Raton Pass Camp & Cafe

Date of Stay: July, 2017 - $38.00
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
RV: 25' Motorhome with toad (42' overall). Didn't have to unhook the tow vehicle in space #2

3 week trip and this was our in the top 3. It's not large. It's not a resort, but that didn't matter. I'd give this 5 stars in context with other spots in the region and for the obvious attention to detail and wonderful food. 4 stars for the sites...while ours was roomy, we walked around and others were more cramped. The owner was great - she clearly puts forth a lot of effort and pride into her campground. It has that "personal touch". The rock gravel was in perfect condition and there were many "personal touches",

We intended to stay elsewhere and had put a deposit on another campground in the area, but after driving through it...we high-tailed it out of there. We cancelled that reservation and went online and found Raton Pass RV Park (formerly called Cedar Rail). Luckily for us, we got the last pull-thru site! We arrived a bit past their hours, but the owner and her staff stayed to get us settled in. We were starving and tired and asked if the restaurant was still open. She told us it had just closed, but she said she'd make us dinner and bring it to our site! She started reeling off her menu...lots of slow smoked meats, etc (definitely not for Vegans). The offerings were numerous, and it was hard to decide what to order. We settled on fantastic homemade lasagna, marinated chicken, white beans (to die for), cole slaw, potato salad, rolls, tea, etc. I enjoy cooking and she is quite a cook. Nothing like a home cooked meal cooked and served by someone else! What service! Our site (#2) was not next to anyone, but rather alongside the wide driveway area...not your typical site location, but actually worked just great for us.

The campground is up on a hill with beautiful views and the sunset was stunning. The air crisp and clean. There is wifi, but we were strongly warned not to stream Netflix or download a bunch of stuff because she would know and cut us off. Fair enough. That was her only "thing". The campground is clearly a labor of her love...incredibly clean, spotless and level. The hookups were in great shape and well positioned. We intended to eat our meal outside and enjoy the sunset, but it was a bit chilly and windy, so we didn't take advantage of the picnic table. The gravel was firm and well-maintained. The bathrooms were spotless. There are 2 washers and 2 dryers. I took advantage of the facilities, something I rarely do, and enjoyed a nice, long shower. Our dogs appreciated the lack of "stickers" we'd been encountering the previous 4 days. We didn't walk down to the tent camping area, but it looked to be a great little place to explore with the dogs. The other campers were quiet and friendly. We walked around and enjoyed the views and cool air after driving through excessive heat the previous 3 days. This was "just an overnight", but we would have been happy to stay longer. We would definitely stay at Raton Pass Camp again...for the ambiance, views, services, cleanliness, friendly owner/staff and amazing, homemade food. We spent $60 for our site AND dinner for 2.