Rich in history and culture, Antonito, Colorado, sits 7,888 feet above sea level in the expansive San Luis Valley between the Conejos and San Antonio rivers. The town is the entryway to the Conejos River Canyon, a 40-mile stretch that offers a wide variety of fishing and hunting opportunities and hiking experiences. There are three recreational vehicle parks in and around Antonito to serve the needs of RV campers.
Nearby RV Parks
Mogote Meadow Cabins & RV Park in Conejos Canyon, five miles outside Antonito, has full hook-up RV sites, free Wi-Fi, a recreation hall and showers, restrooms and a laundry. There is ample fishing, hiking and exploring opportunities nearby. Surrounded by National Forest and situated on the banks of the Conejos River, the Ponderosa Campground and Cabins is open mid-May to September 30. There are 29 RV sites along with a store, laundry room, restrooms and a game room that has Wi-Fi. Each RV site has a fire pit. Located at 8,600 feet elevation and a short distance outside Antonito, the campground is not far from a convenience store and restaurant.
Antonito RV Park
Located in Antonito, the Narrow Gauge Railroad Inn has 10 full RV hookups and is the ideal RV park for anyone riding the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Narrow Gauge Railroad because the park is a certified ticket agent for the train and the depot is practically next door. The Narrow Gauge Railroad Inn is open from May 1 to Halloween. Of the 10 RV sites, two are pull-through, seven allow for slide-outs and all of them are in excess of 45 feet long, able to accommodate larger RVs.
San Luis Valley
RVers flock to the San Luis Valley for its geothermal hot springs, numerous fishing, camping and hiking areas, the Crestone Music Festival, the Creede Repertory Theater, the Cumbres-Toltec Scenic Railroad and the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. The area is home to Ute Indians, and in the late 1500s Spanish explorers and settlers entered the area, which was soon claimed by New Spain, now Mexico. In the mid-1800s, the valley became U.S. territory and in 1858, Fort Garland -- still a popular tourist site -- was established to protect the area.
Cumbres-Toltec Railroad
Jointly owned and operated by the States of Colorado and New Mexico, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a destination for RVers. The route from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico, goes over Cumbres Pass and Toltec Gorge, a deep slash in the earth. When the railroad was built in the 1880s, the workers had to go through the mountains, leaving behind tunnels punched through the rock. The train rolls across rock retaining walls, over massive wooden trestles and around the fascinating Phantom Curve.
Great Sand Dunes
Butted up against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that form the eastern border of the San Luis Valley, Zebulon Pikes wrote about the Great Sand Dunes in his journal. A designated wilderness area, the dunes host more than 300,000 visitors a year. They are an invigorating and challenging climb, or you can play in Medano Creek, wander the wetlands or even climb a 13,000-foot peak.
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