Take a break just outside of Santa Fe and enjoy the small reservoir above Nambe Dam. There is some good fishing if you feel like bringing your rod. Motorized boats are allowed, but limited to 16 feet so they shouldn't be too much of a nuisance. This is a fee area. Nambe Falls Dam is managed by the Nambe Pueblo & Bureau of Reclamation, call ahead with any questions regarding fees, etc.

Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area sits just 30 miles north of Santa Fe in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and offers a beautiful lake and abundant opportunity for recreation. The BLM Overlook campground features sites for tent and trailer camping. Sites are equipped with shelters, picnic tables, grills, and a vault toilet. Drinking water is not available in this campground area but is available on the other side of the lake at the North Shore boat ramp. Camping is $7 per night and offers sites on a first-come, first-served basis.

Santa Cruz lake is becoming ever popular, with its hilly terrain overlooking Espanola. The lake is most well known for the catching of the state record rainbow trout back in 1999 - bring your rod and see if you can top it! The waters are beautiful and although motorized boats are allowed, there is a no-wake speed limit enforced, so they shouldn't be too bothersome. The lake is closed to swimming due to strong currents created by the dam. $5 entrance fee per vehicle.