Heron Lake State Park | New Mexico

  

Ospreys are in the southwest as well as places like Florida -  I was surprised to find them here.  I found a nest that I was able to photograph, after waiting patiently.

She then "flew the coop" after staring at me intently, wishing I would go away.   

The Rio Chama runs through part of the park, and this is the great view from the trailhead.  Easy going down, but coming up is strenuous.

I love this little island, which at one time was a peninsula when the water level was very low.  It has come up quite a bit since I was here 3 years ago.

The reservoir is quite large, with rocky shoreline as well as sand in different areas.

A marina for small boats is available for those who want to leave a boat in the water, or stay overnight on the dock.  A dry storage area is available also.

The Heron Dam is not spectacular looking, but some of us campers got a little tour, with lots of specifications and details.  The machine shown below tracks the lake level each hour.

We didn't get to see inside this control panel, but the look of it from the outside is intimidating enough!



This ladder goes down 275 feet to the guts of the dam, but we didn't get to go down - probably a good thing, because we had a large group.

 My campsite is huge, with steps leading down to a backyard and firepit as well as a large table off to the side under some large shade trees. 

My shade trees are quite picturesque.

  

Javelinas | And Trashy Campsites!

Just this past summer I was saying that I had never seen a javalina in the wild.  Be careful what you wish for!  I had pulled into a Casino parking lot - one that is very RV friendly in Sahuarita, Arizona.  I mumbled as I picked up a few plastic bags that were blown around the area, as well as a few other items of trash. 

That evening, as I was sitting outside my fifth wheel, 5 of these critters wandered into the area, probably about 10 feet away from me.  I had heard that they can be aggressive and that they stink.  I went inside and watched them.  I didn't smell anything that evening, but after another couple evenings, the slight breeze was blowing toward me and that time I smelled them before I saw them.

These few photos were not taken in the casino area, but at a national forest during one of my many visits to the forests.  It's just an example of things I have found in certain camping areas.

Every campsite I go to, especially boondocking areas, have trash in the area.  I usually clean up after I set up my camp.  Then I have the problem of where to take the bags of trash that I've accumulated.

I don't think these campers are RVers, at least I hope not.  At least not the ones I know.  I encourage all campers to pick up after themselves.  As a reminder, most of us know that food cans do not burn.  For some reason, they are often found in firepits - charred, but intact!

If we don't take care of our boondocking areas, whether it's forest, BLM or other - we will lose our privilege of using these lands.  I know many RVers and other campers who love to boondock in these areas - help keep them clean!   Thanks to those who leave the campsites cleaner than when they arrived!