El Vado Lake a hidden gem in Rio Arriba County New Mexico

Rio Arriba County New Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit for my rural land real estate work in particular because of the spectacular scenery of and around El Vado Lake. This lake is part of a state park (open seasonally). The water level changes radically with the seasons. I have been at the lake and was shocked at just how low it was at that time. In these photos and drone video I would say the lake is pretty high and near its full volume. Another unique thing about this lake, is that if you are coming from the south, one option you have is to take a 16 mile dirt road right to this southern point of the lake. The dirt road is well maintained, so pretty much any vehicle with a little ground clearance could do it in the dry, and is my recommended way of visiting El Vado Lake. If you are looking for a hidden gem of a lake in New Mexico, use the map below to visit El Vado Lake yourself.