Isleta Lakes & RV Park

There are pros and cons to the Isleta Lake RV campground. The lake is nice, though the campsites don't really have much of a view of the lake, and the park is convenient to the casino.

On the downside, it's right by the train tracks and you can definitely hear the train at night, the entire campground is dirt, so it's dirty AND there isn't any recycling.

I was looking for a place to spend a month while I visited my best friend in the ABQ and for some reason Isleta Lake appealed to me. Must have been that billboard on I-25. Who says billboards don't work? ;)

At the south end of town (requires a bit of a drive to get anywhere), this RV park is an OK commercial park run by the nearby casino (and is on an Indian reservation). Flat and without much vegetation, it isn't very inspiring. Dirt roads and dirt sites make for some "interesting" dust storms during the extremely windy Spring time in Albuquerque.

There are a couple of fishing lakes that are decent to walk around. I was there on Easter weekend and I was floored at how busy the lakes got (you can pay a daily fee to fish or otherwise enjoy the lakes).

I paid for a month and they put me in the half that tended to be least crowded. The transient section (exact same amenities, etc) definitely was more crowded constantly.

Oh, I almost forgot. The trains. You are literally right on the north/south rail line that the RailRunner (commuter train) uses, as well as the occasional freight train. There is a RailRunner station right at the RV park, so I guess that is a plus if you want to make a quick day trip to Sante Fe. But what is definitely a minus is the shaking of your rig as a freight train passes. as well as the sounding of the train horns as they cross the road that leads into the park. And trains start early (except for weekends).

By the time the end of the month passed, I was getting pretty good at tuning out train sounds!

More info and pics can be found in my blog post linked in the 'blog post' tab.

We were referred here from a friend of ours who lives in the city. This place didn't have the best reviews but right after the balloon fiesta we needed a place near by to stay.

It is about 20 minutes from just about anywhere in Albuquerque, our spot had full hook ups at an affordable price, laundry and a lake for fishing. Do beware of the millions of red ants in the dirt that covers the entire park. As previously stated, there is a train that goes by with its horn blazing at all times of day/night. We blocked it out. There is 24/7 security that drives around and checks in with you upon arrival and departure.

Gets busy on weekends but weekdays the park is pretty dead. Trash cans are dispersed all throughout, no recycling though. There is a very convenient gas station right outside of the entrance. Wifi in our spot worked pretty well when the park wasn't full. There is a cable hookup and large pull thru spots. Nice little store up front for any necessities you may need with helpful staff.

Very peaceful and affordable park that we will return too when visiting Albuquerque.

We stayed here for 2 months while on assignment in Albuquerque. This RV park has the beautiful lakes that have fishing (for a fee) a basic playground and a nice road to walk around. This park is really more for longer stays or an overnight. For a few day trip to Albuquerque there are other options that may be better.

It is very hot and dusty here as there is very little grass ( hello desert) and VERY windy. Everyday it was blasting and blowing for several hours. We were here in April and May which are usually the windiest times of year in Albuquerque so that certainly contributed.

Huge selling points: very affordable monthly rate ($530* including electricity - see further paragraphs), playground and lakes for little or bigger kids, free shuttle to casino and fun center (bowling, etc.) and easy access to Railrunner Station (5 minute walk). The wireless was spotty unless you were very close to the little general store and then it was great.

So some downsides: Facebook is building a large Hub in nearby Los Lunas and there were a lot of long term residents. The residents were great but wen we went to renew for a third month we were told they had raised their rates by $225/month. This was not published online and a but surprising. Also the train noise is ridiculous. We did get used to it but it is noticeable. 6-7 times per day and loud. Holiday weekends this places is packed with people as many families come for BBQs and fishing on the weekends.

Choose a site on the smaller side as the other side has the shelters and picnic tables layed out opposite the door sides of RVs. Site 44 was great and close to the lakes. Laundry and showers we in nice condition as well.

We enjoyed this park for its easy access to transportation. We used the Railrunner to go to Santa Fe and into Albuquerque several times. For only a few bucks per adult it was nice to not drive the duallie. Albuquerque has an earned reputation for car theft and there is 24/7 security here so it felt very safe.

We would say here again for a nursing contract if needed but not for a few days to visit Albuquerque.

**This park is offering a two nights + one free until the end of December**
Check-in is fast! We were offered the space right next to the railway. Yes, it is loud and outr 36' toy hauler shakes when fast and big trains fly by. But, we are amused and not bothered at all. If you are sensitive to train horns and loud crossing signals, you may want to request a spot further away. Sand Cranes are migrating and staying very close by as the Rio Grande is not far behind the property. Sunset means dozens of flocks flying in for the evening.

**Security gate getting in AND out**

The sites are HUGE! Very wide and long. Clean and sturdy picnic tables and charcoal grills at each site. Trash cans every other site or so.

The grounds are very well cared for, everyday. The lovely lakes are stocked--no catch and release. You catch, you keep.

Laundry is good and inexpensive (use the $2 dryer--trust me), the restrooms and showers are clean--the shower area is a bit chilly so bring your robe and slippers.

Access to ABQ is awesome. There is a bit of traffic getting past 500 going south on 25, but not for long.

There is not much stocked at the store but essentials are available.

Nice park. Outside of Albuquerque about 10 miles. Railrunner Park and Ride is just across the tracks. Decent rates. Nice lake on property. Clean showers and bathrooms. If you dont mind trains at 0430 and every so often after that then you enjoy your stay. We stayed here four nites and Im a morning person so the whistle and rumbling were tolerable, sort of nostalgic.

Just off I25 and South of ABQ. Nice staff. I did ask and dog was allowed off leash to run around the lake. If there were Fisher persons I would not have allowed it. Free shuttle to the Casino across the road. Only poor appearance is that the showers look unclean only because they are fiberglass and those never keep a clean appearance. The restrooms were spotless. Frieght and passenger train goes by campground with first one pretty darn early. Minor thing. One more thing, bought two nights at $35 and got third free.

I want to let people know that police response to a threatening environment is not a priority on this pueblo. I first want to start off by saying my wife and I decided to go fishing and camping at Isleta Lakes for the Easter weekend. We checked in on Thur. Friday we went fishing all day and caught lots of catfish. We caught a huge one that weighted over 20lbs easily. We were approached by two individuals who seemed really nice and wanted to see our catch. When we got back to camp we were happy to see they were our neighbors.

That night they were partying hard with three other campsites. My wife and I walked our dogs around 2200 and decided to go to bed around 2330. At about 0030 we woke up to our neighbor drunk and howling at our dogs. We have 5 dogs who sleep in the back of the truck. When we questioned him his response was "I don't know what you're talking about." My wife and I decided it would be better for us to bring out dogs into the trailer.

Around 0100 I started to hear the individual yelling obscenities like "call the cops h*e, I'm not afraid to die." "I hate gay people." "I hate gay right." "Call the cops you white b#%#h a$$ n#%#%rs." He then proceeded to jump into his truck and drive up and down the lot doing about 30 mph swinging up rocks. I decided to make my first call to the police at 0220. They transferred me to the Isleta dispatch where she said I wasn't the first person to call and they would send the cops.

He continued yelling obscenities and honking his truck horn. He even started pacing back and forth in front of our trailer door yelling "F#%k gay people, f#&k gay rights!" "F#&k you white people, this is Burque, Mexican country." Because it was escalating and he was now within feet from our trailer I decided to call the cops back around 0330. Again I was told by Isleta dispatch that cops would be on their way but they don't have people right now. Security for the RV park were monitoring the situation from a distance. I called back again around 0354 after the guy started to threaten to kill us. The dispatch told me the closes cops were 45 minutes away. I asked if APD, BCSO or NMSP could responded and I was told no. I began to beg because I feared for our lives but they still wouldn't allow other agencies to respond.
They guy continued to yell and blare his truck horn for another 30 mins or so. My wife finally fell asleep and I stayed up with my dogs ready to protect or trailer if he tried to break in. Around 0600 I looked outside the trailer to see if it were safe to exit to take the dogs out. I witnessed numerous police and security questioning the individual. I was waved by one cop to come out so my wife and I went to him. We were talking with him when all of a sudden all 6-8 cops and security guards backed up to were we were at with their weapons drawn. The policeman we were talking to drew his rifle. We were told he was making threatening remarks towards the cops and that we should get away. They argued with him for about an hour before they cuffed him and recovered a weapon. After he calmed down he was taken out of handcuffs and he proceeded to pack up his camp. When he left at about 0800 he took off very fast, flinging rocks every and yelling "F#%k you white people this Mexicans out." As he sped off he was swerving because I believe he was still drunk.

As we were packing up our camp to leave his family was starring us down, making it very uncomfortable.

The lack of urgency from the pueblo was very evident. The fact it took almost 6 hours for cops to make contact with this man after he was threatening us is disgusting. The fact that he wasn't arrested for disorderly conduct or public intoxication is incredible. The fact that they let him leave still intoxicated with his friend, girlfriend and two kids is unbelievable. Something needs to be done about the how police responded on the reservation. People should feel safe, not a target of hate and dismissed. SHAME ON Isleta Pueblo!!!!!!!!!

The owner did refund us for our stay as we left early and apologized but things need to change!

We needed a place to overnight with electricity for the AC. Also looking for something not to far from the Interstate. This seemed like a good place, had decent reviews, so we stopped in. Glad we did. Nice, clean, helpful. Spacious sites, nice picnic tables and armadas over them. Even have grills. All the sites are pull-through, so we did not have to unhook the toad. There is minimal shade. Most sites have a tree, it is all about getting in its shade:). The interior roads, sites and pads are gravel and rock. The wi-fi was top notch, the Verizon coverage was good. And you can not beat the price in the heat of the summer. There is a train crossing near-by and you can hear the commuter trains some, but it seems to end in the evening. Turned out to be just what we were looking for as an overnight stay with hook-ups. We camped at Isleta Lakes & RV Park in a Motorhome.

Seems a bit pricey for what you get. A dirt lot with minimal views. Electric, water, dumping, and a covered picnic table at each site, which is nice.
So many rules! You’re pretty much allowed to park here in silence and that’s it.
The office/store/showers/laundry building doesn’t follow its own hours - so don’t be surprised if they are closed when you expect them to be open