16 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Carson National Forest near Arroyo Hondo offers dispersed camping options where horses are permitted. Forest Service Road 578, accessible about 5 miles south of Tres Piedras on the west side of Highway 285, provides multiple primitive camping sites suitable for horse owners. The dirt road contains ruts that may be challenging for RVs but is navigable with appropriate vehicles. While no dedicated horse corrals exist at these sites, the spacious clearings accommodate portable corrals and highlines. Many campers report complete solitude during their stay with beautiful views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains visible from certain vantage points.
Trail access throughout Carson National Forest connects riders to numerous bridle paths and wilderness areas. The Forest Service provides detailed maps showing permissible riding routes and camping areas. Weather conditions can change rapidly in this high-elevation terrain, particularly in spring and fall when overnight temperatures frequently drop below freezing. Water access for horses is limited at dispersed sites, requiring campers to bring adequate supplies. Rio Costilla Park, located north of Arroyo Hondo, offers additional camping with more amenities including picnic tables and toilet facilities, though the fees have increased to $30-40 per night. The park encompasses 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines with ample room for horse trailers and various hiking and riding opportunities.
"The location is isolated and you need to bring plenty of water. The advantage is being able to walk into the Gorge, which if you fly fish, is an amazing thing."
"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."
"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"
"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."
"Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"
"This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful!"
"The park is HUGE and just so beautiful. 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines only one hour away from the town of Taos."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"There is a trail head with 2 trails, one atv accessible and one hiking/horse that goes up to Indian Lake. Beautiful views and about 1200' elevation change."
"Tent camped at this location in the middle of September (a week before closing). Very beautiful place to watch the leaves change, trailheads close by and picnic tables at each site."
from $30 - $175 / night
Check Availability"Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for."
"There is a walking trail at the back of the campground to get to Surree Ponds."
from $22 - $40 / night
Check Availability"Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area"
"The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes."
from $30 - $80 / night
Check Availability"My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM."
"No luck fishing but several people around us were catching very nice sized trout. Vault toilets were well stocked and clean."
from $24 - $125 / night
Check Availability"About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Close to the Rio Mario Trail trailhead. Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Worked great for tent camping."
"Campground is a little off the beaten path, about 30m from the High Drive highway. Dirt roads were nothing to worry about, should be fine for any SUV or sedan."
"The campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch."
"The whole ranch has been turned into a top notch facility with campgrounds and motel rooms, horses for rent, classes, and great hiking. The campground is large with several interconnecting loops."
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.
LegendSome good hikes, corral (horseback rides), museum, pack in pack out, & bring your own water (drought conditions; there is water available but don't rely on their water if for no other reason to support their conservation of it--don't recall any water hookups). Friendly staff. Did not avail ourselves of meal plan. Beautiful night skies. Still in mid to upper 90s in September (hot in afternoon). Beware that winds can gust suddenly & hard, including strong dust devils (a devil came through & tore up some tents & sunshades including mangling aluminum frames of some shades).
ScoutThe view is great. But nothing is level. Lots of trash. OHV's driving everywhere. This is a big OHV area. We were in a campervan. Never could get it level. Not real private. 2 Stars for the view only. We won't be back.
GuideReally enjoyed this campground. Most of the sites are FCFS and the host comes to you for payment.
The pit toilets were very clean, no flies or anything gross. The road is a bit rough but nothing to unusual for a campground up here.
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous with plenty of aspens amounts the pines.
I will definitely visit again.
LegendLet me start by saying I love that this place was once inhabited by the phenomenal artist Georgia O'Keeffe and there are some cool things to do on the ranch.... But....
This was one of the worst campgrounds I've ever stayed in. The sites are uneven, the campground layout makes no sense, the hook-ups are on the wrong side and some of the sites just piled up on each other.
I booked two nights hoping for a nice experience at the Ranch, but was sorely disappointed. I did enjoy walking the labrynith and seeing the library. I didn't have time for a workshop or guided tour.
The camp host was super nice. There were showers. The laundry left my clothes with a weird chemical smell. Would not recommend camping here, but definitely visit the ranch, especially if you are a Georgia O'Keeffe fan.
TravelerThis is what we wanted to find with dispersed camping! Beautiful view! A couple of neighbors but never heard them. Not the easiest piece of ground to get the trailer leveled but we made it work. Very pleased with our 3 nights there.
TravelerIt is now up to $40. $20 bucks for the night and then $20 for the day pass. It is well maintained. The spots are hit or miss. There's some spots close to each other and some dispersed.
ScoutBased on the reviews I thought this place would be a cool oasis up in the trees. Alas, it's not. There's a loop with 14 total sites. Unfortunately, at least half the sites in the inner ring are unusable because of road runoff making it tough to get to them, and we have a Toyota Tacoma. As a result, they do not get used and are, therefore, overgrown with New Mexico ground cover, which is not comparable to soft grass. That immediately bumps it down to about 10 sites. When we arrived, there was one site available that we could access. It was behind the main trailhead parking area and completely shaded. All in all, not bad, just not our ideal choice since it's right there close to any and all foot traffic. Luckily, as we walked the rest of the loop to see if there was anything else, a couple was just finishing packing up so we were able to snag their spot (#13), which we felt was the best one. Score!
Now, let's talk the road to get there. Absolutely do not try to take a camper of any size to this campground unless it's a legit overland type tear or squaredrop, ideally with an articulating hitch. People are not kidding when they say that's not a good idea. We had our Tacoma in 4L and I'm honestly not sure how some 2WD vehicles make it. There are many spots where the incline is pretty good, a number of deep crevices as a result of water runoff, many sections that are absolutely one lane only, and at least 6 spots where there was a small pond of standing water to drive through. Were any of the ponds show stoppers, no, but the water in one dip came up past the bottom of our doors. All in all, the road is no joke. Yes, I get this is a forest road, but the road snakes through multiple pieces of residential property (albeit they are probably summer homes but we saw people at almost every house when we drove past), and there's a hiking trailhead at the campground, so I expected it to be not THAT bad. In my book, it's not officially 'offroading' but it's worse than other forest service roads we've been on. Oh, and the couple residents we passed driving in their vehicles (you can tell by looking at them they are not campers or hikers) made it abundantly clear they weren't happy with us being on their road. All in all, nice campground with great trailheads but there are too many other beautiful places to hike and camp in NM for us to want to go back.
Carson National Forest provides dispersed camping options in high-elevation terrain near Arroyo Hondo. The surrounding landscape combines juniper and pine forest with sagebrush clearings at elevations ranging from 7,500 to 9,500 feet. Temperature fluctuations can be extreme, with summer daytime highs reaching 80°F but nighttime lows dipping into the 40s.
Fishing opportunities: The Rio Costilla Park area north of Arroyo Hondo contains numerous fishing spots that attract anglers. "Fishing is great and quality waters. It is fisherman's fly fishing dream. Camping is great too as you can park next to the river," notes one visitor to Rio Costilla Park.
Hiking trails: Multiple trailheads provide access to wilderness hiking paths with varying difficulty levels. At Iron Gate Campground, one camper reports, "Great hiking trails are near by taking you up to some great scenic outlooks over the mountain sides." Many trails connect directly to campsites.
Wildlife viewing: The region supports diverse wildlife, particularly during early morning and evening hours. "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," writes a camper who stayed at Carson NF Forest Service Road 578.
High elevation cool temperatures: Even during summer months, the elevation provides relief from heat. A camper at Agua Piedra Campground shared, "It is just what WE want when we go camping. You can drive 10 minutes away to Sipapu ski resort to use free wifi at the cafe."
Solitude and privacy: Many sites provide ample separation between campsites, particularly in dispersed areas. "A nice secluded little forest road. RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet. Stayed one night and saw no one else," reports a visitor to Carson NF Forest Service Road 578.
Mountain scenery: The surrounding Sangre de Cristo mountains create dramatic landscapes throughout the area. One camper at Mallette Creek North described it as "a beautiful view! A couple of neighbors but never heard them. Not the easiest piece of ground to get the trailer leveled but we made it work."
Road conditions vary significantly: Access roads to many sites can be challenging, particularly after rain. "The road isn't terrible going up, saw many 2WD vehicles. Good amount of spots but many have no shade/not level," notes a camper at Iron Gate Campground.
Limited or no services: Most dispersed sites have no facilities whatsoever. Even established campgrounds have basic amenities. "Vault toilets were well stocked and clean. Trails nearby for hiking and biking," writes a visitor to Hopewell Lake Campground.
Cell service limitations: Signal is spotty or non-existent in many camping areas. "Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably," reports a camper at Carson NF Forest Service Road 578.
Stream access: Camping near water features provides natural entertainment for children. At Rio Costilla Park, one camper shared, "Took inner tubes and rode them down the stream! Stayed two nights and loved every minute."
Wildlife awareness: Teaching children about local wildlife enhances the experience while promoting safety. At Santa Barbara Campground, a visitor noted, "There were a few cows that got into the camping area. There can also be horses on the trails so be vigilant."
Temperature preparation: Significant day-to-night temperature swings require appropriate clothing and sleeping gear. "It got cold at night, like 27 F. It was a nice waypoint on my trip between Gunnison CO and El Paso TX," shares a camper from Carson NF Forest Service Road 578.
Site selection for equestrian camping: When bringing horses to dispersed sites, look for areas with adequate clearing. "Good road all the way in. About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Sites have a small horse pen but you would need to make a gate on them. Not good for big LQ horse trailers," advises a visitor to Borrego Mesa Campground.
Vehicle clearance requirements: Many forest roads require higher clearance vehicles, especially for equestrian camping near Arroyo Hondo. "The site isn't easy to get to for low clearance vehicles. During rainy seasons, ruts form with deep mud on some spots driving up," warns a camper at Iron Gate Campground.
Camping duration planning: The remote nature of many sites affects how long you can comfortably stay. "Even with a couple and a new born up the hill I never heard them from our campervan! Serene surroundings and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!" shares a visitor to Mallette Creek North.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Arroyo Hondo, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Arroyo Hondo, NM is Big Arsenic Springs Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Arroyo Hondo, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 equestrian camping locations near Arroyo Hondo, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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