RV Boondocking at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Perhaps one of the best places to RV boondock within Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is along BLM Road 4725.

BLM Road 4725 branches south from of County Road N. It’s a red dirt road, but well packed, although lightly rutted and often times bumpy. Yet, there are a handful of exceptional campsites that promise you lots of peace and quiet, gorgeous starry skies, and spectacular views of Rock Canyon.

• The first of these campsites (GPS 37.3971, -108.8215) is the best site, but is only suitable for small to medium sized RVs. Sash and I actually camped here for 9 days, and we could just “barely” back our 28 foot trailer into it, though I had to run over some bushes and take some scratches to the trailer. However, it’s the most gorgeous campsite along this road. You’re literally camped on the edge of a rock cliff. You get to enjoy campfires on the rock ledge, and gaze through the canyon.

• The next site (GPS 37.3963, -108.8228) which is about 500 feet away, can only accommodate small RVs, but also offers spectacular cliff side views.

• The next site after that (GPS: 37.3948, -108.8276) can fit a 40+ foot trailer and has a slot next to it for the tow vehicle. This space, however, is on the west side of the road and does not have cliff side access.

• The next site after that (GPS: 37.3937, -108.8283), is only suitable for small RVs, but is on the cliff side.

Going any further down this road will get you into increasingly rocky conditions. Larger RVs will not be able to turn around. Only small RVs, vans and SUVs good ground clearance should attempt.

Verizon 4G is usable here, coming in between 2 to 4 bars. The signal seems to originate further south along McElmo Creek and bounces its way north along canyon walls. The further you get away from Rock Canyon, the weaker the signal.

The town of Cortez, CO is about 20 minutes away and offers all the modern amenities of shopping, dining, and supplies

If you plan to take your RV along BLM Road 4725, we highly recommend leaving your RV parked right where the road starts (at the intersection with County Road N), and drive your toad or tow vehicle to scope it out.

Be sure to visit the visitor center for Canyons of the Ancients, located in Dolores, CO. You can find all the information about trails and locating old pueblo ruins.

Being that Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is run by the BLM, the usual BLM policies towards camping applies. That means, 14-day limit, pack it in pack it out, campfires are OK, pretty much do whatever you want, just don’t mess anything up.