Along the River RV Park

We spent the weekend of March 17th here and had a very relaxing stay. It's only 15 minutes from Ruidoso if you need supplies. The owner and host, Barry, was very helpful and friendly. He escorted us to our space(we have a 25' Bigfoot travel trailer) and not only spotted us while we backed in but leveled our trailer afterwards! The spaces are close together but the tranquil sound of the river (more the size of a creek) behind us made up for the close proximity to our neighbors. Cell phone service is very spotty but they have a free land line at the office you can use. They also have free Wi-Fi. We didn't care if we had either service because we came to enjoy the peace and quiet of camping. All of the spaces on the south end of the park overlook the river. We stayed in space 43 with full hook ups. Barry will also deliver firewood at your campsite, for a very reasonable price, if you so desire. All in all a very nice place to spend the weekend!

We needed one last “hit” of mountains before we headed back to the heat of Texas, and found Along the River through Campendium. Overall, it’s a nice little park, and we enjoyed our evening, but there are one or two things to know.

Before we get to that, let me start by saying the the staff here is wonderful. The site we had originally booked was going to have some electrical work done the next morning, so they gave us the choice of a different spot. (This wasn’t a bad thing, as the spot we had originally booked wasn’t very level, and would have been a challenge in our little teardrop.) We could have (should have?) gone with a spot across the river that runs through the campground, but chose a spot closer to the bathrooms.

That’s where the issues come in. First, the spot we ended up in (#9), was squeezed in to a corner of the park. Backing our little trailer in wasn’t easy, as we had to navigate a huge fifth wheel next to us. And the view from one side of our trailer was…of that fifth wheel’s dump hose. Now, if you’re in a huge 5’er or trailer, you’ll probably spend most of your time inside, or on the “patio side” under an awning. But in a small teardrop, we spend most of our time outside, or with both doors open, enjoying the outdoors. This wasn’t really an option in the site we had.

As for the bathrooms, there are two of them in a cute-looking building that faces the river. Each one has a nice-sized shower, a toilet, and a sink. What they didn’t have was hot water. (There was a sign saying guests could use the hot shower at the residence, but showering in someone’s private bathroom feels a bit weird to me.)

I don’t want to make it sound like this place is a hot mess. It isn’t. The property itself is really scenic, with the river running through it. We saw deer wandering through the sites across the water. And the staff was super-nice. I think if you have a bigger rig, and you pick the right site, you’ll have a great experience.

The staff was nice, but from the steps that were nearly falling down on the office, to the 2 showers that could not be used at the same time due to lack of water pressure, this place needs help! The landscaping included huge piles of brush and junk, and. Privacy was a bad joke. A "level" site described by the staff had my wheels floating in the air. The benefit was that a flood would not have been an issue. Dog feces created a true "wildlife aroma" around the office, and the vintage dumpsters and grading equipment give the place a true "Hillbilly" atmosphere.
With that said, there is water that every kid around seems to be enjoying. Don't worry, it really isn't a river, more of a creek, so while the kids run through campsites along the creek unsupervised, they are reasonably safe. (Well, as long as they stay away from the trash heap, the heavy equipment, and junk laying around) Since a picture says it all, I have posted a few gems for you!

This campground is perfect for anyone looking to getaway and relax. The location is just close enough to Ruidoso to explore and hiking trail heads are within a short drive. The river front sites have plenty of space from the rear of the rigs to the bank. Wood swings at each site to sit and watch the wildlife- including deer- or listen to water flow and just be. WiFi is available, but cell service is almost non existent. Metal fire pits available. Very friendly and helpful staff. Office does need some attention, we did not use the bathhouse sites were all clean and groomed after each departure. Overall excellent experience.

Our site was beautiful and peaceful. Right on the river. Absolutely no cell service. Both AT&T and Verizon. Zero. Advertised WiFi was woefully inadequate. Spotty. If you want to totally check out during your time here THIS IS THE PLACE. You will have no internet whatsoever. We drove all over the park thinking we might move to another spot, but there was nothing with service available. We ended up leaving after two nights to another rv park, because we needed to work. The reason we wouldn’t come back? Not because of the beauty of the place, but because of the management’s lack of understanding of the fact that they were unable to provide the advertised amenities, i.e., WiFi! There are - as we discovered- many beautiful resorts in the area with amenities as advertised.