It is no longer permitted to enter the spillway. Please view birds from the roadside only. Park on the northeast side of NM-22, where there is a little driveway with a gate (and don't block the gate). View birds from the sides of the road, scoping the river and spillway.

Cochiti Recreation Area is located in Sandoval County within the boundaries of the Pueblo de Cochiti Indian Reservation. The lake offers two public recreation areas: Cochiti on the west side of the lake and Tetilla Peak on the east side. Both sides offer spectacular scenic views of the water and surrounding mountains. The Cochiti Dam is one of the ten largest earth-fill dams in the United States, and also one of the largest in the world. The lake derives its name from the Indian Pueblo on the Cochiti Reservation.