Remembering the confusion at Hyde State Park when three new campers and I attempted to register for campsites. I determined it might be wise since I was parked on Wal-Marts parking lot and have internet service to see if Bob Wells of Cheap Rv Living had done any videos about Ute Lake State Park. Wala… He had. As a result, I discovered I should have paid $16.00 instead of $20.00 for my 4-day stay at Hyde State Park; as an Annual New Mexico State Park pass holder. 

It was my intent to verify the daily fee of $4.00 for State Park pass holders at Ute Lake Park. However, upon my arrival at the park, I found it to be a self-pay station managed park; the same as City of Rocks and Hyde State Park. But there was also an entrance booth which was empty. Then my eyes were captured by the U.S. Flag blowing in the wind. Once I arrived at that location. Not only did I discover it was the Ranger’s Office, but it too was locked and empty.

Mmm. What a public mess, I thought to myself.

I must say, “This is the first-time, I have entered a State/Federally managed park that use self-pay systems. As well as, possess an unmanned entrance booth and a locked ranger office during workday hours.” All parks that I have visited (entrance booths and offices) are staffed by Rangers and knowledgeable Customer Service Employees. These are the people, who explains campground usage rules; distribute pamphlets, maps, brochures, accept customer payments, issue registration stickers to display on the front windshield of paid guests’ vehicles and yes…. They do return change to customers.

I consider myself a smart person and after spending 31-years as a federal employee; not only am I knowledgeable, alert and distrustful of how some state and federal agencies create information boards and brochures to embezzler money from unsuspecting citizens; especially when using self-pay systems. These agencies know, if customers pay more money than required because their park’s self-pay registration and park pass purchase instructions are incomplete; deceitful and/or hard to decipher – there is no customer service staff to make corrections or return overpayments to customers which is the intent of these parks’ managers. Therefore, it’s our loss as customers and their gains as thieves.

After riding through Ute Park and noticing water spigots on reservation campsites – I pulled into a site, retrieved my water hose from its exterior storage; attached it to the spigot and my mobile home and refilled my water tank. Then, I restored my water hose to its previous location and returned to the self-pay registration board and paid $56.00 for a 14-day stay. I was still roaming around the park when I noticed vehicles arriving at the office and people getting out and going inside.

I raced back to the office and was greeted by the last person, who appeared to be the supervisor going into this building. I told him how difficult it had been roaming from city-to-city and State Parks in New Mexico looking to converse with live park employees that can explain daily park fees for Annual Mexico State Park Pass Holders.

Well, we’re a little understaffed currently. Come on in, let me get you a map of this park which provides more information, he replied.Upon entering this room, I discovered a lot of people had congregated for lunch or a meeting. They were talking, laughing and surrounded by a smorgasbord of foods.  Upon sharing my disappointment regarding New Mexico’s State Park confusing payment systems as well as campground map.  A male, readily gave up his seat at the table to personally show me around Ute campground. Prior to him taking the lead in his cart. He introduced himself as the Camp Host. Then he explained the difference between reservation labeled and unlabeled campsites as follows: All campsites labeled with a green metal plate are reservation required campsites which are reserved via member telephone reservations. Campsites without reservation tags are up for grab, meaning first come first service. So, I will point out all available campsites and you can pull into the one you want. As a result, I pulled into a campsite that I wanted to occupy for the next 14-days.

Just for your information. If at any time you want to move to another site just make sure that site doesn’t display a green reservation metal plate. Because although, I’ll hate to knock on your door (early in the morning or late at night) to inform you; that you must move to an untagged site because the site you’re currently occupying is a reservation only site and the guest has arrived to claim it. I hate having to do that to campers, but it’s a part of my job – so I will do it, he said laughing.

No worries. I like this site. I can’t stand being boxed in (folks on both sides of my rv) by people I don’t know, I replied.

Meanwhile, if you need anything. Knock on my door, I am in the first rig near the restroom. I guess I should return to our staff meeting.

Thank you for the help, I replied.

I was impressed by this camp host’s hospitable attitude. In fact, I felt his attitude added a higher-level of security to residents using this campground, because the entrance booth and office certainly did not.

My findings are as follows:

As a full-time Rv’er I have travelled throughout Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming to name a few. I have stayed in Federal/State Parks, Canyons, National Forests, RV Campgrounds, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) properties, Army Corp of Engineering properties and a few hotels/motels.

• Based on my past visits to five New Mexico State Parks, I have determined the use of self-pay systems is a cheap, lazy and dishonest way to conduct business with State Park patrons and Travelers.

• Compared to other State Parks, I find these rangers to be less visible. During my 14-day stay I saw a range’s truck pass my campsite 6-times during this period. Never at night.

• The entrance booth offers campground residents a false sense of security.

• Overall, this is a beautiful spacious campground; one side is framed by a lake which offers boating, fishing and swimming opportunities to campers and community residents.

• Amenities include personal grills, covered picnic sitting area, electric and water spigot hookup, children’s playground, clean public restrooms and showers. As well as, trash dumpsters and gravel streets throughout the campground.

• I regularly see the camp host throughout the day performing maintenance tasks and patrolling this campground section at night to enhance camping residents’ safety.

• It was the Host’s wife, who explained entrance and overnight camping fees for both, the general public and Annual New Mexico State Park Pass holders. At this time, I learned the camp host was an unpaid volunteer, whose compensation is a campsite that includes complete mobile home utility hook-up which consist of electric, water and sewage. However, as hard as my camp host worked on this campground during my 14-day stay; it is my belief that he should also earn a salary.

• One day while dumping my tank, I noticed something hanging under my mobile home. Prior to returning to my campsite; I stopped at the camp host’s rig to see if he knew what it might be and how do I fix it. He greeted me with a warm smile and a look of concern. I couldn’t believe it when he put on his boots; followed me to my mobile home and laid on the ground to diagnose the problem.

“Ah…See those wires. This is a flap that covers/protects these wires from being damaged.  Okay. I am in the middle of a project right now, but I’ll take care of it”, he replied.

I don’t know when. But the host made the repair on my mobile home while it was parked on my campsite without my knowledge or that of my puppy, Dakota. This Camp Host and his wife are wonderful people. They both are authentic with sincere hearts to serve the public.  Because of the host and his wife, I will return to Ute Lake State Park annually if they are campground host.

• In addition, I have Verizon services for my cellphone, business phone and office equipment. Service connection was sporadic and/or nonexistent. After several calls to Verizon Support Tech and their review of service tower locations. It was determined, the campground was 50-miles from the nearest service tower. Therefore, a cellphone booster might help get 2 to 3 bars rather than the 0 to ½ bar you are currently getting, a tech said. As a result, I learned to live with little to no connection services from Verizon during my 14-day stay. Believe me when I say, “I will discuss this matter with them.”