is that popular!
We will be staying in this park again.
Hope to see you on the road ahead!