Today’s Tiny House Parking Spot: Animas Valley Village

By Alexis Stephens | May 2, 2020

Today's Tiny House Parking Spot:

Animas Valley Village RV Park & Tiny Home Village

In this episode of Today's Tiny House Parking Spot, we ventured into Land of Enchantment.

We parked at the lovely Animas Valley Village. It's a tiny house/RV community located just over the Colorado state-line into New Mexico. Surrounded by beautiful spruce and golden cottonwood trees, the village is only a short walk from the Animas River.

There are eleven total parking spaces, with some available for short or long-term stays. Additionally, there are two unique short-term tiny house rentals available.

During our short stay, we parked next to a friendly tiny house family of five, the Tiny Cottage Caravan. Their tiny home backs up to a grassy lot with a small playground. In their opinion, the one thing that would make the village better is another tiny house family, or two.

Looking for tiny home parking? Full-time spots are now available at Animas Valley Village!

The owner, Melissa Lopez's original vision was to create a small community on her land in La Plata County, CO, just 15 minutes away. Due to restrictions and high costs, she decided to find a new property in a less restrictive New Mexican county. Melissa admitted, she got lucky when she discovered the land where Animas Valley Village now sits. It was an old, run-down RV park with existing, mostly working infrastructure and zoning for year-round occupancy.

Over several months, Melissa's family fixed up the property. They added outdoor communal space with a lovely pergola, outdoor seating, and a grill. We were fortunate to enjoy a cookout with all the neighbors. This area backs up to the on-site laundry room that offers inexpensive washing machines and free drying.

For us frequent laundromat users, this is a real perk. Melissa's vision is to create a vibrant, affordable village experience. In the future, the plan is to add a community garden, dog park, and outdoor activities like horseshoes.

What really liked about the village is how it offers a peaceful, country living within proximity to two great towns, Durango, CO, and Aztec, NM.

For about tiny house communities in Durango, see this post.

Aztec Ruins National Monument

During our stay at Animas Valley Village, we explored the charming small town of Aztec. We enjoyed its refreshing slow pace by strolling through the historic downtown and riverside park.

The highlight of our trip to Aztec was the fascinating Aztec Ruins National Monument.

It is an ancient communal home to the Pueblo people. Over their centuries-long migration, they made settlements across the Chaco Canyon region.

We took a half-mile pathway that weaves through the Aztec Ruins, from their ritual gathering places to their sprawling masonry rooms used for living, cooking, and storage.

As we took in the sights, we felt like we were transported to the 11th century–an awe-inducing experience. The well-crafted communal facilities and the cooperation required to keep this civilization thriving is similar to a modern cohousing community.

The Willow House and The Pemberley

Animas Valley Village is eager to welcome new tiny home dwellers. If you're interested, try out the community by booking stay in one of their tiny house rentals.

The Pemberley is an impressive 37′ gooseneck tiny home built by Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses.

It is a truly unique home that was custom-made for a military family of five. While stationed overseas, they're renting out their tiny house for short-term bookings.

Boy, does this tiny house live large, with full-size appliances, walk-in closet, and high-end Orinoco granite countertops. There are three bedrooms in the tiny house, with bunk beds in the gooseneck. The two lofts feature vertical metal louvers that act as heavy-duty privacy curtain that opens like shutters to allow for airflow.

The other rental, the Willow House, offers a very different tiny living experience. It's an adorable 20' tiny house. My favorite feature is the stairwell with a beautifully twisted metal railing, like a work of art.