Coronado Village (thesman.com) is 8 miles west-southwest of Sandia Peak Tramway, which lies on the western side of Sandia Peak. The village is a large gated community that includes single-family homes as well as an RV park for short- and long-term visitors. Open to the public, the RV park has about three dozen sites -- all with full hookups -- for short-term campers. The park not only is convenient to the tramway but it also is only a short drive from Balloon Fiesta Park, the venue for Albuquerque’s annual International Balloon Festival. Nine miles southwest of Coronado Village is Old Town, filled with historic adobe buildings, quaint shops, art galleries, and restaurants specializing in regional cuisine. Amenities at Coronado Village include a clubhouse with TV lounge and showers, computer center with Wi-Fi, a heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, sports courts, soccer field and coin-operated laundry facilities.
Ten miles south-southwest of the tramway, Albuquerque Central KOA (albuquerquekoa.com) is just off Interstate 40 near the foot of the Sandia mountain range. Other local attractions include the 64-acre Rio Grande Zoo, which displays species native to the region as well as creatures from all over the globe, and the Albuquerque Museum of Art, History and Science. The latter has extensive exhibits that document the history and extent of Spanish colonial culture in the United States. The campground has more than 100 RV sites with full hookups, as well as rental cabins and sites for tent camping. Scattered throughout the campground are restrooms and showers. Other facilities and service include a recreation hall, seasonal outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, cable TV and Wi-Fi, picnic area with covered pavilion, playground, miniature golf course and propane service.
If you’re headed for Sandia Peak’s ski area, the best approach is through the village of Sandia Park on the east side of the mountain. Turquoise Trail Campground (turquoisetrailcampground.com) in Cedar Crest, 3 miles south of Sandia Park, sits beside the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, which runs between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. To learn more about the people who lived in this area before the arrival of Europeans, visit the Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site, five miles from the campground. For RVs, the campground has about five dozen sites, most with full hookups. Also available are tent campsites and rental cabins. All campsites have picnic tables and grills. Amenities include a gift shop, playground, free Wi-Fi, coin laundry, restrooms, showers and a dump station.
The RV sites at Leisure Mountain Mobile Home and RV Park (leisuremountain.com) have excellent views of the Sandia Mountains to the north, and put campers within 9 miles of Sandia Park and the entrance to Sandia Peak ski area. Also in Sandia Park is Tinkertown Museum, a 22-room collection of Americana that is well worth a visit. Leisure Mountain has roughly three dozen RV sites for short-term campers, as well as about 40 modular home sites for permanent residents or vacation home owners. RV campers have access to all of the park’s amenities, including a clubhouse with a recreation room and TV lounge, coin laundry, restrooms, showers, business center, free Wi-Fi and picnic area with barbecue grills.
Hidden Valley Resort (hvrvresort.com) is just off Interstate 40 near the town of Tijeras, 10 miles south-southeast of Sandia Park and the entrance to Sandia Peak’s ski area. The resort has more than 100 campsites, most with full hookups. Facilities and services include a recreation building, heated outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, coin laundry, picnic area and hiking trail. To learn a bit more about the area’s native wildlife, visit the Wildlife West Nature Park just off Interstate 40 in Edgewood, 10 miles east of the campground.
