Tico Time River Resort

After boondocking in Moab we were ready for something easier for school and work. This place has so much to offer! Great cell signal with t-mobile and Verizon. The kids absolutely loved paddle boarding and the awesome tube waterslide. They spent so much time on this waterslide. The two huge dog parks were great for our two pups. The shower was hot and clean. There’s currently only one, but the map indicates plans for more in the near future. Site was gravel and fairly level. We were able to do laundry and they had plenty of quarters.

The zipline experience was so much fun. James and Darian (i think that was his name) were kind and fun guides. Our two boys (10 & 13) did it all- free fall, Tarzan swing, climbing wall, zipline across the river. I did the free fall and zipline but didn’t have the stomach for the Tarzan swing.

While you’re here check out Cox Arch, off the beaten path, but an enjoyable hike (we did it with our 4 kids ages 6-13). The Aztec Ruins are also very close and worth the trip. Our family will be telling stories of our stay at Tico Time for years to come.

We booked Tico Time based on the great Google reviews and info on their website. The off-season weekly rate was $300/wk. We have mixed feelings about Tico Time. We booked our site online only to arrive and find out that the section of the park we booked does not exist (yet). It is still under construction, so we were given a few options and chose site 22. The sites are very large and wide enough to park our truck beside our 5th wheel. The park itself will also be huge when it is finished, but as of our visit in April 2021, it was not. Our issue with Tico Time is that nowhere was there ever any mention whatsoever about ongoing construction or the park not being completely finished. There were semi trucks bringing in supplies during our entire stay which created an extremely dusty atmosphere. The price should have reflected the current state of the park and the website should be updated to give people a heads up on what to expect vs. what the website portrays. When complete, I have no doubt this will be an awesome RV park with a TON of things to do...it's just not what we expected during our stay.
You can see our stay here if you are interested! https://youtu.be/A-rFAuDmFhY

This is a great place for families. RV park, river activities, fun atmosphere. There is a zip line across the Animas River, water slides, paddle boats, rafting, etc. Close to Durango.
We had a 50 amp RV site which was huge. Utility placement was front to back but this was not a problem since the site was so large.
No brochure or info packet. WiFi was open and ok. No rules. Can mean trouble given the size of the facility.
People drive WAY too fast here given that there are many children playing here. There was very loud music until about 11 pm. The place is cluttered. Lots of stuff laying around.
They’ll figure this all out eventually. I’ll give it 4 stars until then.

We've stayed at Tico Time a couple of times now, once last year and once this year. I occasionally have to work in the area, and during the week we've talked to a few people that also work in the area a few weeks of the year. The place has grown a lot between the 9 months we stayed. They are offering concerts and festivals on weekends so this is a hopping park. There are just tons to do for families with kids especially if you're outdoor folks.

With this there are, what some people would consider, negative results mostly on the weekends during peak season. These didn't bother us, but you really should know what you're getting into when you camp at Tico Time.

This is a very kid and family friendly park so, you have kids (and even a couple of adults) crossing your area, parents please tell your kids it is considered rude to cut through other peoples campsite, and some people freak out about it. We didn't complain, they are kids after all just having fun. But just know it could happen. You also have multiple campsites playing loud music during the day, so you hear like 10 different radios going and each are trying to compete with each other. After about 9 or 10 pm it gets pretty quiet, we didn't experience anyone not following the rules during quiet time during our visit. However, based on other reviews your mileage may vary.

During our last visit we had some monster monsoon storms and it blew trash and equipment around the park. Pro-tip: June through September keep an eye on the skies and download a weather/radar app on your cell phone. Monsoon storms are no joke! During the weekends it just seems to be a bit more trash blowing around. The staff were pretty good about picking up trash but it seemed like they were a little overwhelmed during the weekends. Makes sense the park was absolutely packed.

During out last visit, there were a few campers who had their dogs off leash. Our dogs are rescues and sometimes don't get along with other dogs so we are very careful about our interactions with other dogs. KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!!! We did not have any issues thankfully but it COULD be a problem. That is why the park has fantastic, large dog parks.

The dog parks are well groomed and fenced appropriately. They are stocked with poop bags and scoops to clean up and for the most part people do clean up after their dogs.

If you're camping Monday through Friday morning, the campground is actually really quiet even during peak season. It is actually very enjoyable for us older folks that are in the area for work. During our visit, Monday through Friday there were probably less than 15 campers the week leading up to 4th of July but Friday, Saturday and Sunday almost every spot was filled.

Overall Tico Time is a really great park full of fun for families. They have TONS of amenities and lots to do. Farmington is about 30 minutes, Durango about 20 minutes both with lots of restaurants and places to stock up supplies. There are dozens of historic places to visit. Hundreds of miles of hiking and biking. If you're looking for a quiet, relaxing park, book Monday through Friday during peak season.

I would leave zero stars if I could. Our encounters with the Operations Manager were horrible. He makes it seem like this whole place is designed to get as much money out of you as possible. The Operations Manager with the Australian accent rudely harassed us for driving our vehicle over the bridge to the tent camping area, despite the website saying in two different places that driving to the camping area is allowed. The front gate clerk told us we could drive over the bridge after the band stopped playing at 10pm, so we waited patiently until almost 11pm to set up our campsite. In less than 24 hours, he drove up to us *six different times* in his huge truck, kicking up clouds of dust and harassing us. He claimed that tent campers have to park at the top of the property and either lug all of our camping stuff about 1/2 a mile to the camp site or pay him $10 a trip to be "shuttled" across the bridge. NOWHERE on the website or on the literature for the "resort" that the tent camp site is walk-in only. On checkout day, we politely asked the front gate clerk if we could stay to see the start of the band and she clearly said we could stay until 11pm. We had already booked a hotel room in Durango, so we were looking forward to spending time with friends, seeing some music and getting on our way. This jerk of an Operations Manager came driving up to us *again* in his huge dust cloud and demanded we leave the property immediately or purchase a day pass because he "isn't stupid and knows we are just trying to stay another night for free". He was so incredibly rude that it ruined our entire experience. The actual site is ok- it's just an RV park with a couple of ponds to play in. But the Operations Manager made it a bad experience. He enforced rules that do not exist, but Did Not enforce important rules that Do exist, like the Fire Ban in New Mexico (May 2022)

Site built off the flood zone of the Animas River. No real view of the river due to the drop off. Canals on both banks carry water for the ponds. Slides are low budget and water in ponds appeared super low. A lot of loose sand and dust. Cliffs on East side of the river are nice looking but this valley was very hot.

Check-in was easy and the single employee we met was very friendly but it also doubles as the rental for water sports so it can get fairly busy with people and kids and only one person working. We had a spot on the lower loop for 30A, all gravel and was significantly dusty. Leveling blocks a must with a size able slope. No concrete. Hookups were acceptable. South side of the park was mostly empty and there are some construction areas it appeared, over there.

We used the Laundry facilities and they were clean and functional.

River is swift. Cornhole boards, a nearly broken trampoline, a volleyball pit, picnic tables, all in the sand on the west side. Bridge over the river is nice and river moves quickly, not suitable for kids swimming. East side of the river appears run down and still potentially under construction. There are some climbing areas with nets and a zip
Line across the river which we did not use.
Kids didn’t want to use the ponds or slides.

Likely would have stayed closer to Durango If I was to come to this area again.

This is a good and well-maintained RV resort, even though I had to insulate and wrap the water supply line that had no heater wire on it. The fight next to mine number 90 water supply was also not insulated or wired. The water Spicket did freeze 4 times but was the odd by 10 AM each day. The dog park is the largest that I have used, being 1/10 of a mile inside circumference. The resort is large enough for me to use my E-Trike. I stayed 12 days in December at a cost of $21.43 a night.
Except for a 5 x 15‘ grass spot at each RV site there are lots of stickers, aka goat heads.

Very disappointed, sticker, not level, only 2 washer and 2 dryers (one not working) for about 150 sites. All afternoon the smell of marijyuana for hours on end. It’s grown and processed on the south side of the park.

Website show lots of fun activities for the kids; slides, zip lines, paddle boards, plus more.
We arrived for two days and found nothing open but the free paddle boards. Very minimal activities for the kids. Also the place is very dusty and the employees raise the most dust and dirt. Speed is 5mph but only guests went speed limit, employees went faster trying to kick up dirt everywhere. We ate dirt whenever we ate outside. Asked to spray water on the road but that never happened it felt like we got more dirt. Mini Store had sign on window indication it is open 8-5 daily but never was open and girl at check-in counter sent me down the road so I could by ice. It is nothing like they advertise, save your money and go to rv park in Bloomfield next to aquatic center kids will have fun.