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Camper submitted image from Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping - 1

Camper submitted image from Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping - 2

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Camper submitted image from Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping - 3

Roads

Camper submitted image from Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping - 4

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Dispersed Camping

Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

5 Reviews

About

National Forest

Carson National Forest

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Location

Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping is located in New Mexico

Coordinates

36.56602522956958 N
105.94956100372666 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Available
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Good

Site Types

Tent Sites
Dispersed
Equestrian

Features

For Campers

Alcohol
Pets
Fires

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

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Contact

General Info

Jennifer H.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 12, 2023

Cold and quiet with good views

There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango. We mapped Forest Road 578 and it took us to a dirt road with a lot of flat spots you can camp on. We spent the night there and it was very quiet and peaceful. If you keep going to Durango you’ll get to Carson National Forest, which is not too far from the coordinates on The Dyrt. That’s where more people are camping, you can pull off right before the 64H road marker. You’ll keep passing camping spots as you drive to Durango so you can really go almost anywhere!

Month of VisitNovember

Ron G.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 9, 2023

Tres Piedras area

The location on Dyrt maps is wrong, forest service is NW of 285 & 64. Beautiful dispersed camping spots plentiful. Park ranger Melissa was the top notch. Couldn’t have been more helpful and friendly. Definitely stay there again.

SiteRoad 69J

Month of VisitJuly

Kala J.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 26, 2023

Private and beautiful

A nice secluded little forest road. RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet.

AWD/4WD needed on the rutted rocky road.

Stayed one night and saw no one else.

Multiple pulloffs for unmarked campsites, but the one I picked was right off the road.

Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably.

Month of VisitMay

Ian O.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 30, 2022

Secluded Camp Area

Many open areas to camp right off the highway. The views of the mountains across the valley are best after the fork in the road. Please pick up extra trash if you use

Month of VisitMay

Jacob W.

Ranger

Reviewed Apr. 21, 2022

Primitive dispersed camping

I tent-camped off of Carson NF Forest Service Road 578 in mid April 2022. FS 578 is south of Tres Piedras about 5 miles on the west side of Hwy 285. There are several dirt road turn offs but FS 578 is clearly marked with a brown NFS sign (see photo) and has no gate but there is a cattle guard/grate. Here is a NFS road use map that shows dispersed camping along FS 578 and many other NFS roads: https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/gis/mvum/Carson/CarsonTresPiedrasCanjilonElRito.pdf (see also screenshot). My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV. There were few clearings suitable for dispersed camping but I found a nice spot with a small fire circle in a small clearing on the south side of the road just past a fork in the road. I carried two black boulders over to serve as a table and chair. I didn’t see anyone else camping or driving by. The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees. I saw two elk across a swath of sage. I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road. It got cold at night, like 27 F. It was a nice waypoint on my trip between Gunnison CO and El Paso TX but it didn’t look like many people camped there. I had intended to drive to Taos the next day on Hwy 64, but didn’t.

SiteDispersed site

Month of VisitMay

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are fires allowed at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is unknown, and T-Mobile is good.