Simon Canyon Recreation Area

Tom and I spent the first night of our April road-trip to New Mexico at one of our favorite boondocking locations. The Simon Canyon Recreation Area is BLM property located along the San Juan River just a few miles below Navajo Dam. Most of the surrounding area is part of Navajo Lake State Park which has several developed campgrounds.

What we like most about boondocking at Simon Canyon Recreation Area is that we can do three of our favorite activities (camping, fishing, hiking) in a beautiful location without having to drive anywhere.

Camping

The Simon Canyon Recreation Area isn’t called a “campground” but camping and overnight parking are permitted and it’s free!

The large parking area includes an outhouse and covered picnic area. Additional picnic areas with fire pits are scattered amongst the trees between the parking lot and the river. You can see some of them in the Autumn photos at end of this post.

Fishing

This part of the San Juan River is popular with fly fisherman because of the tackle restrictions. This stretch of river is limited to catch and release using only artificial flies or lures. It’s supposed to offer some of the best trout fly fishing in the country.

Hiking

While Tom is fishing, Aly and I can go hiking. The Simon Ruin trail starts in the parking lot where we camp. It’s a relatively short out-and-back hike but I can stretch it to 2 miles with a few minor detours. And, when we’re done fishing or hiking we can meet at home, just a few steps from the trailhead and the river.

Autumn at Simon Canyon Recreation Area

The photos above are from this April. The following photos are from last November. I must say, I prefer the fall colors. Maybe someday we'll make it down here during the summer... but that's unlikely since we usually head north.