Joe Skeen Campground operates within BLM Land — Rio Puerco Field Office, offering ten first-come, first-served sites accessible year-round via a fifteen-minute drive from Highway 40. The Bureau of Land Management maintains this established campground with covered pavilions at each site, containing picnic tables alongside individual grills and fire rings.
Campers consistently note the campground's cleanliness, particularly the two vault toilets positioned in upper and lower areas. Sites spread 100 feet or more apart, though leveling presents challenges for RVs longer than 30 feet due to uneven terrain. "Everything was clean, including the toilets," reports Erin, who found the gravel access road easy to navigate despite arriving after dark.
The campground fills rapidly, especially during weekends and peak seasons like Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta. Multiple reviewers arrived to find only one or two sites remaining, with some noting tent campers occupying larger sites suitable for RVs. Water access requires planning—the ranger station provides water Friday through Sunday from 8am to 4:30pm, though campers can purchase water at Sky City RV Park thirty minutes away when the station closes.
Hiking and biking trails branch from the campground into the surrounding El Malpais area. Cell service varies significantly by provider, with T-Mobile showing no coverage while Starlink internet performs well for remote workers. The access road includes a notably deep dip that smaller vehicles navigate without difficulty.
Sites accommodate various camping styles from tent camping to RVs, though the uneven ground requires extra leveling blocks for trailers. "Lots of trails to walk" and expansive views from nearby rock ledges provide recreation options for campers willing to explore beyond their sites.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsJoe Skeen Campground is located in New Mexico near San Rafael
Directions
Located 11 miles south on 117, from exit 89 on I-40 and 2 miles south of the BLM Ranger Station.
Coordinates
34.94347847 N
107.82038736 W
Connectivity
T-MobileNo CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 6/29/26
VerizonLTEGood CoverageVerified by 39 usersLast on 6/29/26- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 7 usersLast on 6/29/26
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo CoverageVerified by 2 usersLast on 6/29/26
- VerizonLTEGood CoverageVerified by 39 usersLast on 6/29/26
- AT&TNo CoverageVerified by 7 usersLast on 6/29/26
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Drive Time
- 1 hr 7 min from Albuquerque, NM
- 1 hr 56 min from Santa Fe, NM
- 2 hrs 24 min from Farmington, NM
- 3 hrs 56 min from Las Cruces, NM
