New Mexico

The Pecos River runs thru the campsite and there is a good restaurant (La Risa Cafe) in the town of Ribera not far from the campsite. This area of the state usually gets the most rain and is the greenest. I haven't camped at Villanueva, but I've hiked along the river - very picturesque. I live about 30 minutes from the town of Manzano. The Manzano State Park has no water near the campsite - it's just a nice wooded area. It's about 3 miles in from the town of Manzano. There is a small peaceful lake in the town of Manzano. It's right off the main street in the tiny town but you can't see the lake from the road . If you stay at Manzano, the Salinas Pueblo Missions are interesting to visit; the Quarari ruins are in the next town, Punta de Agua. It's very dry in this area right now. We have gone to Stage 2 fire restrictions.

Because of the dry conditions , I think I would choose Villanueva over Manzano.

Have fun!! It's a beautiful state. Last week my friends and I went to Capilla Peak in the Manzano mts. My good friend is the fire lookout person and we got to climb up to the lookout for the unbelievable views.