1 campground with availability this weekend
Tent camping near Abiquiu, New Mexico ranges from primitive backcountry sites to designated campgrounds with basic amenities. Dispersed tent campsites can be found at American Springs, a primitive camping area rated 4.5 stars, and Resumidero Camping Area, which provides picnic tables and toilets for tent campers. Star Dance provides established campsites for tent camping, while Taos Junction Campground offers tent-specific sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and access to drinking water.
Most tent campgrounds in this region have minimal amenities, with vault toilets available at some locations but not others. The primitive tent sites at American Springs allow fires and alcohol but provide no drinking water, toilets, or trash services. At Resumidero, tent campers can find picnic tables and basic toilet facilities spread across meadow and forested areas. According to one review, "The camp sites were far apart and you could chose between open meadows or in the trees." Many tent campgrounds in this area are accessible via dirt roads, some requiring high-clearance vehicles, particularly after rain or snow melt.
The elevation of tent campsites around Abiquiu significantly affects camping conditions. Nights can be cold even in summer months due to the 7,000-8,000 foot elevations common in the area. Walk-in tent sites are available at several locations, offering more privacy than drive-in options. A visitor at Road 378 near Fenton Lake noted, "The road is a bit rough, but easy access and close enough to the lake that I drove over to kayak after setting up camp." Many backcountry tent camping areas feature streams or creeks that provide both ambient sound and potential water sources (requiring treatment). Tent campers often report exceptional star-gazing opportunities at these sites due to minimal light pollution, though afternoon thunderstorms are common during summer months.
"Just sad to see bullet casings litter ground and these trees that survived the most intense fire in new mexico are being shot up and destroyed. Shame on anyone doing this"
"Any SUV could handle it but being in an extended length van limits where I can go. Very peaceful with a nice view down the canyon. Elk grazing below were the cherry on top."
"We expected a campground that was spread out, fire rings and vault toilets. It was perfect. The camp sites were far apart and you could chose between open meadows or in the trees."
"This park is very primitive. It has no running water, toilets, or amenities. What it has a lot of, is charm. Hardly met anyone while there. It has three lakes filled with trout."
"There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango."
"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."
"The road is a bit rough, but easy access and close enough to the lake that I drove over to kayak after setting up camp."
"This campsite is beautiful and right next to the lake. Perfect for some chill camping. There are multiple clearing along this road. Each one is big enough for several cars and even a couple groups."
"Nice babbling brook alongside campsites, fun for kids to play in (COLD, but shallow), and makes for great white noise.
- Convenient to Santa Fe (20-25 min from downtown)
- drive up the mountain 4"
"If you're tent camping, Big Tesuque is AMAZING!! It's small, but absolutely beautiful. Each site has a picknick table and a tent pad. There are basic toilets. No showers, no sinks."
"This is primitive, so bring all your amenities."
"Make sure you go all the way to the coordinates as there are a ton of great spots off to the left of the road, plenty of room to spread out and some solidly flat spots."
TravelerAbout 10 walk-in tent sites, grungy pit toilets and a small paved parking area off a curve in the road. Surprisingly large amount of traffic for a cold, rainy night near the end of a dead end road. I would not return unless unavoidable. UPDATE: van suffered rodent damage to wiring; almost certainly happened when here overnight. $700 and a hotel stay. At least we got to see lots of Santa Fe!
GuideCamping spots are close and tight. But nice to be on the grounds of Ojo Caliente Resort
GuideExpensive.. nice facility… I stayed 2 nights.. needed to use the laundry.. wash machines are super tiny and $3.25 a pop… I used 3 and 1 didn’t dispense enough water. Then another $3.25 for the dryer… at least it was big. People are friendly.
TravelerAwesome campground at one of the nicest hot springs you’ll ever visit. Great farm to table restaurant and wine bar. New Mexico at its best.
GuideThis easy to miss spot is a free camping area near the ranger station. The road to get to the sites is probably only a couple hundred meters from the ranger station so slow down if you are going West on 64 and turn around if you reach the station going East on 64.
The actual camping spots are towards the very end of the road where they form a sort of triangle. There are three picnic tables with what look like fire rings. But there is a lot of open space around those three tables if they happen to be taken by any chance. I did notice that most boondockers would just park their vehicles on the side of the road along the way. So basically the entire area seems to be available for boondocking. There are no trash cans, water, more vault toilets. It's packed everything out. There are a couple of vault toilets at the ranger station and you can actually walk from the campsite area because there are trails that lead to the ranger station.
Very pretty area. Very quiet. Few vehicles on the nearby road.
TravelerAll the campgrounds in the wild rivers area are very well maintained, the sites have sturdy pavilions, picnic tables and grills. Sites are nicely spaced and some have amazing canyon views. Vault-style toilets that are kept clean and stocked. Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store.
TravelerThe campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch. Campground has sites that are gravel and not very level, as others have noted, making it a bit of a challenge (site 16 in particular). Also note that some electric hookups are 20A only, not 30A. Full hookups at front of campground; tent only at rear. Showers were great and heated; laundry and bathrooms clean. Host and staff friendly. Lots of great hiking trails within walking distance of the campground. 2 small museums worth visiting. We paid $50 for electric hookup. Meal plan is now $50.
GuideHyde Memorial State Park, like many NM state parks, is more campground than park. There are additional campsites, some with 3 walled shelters at the park, so you're not limited to this particular campground, whose only real advantage is an illegal trailhead to the city reservoir, left by firefighters a couple of decades ago (look for a trail near the top off the campground loop hike).
It's illegal to go to the reservoir, but enough folks do it to keep the use trail well trodden. It's doubtful you'd be cited, but possible.
Personally I'm allergic to paying for camping if I can and still sore about paying $70 a night in Big Sur a decade ago when everything but a private campground was fully booked. So here's my cheap advice:
Drive another 6 miles to Big Tesuque, a free Forest Service campground with picnic tables, vault toilets, fire rings and a stream for water and enjoy the freedom from fees. If Big Tesuque is packed, drive up to the Ski Basin at the top and camp there, it never fills up for some reason, and also has picnic tables, vault toilets and fire rings.
There's also a dirt USFS road off the north side of Artist Road just above Hyde Park and a trailhead at the eastern edge of the stat epark that leads to the stream: this means shelpping your stuff a couple of miles though, downhill on the way in.
Point is, you can pay for camping here, but you need not if your prefer holding onto your cash, by driving just a few miles further.
GuideLook, this is a perfectly fine trailhead campground. There's nothing wrong with it.
That said, it's a quarter miles walk to the falls, and 3 miles to the warm springs, which are barely tepid. Both trails can and are frequently visited by day hikers, some using the same parking lot shared by the campground. It's not tranquil if the weather is good, as both the warm springs and falls are popular.
The real kicker though is the whole area has much better dispersed camping in all directions. If you have to stay on paved roads, go to this campground: any RV can do it. If your vehicle can handle even gravel Forest Service roads drive elsewhere and save $20 a night: it'll buy a tank of gas if you're camping even for a 3 day weekend, and gas being expensive, eliminating additional fees makes sense for many of us.
I'd head up 376, out of Jemez Springs, where one could spend the savings from camping for free on a genuine hot spring, several available in the small town. Or get a meal and a few drinks at the local bar.
Paying for camping when you don't have to has never made any sense to me, but I'm not rich. Plus the dispersed camping gives you privacy you won't get in an official campground where everyone is packed together like so many sardines in a can.
Dispersed camping near Abiquiu, New Mexico offers secluded sites across elevations ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 feet in the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests. Most primitive camping areas experience dramatic temperature shifts, with overnight temperatures dropping 30-40 degrees from daytime highs even in summer months. Seasonal forest service road closures occur after significant precipitation, with many high-elevation sites inaccessible from November through April.
Kayak the Rio Grande: The Rio Grande provides excellent paddling opportunities near Taos Junction Campground. A camper notes, "The best part about camping here is you can kayak down the river. We always rent from a local rafting business. The tour guides have never failed to impress."
Fish for trout: Multiple lakes and streams offer fishing opportunities, particularly at Canjilon Creek. According to a reviewer, "It has three lakes filled with trout. Lots of areas to explore. Plenty of wood to forage for."
Stargazing: The minimal light pollution at higher elevation sites creates exceptional night sky viewing. At Forest Service Road 578, campers enjoy clear mountain views: "I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road."
Wildlife viewing: Multiple campgrounds offer opportunities to spot elk, bighorn sheep, and other wildlife. One camper at Forest Service Road 578 reported, "I saw two elk across a swath of sage," while another mentioned seeing "big horn sheep elk" at Taos Junction.
Natural water features: Many dispersed sites feature creeks that provide ambient sound. At Big Tesuque Campground, campers appreciate the "nice babbling brook alongside campsites, fun for kids to play in (COLD, but shallow), and makes for great white noise."
Solitude and privacy: Several camping areas offer well-spaced sites. A camper at Resumidero Camping Area explained, "We expected a campground that was spread out, fire rings and vault toilets. It was perfect. Hiking trails from the campground. Beautiful area."
Forest diversity: The region features varied ecosystems at different elevations. On Forest Service Road 578, a camper noted, "The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees," while at Road 378 near Fenton Lake, another mentioned "a beautiful cliff view" at their campsite.
Elevation cooling: Higher elevation tent camping sites provide relief from summer heat. At Canjilon Creek Campground, a camper shared, "This park is very primitive. It has no running water, toilets, or amenities. What it has a lot of, is charm. The campground is at around 9,000 foot level."
Road conditions: Many dispersed camping areas require high-clearance vehicles. At American Springs, a camper advised, "Probably not a must have, but I highly recommend a four-wheel-drive high clearance to get back into the camp spots here."
Temperature fluctuations: High elevations create cold nights year-round. A camper at Road 378 by Fenton Lake warned, "It does get cold at night since at approximately 8,000 elevation."
Varying amenities: Facilities differ dramatically between established and dispersed sites. At Big Tesuque, campers find "basic toilets. No showers, no sinks. But there are 2 streams bordering the campground and trails leading into the mountains."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity drops quickly away from highways. A Forest Road 578 camper reported, "Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably."
Seasonal accessibility: Higher elevation sites have limited access in winter. A camper at Big Tesuque noted, "Road is paved all the way and regularly plowed during the cold seasons. I'm sure this is very busy during the warm seasons but we had the place to ourselves during the week in early December."
Look for water features: Children enjoy playing in shallow streams at certain campgrounds. A Big Tesuque camper mentioned their site had a "nice babbling brook alongside campsites, fun for kids to play in (COLD, but shallow)."
Pack for temperature changes: Even summer camping requires warm clothing for children. At Aspen Basin Campground, a camper noted it was "Chilly in mid October visit. Aspens are gorgeous on the drive up."
Select sites with shorter hikes: Some campsites require carrying gear uphill. A Big Tesuque camper advised, "essential hike in, uphill, have to carry your gear. The further in your campsite, the more hiking you will do (we chose one close to the parking lot, but sacrificed privacy)."
Consider tent pad size: Family tent configurations may require adaptation. A Big Tesuque reviewer shared, "campsite tent pads are small/limited. Our family of 6 usually would use 3 small tents, but had to limit ourselves to 2, so everyone was squeezed together."
Scout pullouts when possible: Dispersed camping areas may have limited turning space. At Cuba Hwy Pulloff on Forest Road 88, a camper noted, "beginning of has limited spots (25' or less total length) as you start going up the road it gets way rutted / washboarded out."
Use designated RV areas: Many primitive sites are unsuitable for larger vehicles. A Cuba Highway reviewer advised, "The road in is steep for long rigs. It's a bummer people throw so much trash and glass bottles around."
Consider seasonal timing: Forest roads deteriorate after precipitation. A Forest Road 578 camper warned, "My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV."
Prepare for no hookups: Bring generators if traveling with pets in summer. A Cuba Highway camper explained, "We decided to boondock here for the night with a generator for AC (traveling with dogs)."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Abiquiu, NM is Star Dance with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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