Abiquiu Lake

We moved into our site at Riana Army Corp of Engineer Campground at Abiquiu (A-bi-kew) Lake about 60 miles north of Sante Fe on August 6. Abiquiu means "wild choke cherry place" in the Tewa language. This is a relatively small ACE campground with 15 water/50-amp sites and a number of dry camping sites. With so much to do in the area, beautiful weather and scenery, and at $8.00 a night, we booked two weeks here. Georgia O-Keefe's Ghost Ranch is just five miles north.

Our campsite number 9 sits near the top of the hill overlooking the lake. 

From our window, we enjoyed looking at this distinctive flat-top mesa, Cerro Pedernal, that appears in several of Georgia O' Keefe's paintings. 

Echo Amphitheater

Echo Amphitheater is about ten miles north of Abiquiu Lake.

This natural occurring amphitheater is in the Carson National Forest.

This natural feature is carved by nature into the New Mexico sandstone cliff.

Even talking in a whisper, our voices carried to the parking lot.

As usual, we seem to be the only ones here.

Abiquiu Lake Dam

The dam built along the Rio Chama River was built in the early 1960's.

Abiquiu Lake is the highest Corps of Engineer reservoir in the country, at an elevation of 6,400.

The Chama River flows into the Rio Grande River just a few miles south of the dam. From this point the dam is 1,621 miles upstream of Boca Chica, Texas, where the Rio Grande flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

Christ of the Desert Monastery

A 13-mile single lane gravel road leads to the monastery. This is a very scenic drive into the Chama River Canyon Wilderness. 

Stations of the Cross Trail

This remote Benedictine monastery was built in 1964. 

The beautiful landscape includes Russian Sage and hibiscus.

The chapel contains a 360-degree view of the surrounding Chama wilderness.

These crosses, mounted high on the cliff, are visible through the window above the altar.