Gallo Campground
| A campground at the world-famous park. It even has its own small ruin, and it is the trailhead for the Chaco Canyon Overlook Trail. |
| Campground data | Waypoints | Maps | Getting to the campground | About the campground | Plants around the campground | Comments |
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| Date: | 2001-04-14 | 2003-09-13 |
| Cleanliness: | 9 | 9 |
| Waypoint | Type | Description |
| CCCG | Campground | Gallo Campground at Chaco Culture National Historic Park |
| Map name | Cartographer | Year | Scale | Topo map? | Online access | Notes |
| Guide to Indian Country of Arizona Colorado New Mexico Utah | Automobile Club of Southern California | 1998 | 1:0 | N | Arizona Strip Interpretive Association (purchase) | Good overview road map for northwest NM. No scale is given on the map. The corner coordinates are approximate. |
| Wildernesses of New Mexico | US Forest Service | 1981 | 1:1000000 | N | No online copies. | Base map with national forests, wilderness areas and highways. |
The National Park Service has made it much easier to find the park than in days gone by. You used to have to guess which road to take whenever you came to a fork. They now have good signs all the way in. They also have a map online. From Cuba, take US 550 (old NM 44) past Counselor and Lybrook. Just past mile marker 112 is the turnoff, which is across the street from the Red Mesa Express gas station and convenience store. A sign indicates the turnoff to the left. The route is well signed. After about 4.7 miles, you will turn right from the paved road onto a dirt road, county road 7950. Beware that the dirt road sometimes gets exciting when it rains. Do not cross the washes if there is any water running. 16.4 miles from the turnoff from US 550, the road turns left, and again, there is a sign here. When the road becomes really washboard-y, you are getting close. At 19.4 miles from US 550, you enter the park. 1.5 miles into the park, the campground turnoff is on the right. | No image |
 | The non-tent sites all are similar to the one pictured here. As you can see, they have made it easier for tenters even in these sites. This is good, because many tent campers make use of the campground. Site 34 of the general camping is especially nice. |
You do not have to leave the campground to see a ruin. This one is at
the north end of the campground.
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Plants we saw around the campground:
Reader comments about this campground:
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I camped there in mid-May 2002 initially intending to stay Friday and Saturday night. The campground was very pleasant the first night and it didn't fill up until quite late that evening. The campground was full up by 2 or 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. I remember the ranger giving instructions to disappointed campers who had driven all the way in only to find the campground full. By 5 pm the wind starting kicking up a terrific amount of dust and sand much of it concentrating right in the campground as opposed to other parts of the National Park. It was impossible to cook or eat outdoors. By 6 pm, 3/4 of the campers who had already paid for the night had departed for less dusty environs. RVs and trailers were pretty much the only campers remaining. Even a fully occupied Gallo campground may not stay that way.
I lost a hubcap off my Chrysler minivan on the way into the park and fortunately found a compatible hubcap on the way out. It was not the same hubcap.
On Wed May 24 10:43:14 2006 anonymous from nm said:***** out of 5 in my book! been camping here several times this year and i would say it's one of my favorites in new mexico so far. the campsites are not the best, but the setting coupled with the stargazing and variety of daytime activities is phenomenal. there are rumors that the road to chaco will be paved in 2007 necessitating a less "hands on" experience of the ruins, so if you are considering going to chaco, i'd head there soon. if you can, bring a bike to quietly explore the canyon and ruins sites [most, i believe have lock up racks]. On Sat Jan 13 13:00:23 2007 Mark from Sandia Park, NM said:
I read today that they are having major problems with the septic system in the campground. They will be limiting campers to 100 per night through the estimate repair time in August 07. So get there early and be prepared to be turned away due to lack of spaces once the warm weather returns in the Spring of 07. This is a great place to camp and explore!