Best Tent Camping near Blanco, NM

Recent Tent Reviews near Blanco, New Mexico

318 Reviews of 8 Blanco Campgrounds

• K

  KEVIN K.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 16, 2022

  Pine Juniper Campground — Navajo Lake State Park

  Amazing mid-week getaway

  We came for a mid-week getaway to test a new tent. Camp hosts were friendly and we almost had the whole loop to ourself with some great amenities running water in the bathrooms and showers included for only $10. We had views of the lake, but not so close as to hear any of the boats. good tent sites and some shade from juniper trees.

• j

  jennifer M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2020

  United Campground of Durango

  family friendly camping spot

  We did tent camping and 2 tents fit in our spot (an 8 person and a 4 person tent). The tent sites have a table with benches. no fires are allowed so bring a gas stove if you plan on cooking. Its really close to the Durango old Town area (like 10 min drive or less) and about 45 minutes to mesa verde. The camp sites are right next to the Aminas river but there's no access to it from the campground unfortunately.

• 

  Jennifer G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 13, 2023

  Homestead RV Park

  Good, especially in a pinch

  RV spot that has tent sites. They gave us an RV site because the tent sites were full. Maybe a little pricey but we were running out of daylight - the staff were really nice and the park is quiet even though it's near a main road. Bathrooms were nice!

• M

  Melody M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2021

  Moore's RV Park & Campground

  Large spaces

  This is an RV Park with many RV Spaces, tent sites, and some cabins for rent. The RV sites are easy to get into, relatively level, and have tables and grill/fire pits. There is gravel on the spaces- although they could add more gravel. Nice dog park divided into two areas so your dogs don’t have to co-mingle. There is a clean, reasonably priced laundry room and a swimming pool. The spaces are nice and wide and many have large trees for nice shade, but some don’t and have full sun. There are multiple tent sites, with tables and grills as well; along with a site for large tenting groups.

• 

  Brett H.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 24, 2021

  Sims Mesa Campground — Navajo Lake State Park

  The quieter side of Navajo Lake

  The quieter side of Navajo Lake State Park, this is a nice, clean campground with pull through and tent sites (elec and non) close to Sims marina. Nothing spectacular and a bit remote, so not a place I would seek out necessarily. Keep in mind that this requires a little more driving to get to, so if you’re just passing through, be mindful that it’s ~17 miles from highway 64.

  Pros:

  • Quieter, seems less crowded than reg marina side of park
  • A good mix of pull through and tent sites with plenty of room to drive in. Tent sites are multi level in a few cases (tables and pits are a short level below parking spot)
  • Lake views for some spots (seem to be partial as trees do block some parts of view)
  • Reasonably spaced, not super private but that is pretty much any paid campground
  • Cleanish bathrooms and pit toilets, a little smelly on our visit and had no soap to wash hands (not in peak season, so think campgrounds are a little understaffed with no camp host until mid may)

  Cons:

  • A bit of a haul/remote if you’re just stopping through on way west through NM
• 

  Kristin A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2018

  Junction Creek Campground

  Close to Durango but feels remote

  Campground features shady sites that will accommodate big rigs. If you are tent camping you might feel surrounded, but most spaces are so far apart, we never heard a peep from our neighbors. Overall the campground was well run with super clean bathrooms in each loop. 15 minute drive to town makes this a great home base to explore Durango and the Animas Valley.

• D

  Danielle V.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2016

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Not recommended!

  Stayed at site 78. Probably the only campground that we stayed at during 2 week trip to CO / west that we did NOT like. Not a flat thing in the entire campground, and no privacy! Very nice owners, but didn’t make up for the shortcomings. Probably a much nicer place to stay if you’re using one of their many cabins, and that’s clearly what this campground is oriented for. 2 stars, however, for tent camping experience.

• 

  HootmonHarry

  Scout

  

  Jun. 29, 2021

  Ute Campground

  Quick Stop

  I was just passing thru, and everything in Durango looked booked up, so I stopped here. 4 tent only sites, and more RV sites. Pulled in around 3:30pm and still 2 tent sites left. Table fire pit and BBQ stand. Lots of trees. Pit outhouse not too far and was clean and well stocked. Gravel road, but I could easily navigate with my cruiser bike. It did rain, but as you can see from the photos, I was prepared

• A

  Alison C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2018

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Great KOA

  The bathrooms are very nice and have two shower houses located on the campground. The breakfast is awesome and it's fun to relax in the pool they have on site. The cabins are very nice as well as the tent sites. All of the staff are great and very helpful when asking about what to do in Durango. We did the drive to Silverton that is absolutely beautiful and checked out Mesa Verde.

• A

  Annette B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 30, 2020

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Information is outdated, this campground is no longer operated by KOA!!!

  It's OASIS RV Resort & Cottages now, as you can see on Google Maps: https://www.myrvoasis.com

  We've just stayed there and wouldn't go back. The location is very close to Durango but right off the highway so it's noisy. It was a noisy experience in general with large families partying every night (apparently they got warned by the hosts but that only helped one night), and loud music blasting in the washrooms 24/7. Some of the tent sites are mixed use, they come with electricity but the don't have a nice level gravel pad for the tent. Hosts seemed nice, facilities were very clean. Paper towels in the washrooms would be nice, or even better a hand free kickstand to open the door in times of Corona!

• E

  Ellen T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 11, 2018

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Fun place to stay

  Pros

  The campground was relatively small so nothing was too far away. Laundry facilities were nice. Lots of showers that were private stalls. Lots of activities to do. The staff was very friendly and professional. Very clean- they even scrub the heck out of the bbq grills even when they have to stand in the heat of the day doing it. Delicious pizza.

  Cons

  It was close to a highway- BUT it was pretty well set back so it didn't feel unsafe by any means, but there was a lot of traffic noise. Sites are packed pretty tightly and many of the tent sites are not private in the least. We got lucky and got one set back with the cabins. The pool is pretty small, but it was clean and the kids had a great time.

• 

  Kelsey M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 13, 2018

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Pretty Great

  Let me start this by saying that I am incredibly skeptical of chain campgrounds (for some reason especially KOA's). The KOA Holiday in Durango is great. I was there only a few days before closing for the season and it has snowed in much of the surrounding area so the campground wasn't too crowded. The campground is a little ways outside of historic Durango and less than an hour from Mesa Verde. The tent site I stayed in was near the showers/bathroom and laundry and in the middle of the ground but didn't feel like I was lacking privacy. The cost is basically the same as staying in Mesa Verde's campground and there's paid laundry as well as really great showers in very clean bathrooms. The staff are incredibly friendly. They have gardens on site and, because it was the very end of the season, they were giving away fresh produce for free!

• 

  Jenni O.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Tiffany Campground — Navajo State Park

  Great for those wanting to do water sports

  It’s a good campground. It’s just a little dated. We stayed at Tiffany Loop, 027. Some of the tent sites at that loop need some attention (the barrier fence was down and the site overgrown ). Our site was just fine for what it was. Nice sized parking spot that we backed into. Gravel pad with (uncovered) picnic table and fire pit. There was a grassy spot where we placed our tent. Lots of sticky prickly grass around so watch your little kids :) the water is down behind the camp sites , down a steep hillside. We were not able to explore the water as we had to leave early due to sick kids but there were lots of boaters, pontoons, and house boats out there and we were planning to rent something! At Tiffany Loop, there are flushing toilets, a sink, and coin showers that are all clean! At Rosa Loop (a short drive ), there are coin showers, flushing toilets, and coin laundry services. It is very hot and sunny during the day so I’d bring a shade tent too! There are cabins at Tiffany loop as well.

• 

  Sarah S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 19, 2021

  Oasis RV Resort and Cottages

  Nice campground with lots of amenities

  This was my first time staying at a more RV focused campground and I really liked it. Since we've started working full time from our van I wanted to make sure we had internet and electricity and camping here really gave me peace of mind as we worked for the week. We really have everything we need here. There are definitely some sites that I would not be very thrilled to get but I really liked the site we got- site 43. It felt a little more private than some and had a few trees and bushes around it making it feel nice and cozy. Not sure I would want to tent camp here...those sites didn't look as good. I also think the sites that you back into as opposed to the drive through seem nicer and a bit more private. The sites for the big rigs were more like a parking lot style. 

  I've never stayed at a campground with so many amenities...pool, mini golf, laundry, store. It was really a fun change to stay somewhere with such a community feel. 

  This campground is about a 15 minute drive to downtown Durango.

• G

  George K.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 12, 2021

  Angel Peak Scenic View Campground

  Rough entrance with nice rewards

  It’s about 6 miles from the hwy with the first 1/4 mile being beyond washboard. After that little stretch it’s on and off washboard. I can imagine if it rained it looks like it could be quite slick. Didn’t count, but I think about 9 sites half with a covered picnic table and campfire ring. A couple sites seemed to be geared towards tent camping while some of the others were only big enough for the smallest rv campers and a couple that might squeeze in a 30’. Their is one group site that even the big rigs could get into, but that’s only one and these sites can fill up fast. So it’s a gamble expecting a site that your rig will fit especially if you have something bigger than 20’. I felt quite lucky to find 3 sites available with my 22’ tt after beating myself and the contents in the trailer to get here. Near the entrance theirs parking at a overlook and day use picnic area halfway to the camping sites with vaulted toilets. Not much for hiking trails at the camp sites. Only one I found on the west side of the campground that follows the rim, but it’s short.

• 

  Alyssa B.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 19, 2020

  Tico Time River Resort

  Fun-Filled resort for all ages!!!

  I seriously don't know where to start here!  This is a Costa Rican style resort filled with fun for the whole family!  60' rock wall, 60' free fall, zipline over the river, 18 hole disc golf, 2 huge fenced-in off leach dog parks, 1/2 mile of riverfront property on both sides, 2 sand bottom ponds with free stand up paddle boards, shuttles and tubes to rent to take you up river to tube back to the resort, white sand beach volleyball, trampoline, slip n slide into a catch pool next to the river, waterslide, launching waterslide, FIREWORKS every Saturday night in the spring/summer/fall, FIRE PEFORMERS Saturday nights (weather permitting), and live bands and DJs in the huge  riverside dance pavilion on Holliday weekends.  75 full hookup sites (soon to be 150) with daily, weekly, and monthly affordable pricing.  A few tent sites available.  SCHOOLIES WELCOME!!!!  FAMILY FUN ENCOURAGED!!! All of this in an area with so many amazing things to do within a 30 min drive....but you may not want to leave the resort because it's so much fun!!!!!

• S

  Steve S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 16, 2022

  Gallo Campground — Chaco Culture National Historical Park

  Hot, dry, sandy, no shade, decent facilities, historical setting

  Face it, you don't go to Chaco Canyon, or Chaco Culture National Historical Park, for the camping experience. You go for the history, archaeology, ruins, mystery, astronomy and appreciation for the peoples who built these great houses 1200 years ago. But the facilities for tent camping are adequate-to-better, with very good restroom facilities and drinking water. No showers - carefully read the descriptions. No T-Mobile coverage to speak of, although if you make the climb up to Pueblo Alto to overlook Pueblo Bonito, I did get a weak signal that was good enough to download emails, but that was it.

  Some of the campsites are closer to each other than others. The camp is arranged in a loop, generally I'd prefer to be toward the far end end of the loop for vehicle privacy. 

  CAUTION: Pay attention to the weather and especially rain in the preceding days. I drove up to Chaco from Grants (from the south) and got stuck in about what turned out to be about a foot of mud under a few inches of standing water in a wash 4.4 miles from the Chaco Visitor's Center. Don't risk it! I drove out to the north on the road that connects to NM 550. That's the much preferred road IMO, and apparently the one also usually recommended by the NPS staff.

• 

  Hayley K.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 27, 2020

  Angel Peak Scenic View Campground

  Perfect Hidden Gem when visiting Bisti Badlands

  Access to the Angel Peak Scenic Area is off US Highway 550, 15 miles south of Bloomfield on County Road 7175. Follow the gravel road along the canyon rim for approximately six miles to reach the campground. It is important to note the gravel road may become dangerous in bad weather. 

  First of picnic areas is a mile down a gravel road. Many RV's seem to be using this for boondocking. I don't blame them, but try and keep them open for day trippers if possible. The Picnic areas are on the rim of the canyon. The campground is 6 miles down the same road.

   Three picnic areas and a campground are located along the canyon rim overlooking Angel Peak and the Kutz Canyon badlands. Three picnic areas(Sage, Castle Rock, and Cliffs). In total there are seven developed sites located along the rim road. Each site has a shelter, tables on a concrete slab, a gravel pathway, and a fire grate. Trash cans are located in all three picnic areas. There are vault toilets available at both Sage and Cliffs picnic areas. These are BLM sites and are incredibly well maintained in the Winter. No electrical hookups or water is available.

  Angel Peak Campground has nine sites available for tent camping. They each have picnic tables on a concrete underfoot, gravel pathways, and fire grates. Picnic shelters are located at three campsites; two with single shelters and one with a double shelter that seems to be a great spot for larger groups. Two accessible vault toilets and trash receptacles are in the campground. 

  There is a nature trail that heads though light brush and along the rim to a beautiful bench that overlooks the incredible canyon.

• 

  Amber W.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 20, 2024

  Brown Springs Campground

  Easiest Free Site we’ve been to

  We drove up Hwy 491 from I40 and were surprised there were no sites all the way up to Farmington or Shiprock. We chose this site but got there when it was already dark. Apple Maps to ok us directly to the site. It’s about 3 miles on a long dirt road. The road was dry when we visited so we had no problems. We drove into the tents sites on a Tuesday night and found several vacant.

  The site itself was layered with gravel. There’s a covered picnic table and large fire ring in each site. We are tent campers and appreciated not setting the tent in the mid or dirt. The other sites are close but not so close you are forced to make conversation. That’s a choice here!

  We didn’t hike while here but you could easily have some fun out there!

• 

  Dennis P.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 21, 2021

  Angel Peak Scenic View Campground

  Stunning view

  It looks like a miniature Grand Canyon. Striations in the rock show its sedimentary origin, and the erosion reveals voids under the layers. We camped on the rim where the bottom drops out precipitously. Hikes along the sheer cliffs test the meddle and nerve of brave hikers.

  About New Mexico sunrises and sunsets, there are two shows daily, no reservations required!

• C

  CapnWill

  Scout

  

  Aug. 17, 2023

  Brown Springs Campground

  Clean new BLM campground

  We got our permit at the nearby BLM office. The sand/gravel road to the Campground is decent, but almost got stuck in soft spots in our 21' motor home. Campsites are nice, with mostly level parking spots, and picnic site under hard roof shade--a good thing, as the New Mexico August sun was hot, and the Campground pretty much treeless.

• T

  Timothy

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2021

  Junction Creek Campground

  Awesome campground!

  We stayed here coming and going on a long trip from Oregon to New Mexico. We didn't expect a whole lot, since it was a Forest Service campground, but we were so impressed. The hosts were very friendly, the camp was immaculate, bathrooms clean, and lots of space between campsites for privacy. Will definitely stay here again.

• 

  James F.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 22, 2022

  Pine Main Campground — Navajo Lake State Park

  Tight close together sites

  Navajo Lake State park is situated on a relatively big lake for New Mexico standards. The campsites are relatively small and close together. Also bring plenty of leveling materials because several of the sites are uneven. The views from some of the sites are beautiful. Getting to the lake is a steep and rocky walk or a short drive to the marina. Most of the sites don’t have water or electricity. Pine campground is the only one from my recollection. Probably a mad house during regular season and relatively quiet off season. The marina has services and we didn’t use any of them.

• J

  Justin C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 20, 2020

  Rosa Campground — Navajo State Park

  Local Experience

  Plan your next trip here!! I grew up a few miles away. it has always been great, it is better now. The campgrounds are spread all throughout the lake which reaches from Northern New Mexico into Colorado.

  The Marina is newly remodeled and expansive. There are bass fishing tournaments, every type of boat rental, lake houses, a fishing area for kids, and much more.

  The fishing at this lake and the San Juan river are world renowned. The river has a few guided tour companies, but Abe’s is the best. They have a store, gas, restaurant, and hotel.

  The area is great whether you are in CO or NM. Durango, CO is a short drive away on the edge of the mountains. Ignacio houses a Casino and hotel nearby as well.

• 

  Jennifer M.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2023

  Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness | Dispersed Camping

  Backcountry adventure

  We had the goal of exploring New Mexico back country and Bisti, which we did! The Dyrt directions to the trailhead here are perfect. There were a few folks camping at the parking lot and there is a relatively clean pit toilet there though bring TP. We drove past the lot and got over a ditch no problem with our Tacoma. Past the second lot there is dispersed camping. We picked a great spot on the left. Nearby our spot 100 yards were very cool rock formations. We hiked in the badlands and found some neat formations and petrified wood though nothing like the beautiful photos published online. It was still worth it for the unique experience. We did a 6 mile out/back hike with 2 dogs. Flat but hot and windy at times. Some of the wind got intense at our camp spot. All in all this is a worthwhile experience if you like getting off the beaten path and exploring something different. We drove from here to Alien Throne. GPS was spotty but got us there and we had on/off service in Bisti.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 5, 2024

  Gallo Campground — Chaco Culture National Historical Park

  Absolutely worth the effort!

  This campground is not easy to get to, so get your head around that. The last 5 miles of the unpaved road getting to the park boundary will be a challenge, so take it slllooow. It is worth it, and you’ll have fewer crowds at this amazing place. 

  The campground is similar to many national parks, with nicely spaced out, no hook up campsites. The toilets are clean and well maintained, flush toilets, and sinks, but no showers.  Water is available throughout the campground, and there’s a big sink for dumping your dish water. 

  The campground is ideal for solar power, as is the New Mexico weather.  We also had no problem connecting with Starlink, but there was no LTE or phone service to speak of. 

  Hiking in the park is simply stunning. With the ruins of the Chaco Culture all around, you can pick your adventure or simply drive the park loop road, stopping to wander through the remains of this vibrant place that was once the heart of a vast cultural empire. 

  Cycling is also a great option -- bike/ hike your way around the park from the campground. The visitor’s center is good, and worth spending some time in.  The closest town with services is a long long way away, in any direction, so come prepared with your supplies, food, etc. 

  There is a convenience store/ gas station about 20 miles out, but the drive back along the rough road will take an hour in an RV.  

  This park is so worth a visit and the campground makes it easy to stay for as long as you can to soak up the solitude of this simply amazing place!

• G

  Gail

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2021

  Pine Point Campground

  Absolutely FABULOUS!

  Last time I saw Vallecito Lake was in April of 2019. It was virtually empty of any water and that is not an exaggeration. Every bit had been drawn down and it being April the Spring melt had not yet started. However, the area around the lake had captured my soul and I had been hankering to return in early summer to it witness the lovely lady in all her glory. She did not disappoint.

  I kayak and this trip was the second of 3 consecutive two day stays in search of the perfect padding spot. I recreational kayak and my area has one body of water close to me but it’s 65 miles away. I was seeking a place water play vacation.

  There are two sides to Vallecito Lake. The public side and the private side. The public side is USFS managed the other is a free for all of vacation rentals, RV Parks and homes ranging from little woodsy to magnificent “cabins”. With a sprinkling of homes on the public side with outstanding water access and views for miles obviously been there for quite some time. All around is old forest with huge stands of ponderosa pine and Colorado blue spruce, wild roses and raspberry’s. Along with huge stands of burn scars from more than one, must have been terrifying, forest fires. The place is SPECTACULAR, not too “resorty” but busy. Even during the week while I was there.

  There are several USFS campgrounds on Road 501A North Canyon, Graham, Pine Point and Middle Mountain. All of them offer the same shady, wooded campsites some of which are lakeside. Which would be great when the lake is at capacity. There are plenty of vault toilets and drinking water. No showers. There are picnic tables and fire pits at every site. We were able to have fires at the time of my visit but the fire restrictions were just going into affect the day after I left. In fact there was a wild land fire just a few miles away but was quickly dispatched. The camp hosts were very responsive and they take very good care of the property.

  Not all sites are reserved at these campgrounds. About half are first come first served and many were vacant at my visit. But it was Monday - Thursday. I noticed it begin to fill up the night before my departure day and things got a bit more active but once darkness fell it was silent.

  Now about the water. The lake was at 67% capacity and was not expected to exceed that this 2021 season. There was no snow on the surrounding peaks which should still have had observable snow pack on them in early June. McPhee Reservoir on the other side of Durango was at 47%. El Vado in New Mexico was at 17%!!! All of the bodies of water in the west are severely challenged. Lake Mead/Hoover Dam is being repeated all over the western states. It’s a real shame to see the changes that are occurring at all of our favorite spots. While water was accessible it was a good hike with a 48lb kayak and most of it was very rocky. But the water was magnificent and well worth the hike.

  Did I mention it was in the high 90’s while I was there. Which is unheard of. It was brutally hot and chasing ice was a challenge. Most places close by ran out requiring a trip to Bayfield. Also, amazingly, while my cell phone was worthless my iPad rocked and I could send and receive texts and even water my lawn via the b-hyve app.

  Be sure to check out Lemon Lake and the campgrounds above. The Lake looked to be at about 50% which was very sad. The campgrounds were not as heavily used and were offering all of the same as other USFS campgrounds.

  I will be back again but I will make my stay much longer. I give it five stars just for the pure ambience.