Campground | Description |
Aguirre Spring |
A campground at the base of the Organ Mountains in southern New
Mexico. These mountains are quite striking, and you have a good
view of the east side of them from the campground.
This campground is also near the trailheads for two or more hikes.
(It was snowing and foggy when we visited, so we will have to make
a return trip to do the hikes.)
| ![Entrance sign](./AguirreSpring/Overview/site17_4089-tiny.jpg) |
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Apache Creek | An unimproved campground amongst ponderosa pines on the northwest
side of the Gila National Forest.
| ![Campground view](./ApacheCreek/Overview/CG1-tiny.jpg) |
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Big Tesuque | This is a tent-only campground high in the Aspen-Fir zone of the Sangre de
Christo Mountains. It is flanked on both sides by streams. Some of the
campsites are a nice distance from the highway, and probably have few
problems with road noise at night.
| ![No short text](./BigTesuque/Overview/campsite-tiny.jpg) |
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Black Canyon |
Black Canyon is a great campground in a Pine/Douglas-fir forest.
It is near Santa Fe, but far enough away to be relaxing and a nice
change of pace. It is the trailhead for the Black Canyon hike.
This campground is close to the Hyde
Memorial State Park campground. Hyde Park has more facilities, but
Black Canyon is a delightfully peaceful and attractive campground
that is one of our favorites.
| ![Site 27](./BlackCanyon/Overview/Site27-tiny.jpg) |
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Bluewater Lake Canyonside campground | An open campground near a lake with all of the normal activities one
associates with a lake. This campground has electricity and water,
but does not have good lake views. For good views without hookups, see
the Piñon Cliffs and Lakeside campgrounds, or choose primitive
camping on the north and east or soth and west sides of the lake.
| ![Site 35 and the lake view](./Canyonside/Overview/img_3618-tiny.jpg) |
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Cabresto Lake | A widened parking area with a few picnic tables that at times more
resembles a busy parking lot than a campground. This heavily-used
campground provides hiking access to the wilderness and fishing
access to the lake.
| ![cars parked in the campground](./CabrestoLake/Overview/acrw_5421-tiny.jpg) |
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Capulin | A nice campground in amongst Aspen and Fir. Most of the campsites here
are across the stream from the road, reducing the road noise somewhat.
| ![No short text](./Capulin/Overview/Site4-tiny.jpg) |
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Cebolla Mesa | A campground right on the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge. Watch the sun
set on the Taos mountains, then go to sleep to the sound of the rapids
800 ft below. Wake up and watch the sun descend into the canyon, then
descend into the gorge yourself on the Cebolla Mesa trail.
| ![No short text](./CebollaMesa/Overview/overview-tiny.jpg) |
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City of Rocks State Park | A unique campground situated amongst some of the most unusual rock
formations you will ever see. The rocks, which rise up to 40 ft above the
ground, were formed by a volcanic ash flow millions of years ago.
If you visit in the spring, the botanical gardens will be full of cacti
in bloom.
| ![No short text](./CityOfRocks/Overview/Cityscape-tiny.jpg) |
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Coal Mine | A campground in a ponderosa pine forest with a stream and meadow
nearby. This campground is part way up the road to the peak of
Mount Taylor. Some maps call this Coal Mine Canyon campground.
| ![No short text](./CoalMine/Overview/CampSite8-tiny.jpg) |
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Cochiti Lake | A large campground with easy access to the lake and its associated
watersports. If you enjoy the water, this is a good campground to
visit.
| ![No short text](./Cochiti/Overview/Site47-tiny.jpg) |
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Columbine Canyon | This campground is probably the nicest of the four campgrounds in the
Red River canyon. While camping there, we were buzzed by hummingbirds,
and we saw three chipmunks working over a campsite while the people were
gone. This campground is also the trailhead for the Columbine Canyon hike.
| ![No short text](./ColumbineCanyon/Overview/Site16-tiny.jpg) |
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Cowles | The Cowles campground is primarily a tent campground along the Winsor
Creek, near the Rio Pecos. It is close to the Cowles ponds, where
fishing is popular.
| ![No short text](./Cowles/Overview/Shelter-tiny.jpg) |
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Datil Well | A surprising campground to find is the Datil Well campground. You get
to camp in a Piñon-Juniper forest and hike the nature trail.
| ![No short text](./DatilWell/Overview/Site15-tiny.jpg) |
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Davis Willow | A less-improved campground in a ponderosa pine forest about a mile
from the Pecos river. This campground appears to get the overflow
from other campgrounds such as Mora
and Terrero as well as people who
just want a less crowded camping experience.
| ![No short text](./DavisWillow/Overview/TruckInSite-tiny.jpg) |
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El Morro National Monument | El Morro was a popular stopping place for people and animals as they
traveled in historic and prehistoric times. When they stopped, some
carved signatures or other things into the sandstone bluff near the water
hole. Now, you can stop here and see the evidence of these prior trips.
Also, if you take the full hike (not yet described on ExploreNM), you
can visit the Ancestral Puebloan ruin, Atsinna.
| ![Our tent in a campsite](./ElMorro/Overview/tentsite_9196-tiny.jpg) |
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El Porvenir | A pleasant campground in an open ponderosa pine forest. With access
to trails, this campground would also make a nice base for day hikes
or longer backpack trips. A small stream runs through the edge of the
campground. This campground has many great tent sites, as well as some
sites that work well for RVs. The altitude makes for a pleasant stay
in the summer.
| ![No short text](./ElPorvenir/Overview/ElPovenir_28306-tiny.jpg) |
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Elephant Rock | A nice campground along the Red River amongst spruce-fir forest.
| ![Site 21](./ElephantRock/Overview/Site21-tiny.jpg) |
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Fawn Lakes |
A nice campground along the Red River in amongst spruce and ponderosa
pines. This campground has a separate loop for tents, providing a
separate place for those who want to be farther from the RV generators.
| ![campsite 8](./FawnLakes/Overview/Site8-tiny.jpg) |
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Gallo Campground | A campground at the world-herative site historic park. It even has its own small
ruin, and it is the trailhead for the
Canyon Overlook Trail.
| ![View of the campground from the Canyon Overlook Trail](./Chaco/Overview/img_133393-tiny.jpg) |
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Holy Ghost | Holy Ghost is a campground on the edge of the Pecos Wilderness, in a
Ponderosa-Fir forest, right at the edge of the altitude where Aspen
begin. The campground is on the edge of a stream and has a trailhead
into the Pecos Wilderness. Of the many campgrounds in this area,
only Jack's Creek might be nicer.
| ![No short text](./HolyGhost/Overview/ViewNE-tiny.jpg) |
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Hyde Memorial State Park |
A nice campground in the Sangre de Cristo mountains outside of Santa Fe.
This campground/picnic area is popular, and with good reason. The
trailhead for the Hyde Park Loop
is nearby, and part of the loop is through the campground.
This campground is right next to Black
Canyon.
| ![No short text](./HydePark/Overview/Site10-tiny.jpg) |
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Iron Creek | An older, quiet campground, this campground is good for wildlife
watching, especially birds. Iron Creek is also close to the trailhead
for the Railroad Canyon hike.
| ![A campsite in the Iron Creek campground](./IronCreek/Overview/overview-tiny.jpg) |
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Iron Gate | A small, clean campground with excellent access to the Pecos Wilderness such as
Iron Gate to the Rio Mora.
This campground is one of the highest-elevation campgrounds in the state,
making it a nice refuge from the heat in the summer.
| ![No short text](./IronGate/Overview/Site5-tiny.jpg) |
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Jack's Creek |
Jack's Creek campground is high in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, up
in amongst the aspen and fir. It has lots of open space for children to
run, along with wilderness access for hiking and backpacking. The
campsites are a mixture of some in the sun (nicer for cooler weather)
and shade (for the summer). In the fall, the aspen turning are
beautiful. This campground also has some of the nicest views of the
surrounding mountains of all the campgrounds in the area.
This campground has several double sites which would work well if you
are camping with friends. Otherwise, the sites are nicely separated.
| ![No short text](./JacksCreek/Overview/RoundMountain-tiny.jpg) |
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Jemez Falls | This campground is in a wonderful ponderosa pine forest. If you stay
here, be sure to take the short hike to Jemez Falls or go further to
Battleship Rock. This campground is popular with people using both tents
and RVs. Expect it to be full on summer weekends. If you arrive and
find it full, check out the nearby Redondo
campground.
| ![A tent in site 25](./JemezFalls/Overview/acrw_5557-tiny.jpg) |
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Junebug | A campground in the Red River Canyon in a Spruce-Ponderosa forest.
| ![site 3](./Junebug/Overview/Site3-tiny.jpg) |
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Juniper Campground at Bandelier National Monument | The campground for Bandelier National Monument is large enough that the
ranger we talked to said she had never seen it full in several years of
working here. The openness of the campground means that in the winter,
you can take advantage of morning sun to warm yourself. The campground
is well-maintained, and is near the trailheads for the Tyuonyi and Frey hikes.
| ![No short text](./Juniper/Overview/site52-tiny.jpg) |
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Kingston | A small campground along the banks of Percha Creek. This campground is
near the historic towns of Hillsboro and Kingston, and also within easy
driving distance of several hikes.
| ![Percha creek and a campsite](./Kingston/Overview/creekcampsite_8286-tiny.jpg) |
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La Sombra | A nice campground with a stream running through it. Of the three in
Taos Canyon (the others are Capulin and Las Petacas), this one is the nicest. It is
also the most heavily used.
| ![No short text](./LaSombra/Overview/Site7-tiny.jpg) |
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Lake Alice |
Lake Alice campground in Sugarite Canyon State Park is open year-round,
and conveniently located near the road. You can reserve many of the
campsites here over the web or via phone. However, for a nicer
campground, check out the nearby Soda
Pocket campground.
| ![No short text](./LakeAlice/Overview/overview-tiny.jpg) |
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Las Petacas |
A wide spot with a stream in the Taos Canyon which has been turned
into a campground. This campground is used by people as a place
to spend the night, not as a place to spend time (when we spent the
night here, most were gone a little after 8am). Part of this is
probably due to the fact that this is the first campground you reach
after you leave Taos.
If you are looking for a better campground, continue up the road to
either Capulin or La Sombra
| ![No short text](./LasPetacas/Overview/Site6-tiny.jpg) |
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Limestone Campground at Brantley Lake State Park | Brantley Lake State Park surrounds the southernmost lake in New Mexico.
Full of desert plants and animals, it is an oasis. You can enjoy all
of the normal water activities here, as well as many special events such
as kite flying and fishing clinics.
The Limestone campground is the developed campground in the park.
| ![Brantley Dam and Lake](./BrantleyLimestone/Overview/BrantleyDam-tiny.jpg) |
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Lower Lagunitas | A popular campground in a spruce forest for fishing in the nearby lakes.
When we were there, one person told us he hit his limit in just an hour or
so. Many of the campers around us were eating meals of fresh fish.
| ![View of a lake from one of the campsites.](./LowerLagunitas/Overview/5d3_116015-tiny.jpg) |
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Mora | The Mora campground is a very popular campground in a Ponderosa-Fir
forest along nearly a mile of the Rio Pecos. Some sites are nice,
but overall this campground shows the signs of its popularity in
damaged picnic tables, litter, graffiti, etc. I recommend that
you consider Jack's Creek,
Cowles,
Terrero, or
Holy Ghost instead.
| ![No short text](./Mora/Overview/RioMora-tiny.jpg) |
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Morphy Lake State Park | This campground near a small lake is a great family and fishing
campground.
| ![No short text](./MorphyLakeSP/Overview/overview_9102-tiny.jpg) |
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Oliver Lee Memorial State Park | Oliver Lee State Park has history, an amazing diversity of desert
plants, flowing water and the plants and animals associated with
it, and a great hike into the Lincoln
National Forest. While this campground is probably quite hot in
the summertime, most any other time would be an excellent time to
visit.
| ![sunset on site 13](./OliverLee/Overview/acrw_3606-tiny.jpg) |
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Pancho Villa State Park |
At the site of the last armed incursion into the continental United
States, the state of New Mexico has a park on the site of Camp Furlong,
containing a few of the original buildings and facilities. The park
includes a museum commemorating the raid and the followup raid done
by the US Army.
It also has a pleasant, xeriscaped campground and a native plant garden.
In the Spring, the wildflowers are likely to be spectacular (depending
on the winter precipitation).
| ![First US Army grease rack](./PanchoVilla/Overview/crw_8275-tiny.jpg) |
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Percha Dam State Park | A quiet campground along the banks of the Rio Grande. If you come here,
you will camp under a canopy of cottonwood trees and see lots of birds.
People who enjoy fishing can catch their dinner nearby. Kids can play
in the playground.
| ![No short text](./PerchaDam/Overview/overview_25400-tiny.jpg) |
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Red Canyon | A pair of campgrounds in a ponderosa pine forest with a (often dry) stream
near the upper camp. With plenty of campsites, this campground
will only be full on the busiest of weekends.
This campground is the trailhead for three trails which can be used
to make two loops. One of these loops is the Red Canyon/Spruce Spring loop.
| ![No short text](./RedCanyon/Overview/campsite-tiny.jpg) |
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Red Rock Park | A dense campground with amazingly-scenic red rock cliffs and a pair of
great hikes. The campground hosts many events, so you should check the
schedule before deciding to visit unless you want to be there for the
event.
| ![Tree and eroded sandstone](./RedRock/Overview/tree_77205-tiny.jpg) |
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Redondo | This ponderosa-forest campground in the Jemez offers a less-crowded
alternative to the popular nearby Jemez
Falls campground, but still offers much of the benefits. However for
the same fee as at Jemez Falls, you get less for your money, as this
campground is less well maintained and has no water.
| ![No short text](./Redondo/Overview/acrw_5633-tiny.jpg) |
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Rockhound State Park | The state parks in New Mexico are some of the nicest state campgrounds
I have seen in any state. The one here at Rockhound State Park is
no exception. Ranging from sites without utilities to RV sites, this
campground also has a playground for kids and a short, but interesting
trail. This campground at the base of
the Florida Mountains is also unique in that unlike all of the other
parks in the country, you are encouraged to take up to 15 pounds
of rocks home with you.
| ![No short text](./Rockhound/Overview/RHSPoverview-tiny.jpg) |
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Rocky Bay Primitive Campground at Brantlay Lake State Park | Brantley Lake State Park surrounds the southernmost lake in New Mexico.
Full of desert plants and animals, it is an oasis. You can enjoy all
of the normal water activities here, as well as many special events such
as kite flying and fishing clinics.
The Rocky Bay campground is the primitive campground in the park. It
has no direct services other than trash cans scattered around.
| ![Brantley Dam and Lake](./BrantleyPrimitive/Overview/BrantleyDam-tiny.jpg) |
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Sapillo | An undeveloped campground amongst the ponderosa pines in the Gila
National Forest.
| ![No short text](./Sapillo/Overview/CG1-tiny.jpg) |
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Soda Pocket |
Soda Pocket campground in Sugarite Canyon State park is surrounded
by wildflowers. This feature alone would make it a nice campground.
However, it also has trails, an amphitheater with weekend events, and
pleasantly-spaced campsites. As I type this in the campground, I have
also seen several species of birds.
This campground contains trailheads for or is near the following hikes:
Ponderosa Ridge, Deer Run, Grade Vista, Little Horse Mesa.
Due to the 2011 fire, this campground is closed. You should check with
the park before heading there if you intend on staying here.
| ![Campground overview from the Grande Vista trail](./SodaPocket/Overview/overview-tiny.jpg) |
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Sumner Lake State Park Eastside campground | This campground is close to the lake and less parking-lot like than some
of the other campsites, yet it does have some amenities such as sun
shades and electricity. In the primitive part of the campground, you
can camp right on the lake shore.
| ![No short text](./SumnerLakeEastside/Overview/img_9916-tiny.png) |
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Terrero | The Terrero campground is right on the banks of the Pecos river.
People who fish will appreciate this.
| ![No short text](./Terrero/Overview/Overview-tiny.jpg) |
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Three Rivers BLM Campground | |
Three Rivers Lincoln National Forest Campground | This campground is notable for the large trees which separate the
various campsites and the spectacular vistas of Sierra Blanca and the
Tularosa basin. Additionally, it is near
the Three Rivers Petroglyph hike.
| ![Diana Northup in campsite 3](./ThreeRiversLNF/Overview/site3_9033-tiny.jpg) |
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Trampas | The Trampas campground is a dispersed camping area with a few tables.
Located along a scenic stream, the noise from the stream will help
cover the noise from your neighbors. This campground is also the
trailhead for four trails.
| ![A campsite in the Trampas campground](./Trampas/Overview/RVincampsite_17677-tiny.jpg) |
|
Upper End | A campground situated on the edge of Lake Roberts in amongst the
ponderosa pines of the Gila National Forest. A trail leads off from the
campground to (nearly) circle the lake.
| ![No short text](./UpperEnd/Overview/LakeRoberts-tiny.jpg) |
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Upper Lagunitas | A primitive campground with an amazing view of lakes and mountains. This
campground gets far less use than Lower Lagunitas, even though a short
trail connects the two.
| ![The view of the lake and Lower Lagunitas campground from a campsite in Upper
Lagunitas campground.](./UpperLagunitas/Overview/enm-5d3_116061-tiny.jpg) |
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Villanueva State Park | Villanueva State Park is along the Pecos River in a valley cut through
sandstone cliffs. It has a trail and also protects sites related to
the historic settlement of New Mexico. Fishing and boating (when the
river is high enough) are also attractions at this park.
| ![The Rio Pecos at Villanueva State Park](./VillanuevaSP/Overview/RioPecos-2969-tiny.jpg) |
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Vista Linda | Vista Linda is an open camprground right beside the Jemez River, making
for excellent fishing access (even for people in wheelchairs).
| ![No short text](./VistaLinda/Overview/RioJemez-1238-tiny.jpg) |
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Water Canyon | Water canyon is a popular camping area; in March when it was still cold,
we were one of three groups camping here. Nearby are several hikes, and
the area is popular with mountain bikers. Birders also enjoy the avian
life in the canyon.
| ![One of the water canyon campground campsites](./WaterCanyon/Overview/overview-tiny.jpg) |
|
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