206 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Carson, New Mexico provides access to several camping areas within the Carson National Forest, including the Taos Junction Campground located along the Rio Grande. The region includes both established campgrounds and dispersed camping options, with sites ranging from primitive tent-only areas to RV-friendly locations with hookups. Campground options vary from riverside locations like Taos Junction to higher elevation forest settings. Mixed-use campgrounds in the area typically accommodate tent camping with basic amenities such as picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, while some also offer RV access with limited services.
Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping in the Carson area, with many campgrounds operating from May through October due to winter snow at higher elevations. The Taos Junction Campground remains open year-round but may have limited accessibility during winter months. Roads to dispersed camping areas can be rough and may require high-clearance vehicles, especially after rain. Visitors should be prepared for variable mountain weather conditions, with cool nights even in summer months. Cell service is limited throughout much of the region, particularly in canyon areas. A visitor noted, "The hiking and fishing are the highlights here along with the scenery. I also appreciated this was mostly empty in the peak summer season."
Campers report high satisfaction with sites near water features, particularly those along the Rio Grande and nearby streams. The canyon views and stargazing opportunities receive frequent mention in reviews, with one camper describing the area as having "canyon walls for miles" and "amazing" stars. Fishing access is a significant draw for many visitors to the Carson area campgrounds. While some campgrounds like Taos Junction provide basic amenities such as picnic tables and vault toilets, visitors should be prepared for primitive conditions at many sites. The relative solitude of camping areas near Carson compared to more popular destinations like Taos is frequently highlighted as a benefit, though highway noise can be an issue at some roadside campgrounds.
"Much more vegetation than you would expect from a campground close to town. The staff are friendly. The facilities were clean. The park is older but in an charming New Mexico way."
"If your wanting to get out and play in the snow or explore more in depth the beautiful culture of New Mexico, Taos has a little for everyone"
"Hamlet went to visit his fun cousins for the weekend -- Diego, Thelma, Louise, Frida, Ralphie, Sunnie, and others– all vintage campers available for rent at this amazingly cool space just outside of Taos"
"10 tent camping in desert behind groovy glamper park. Fantastic people. In walking distance to Taos brewery Oasis. On the road to the gorge. Cool summer nights"
from $25 / night
Check Availability"The RV sites are more private Than at Rio Bravo, but Rio Bravo is next to the river. We liked our location. The restrooms were immaculate and the camp host was very helpful."
"Showers still aren't working but otherwise it's a quiet spot next to the river with plenty of hiking nearby. Shout out to the friendly and helpful camp host"
from $5 - $15 / night
Check Availability"A small campground overlooking the Rio Grand River in the Orilla Verde Recreation area just outside of Taos. There are only 4 sites, plus a camp host."
"Hiking nearby and walking distance to the Rio grande river."
"New Mexico at its best."
"The camping area is more of a campground than an RV park, in a positive way. Many of the sites are shaded with mature trees."
from $40 - $60 / night
Check Availability"It's located south of Taos on the main drag, hence NOISY. I say, watch this space for more improvements."
from $40 - $70 / night
Check Availability"Pros: beautiful views, crazy amount of visible stars at night, 2 bars of Verizon, not anyone around, close to town, not many bugs, quite a few spots to setup camp Cons: some deep ruts driving into here"
"Amazing views with high mountains off in the distance. Back behind you is rolling sagebrush. The road goes along the canyon a way andnthen hits backup onto anothet road. There are a few pull offs."
"Laundry, restrooms and convenience store are still closed due to Covid - much of New Mexico is still this way."
"This campground will be rated as a Basecamp — grounds that offer a comfortable home base that you’re happy to return to after a day of exploring the surrounding area."
from $30 - $50 / night
Check Availability"The road is dirt and high clearance is preferable if you plan on hiking to the hot springs or driving down to / crossing the bridge over the river but this place is magical."
"It wasn’t very busy, there were 2 other campers around us when we woke up. There’s a short walk to the edge of the gorge that makes for a great view!"
"Hiking trail across the road. River access for rafting. A really wonderful campground. Quite a bargain. Beautiful area. Just about 30 mins to Taos."
from $7 - $15 / night
Check Availability
TravelerI came a day earlier to Ojo Caliente and needed a place to stay. This is just 10 minutes drive from the Hot Spring. A lot of camp spots available, all Free, Forest Road. Not the cleanest spots but also not too bad. A lot of broken glass which is hard to remove. Amazing stargazing at night. This road could be tricky after a big rain – there was a big groove in the middle of the road when I was here.
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.
GuideLocation is a lined parking lot with 16 sites. Electric hook up at each site. Water spigot available along with dump station. Lot is not level so be prepared with blocks and chocks. Price is great for what you get. Spacing is close. Also be aware that lot is managed by Los Alamos county. Sites listed as taken may be vacant while sites listed as vacant may be taken. We arrived and a camper was on our reserved site. Owner could not be located. Reps are difficult to reach by phone and we got lots of phone tag. Nice lady moved us to an open site. Then someone showed up with a reservation for our new site. Then we were told to leave for a construction project. Then we were told they can’t manage the campground occupancy. And on and on. To reserve a site you’ll need an account on the county system first. We made it work but a hassle and a run around.
GuideThis is a 10 slot parking lot for RVs. There is a dump station, water spigot, and a couple picnic tables. It’s on a hill so need leveling. Can be tricky to back in so check first. Reservations must be made thru Los Alamos county web site, and you’ll need to create an account to use it, a real pain especially if on shaky connection. Also tricky, reserved sites may be empty and available sites may be occupied. They are not managed properly at all so be ready for anything. Ok for parking your rig while visiting the area.
GuideLimited review due to rains. Nice area for quiet camping or for access to wilderness areas, hiking. Taos and Red River are 1/2 hour away for touristy stuff. During heavy rains river did not leave its banks. Sites are tight, best ones are by the river. Nice walking path by river but noticed many dog walkers not picking up after their dogs. Clean bathroom and laundry facilities. Some septic drains too high to drain properly, should be fixed. Had to move in order to dump tanks.
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.
Camping spots near Carson, New Mexico provide access to the Rio Grande Gorge with elevations ranging from 6,000 to 7,500 feet across the region. The area features a mix of sage-covered mesas and cottonwood-lined riverbanks where temperatures can drop below freezing even in late spring and early fall. Many dispersed camping areas require high-clearance vehicles to access, with several remote sites offering views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Hiking to hot springs: From dispersed camping near Taos, visitors can walk approximately one mile to reach natural hot springs. "It's only a mile walk down to the hot springs down below where the bridge is. You can go fishing over there as well as rock climbing," notes a camper at Dispersed Camping Near Taos.
Fishing in the Rio Grande: The river offers excellent fishing opportunities directly accessible from several campgrounds. At Taos Junction Campground, a visitor reports, "We had a great time camping here. Very cheap only $6 to camp all ages all year. They have nice grills at the tent sites along with tables. Bathrooms were nice and clean and a close walk. With lots to do including fish and hiking trails."
Mountain biking: The Carson area offers numerous trails for mountain biking enthusiasts. "Hike or mountain bike right from your campsite," notes a reviewer about Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, highlighting the convenience of not needing to drive to trailheads.
Proximity to water: Many campers value sites situated near the Rio Grande. "Nice and quite. Right on the River can't beat it really," shares a visitor to BLM Orilla Verde Recreation Area, which offers several camping loops along the river with varying amenities.
Stargazing opportunities: The clear night skies provide exceptional stargazing. At Cebolla Mesa Campground, campers appreciate the unobstructed views: "Beautiful views of the river as well as the sunrise. It's a bumpy 3 mile road off the highway, had no issues in my transit van as long as you take it slow."
Solitude and space: Unlike more developed areas, camping near Carson often means having significant space between sites. "GPS will bring you to the bottom of the road to the Ski Valley. There are campsites all along the lower part of the road. They aren't super private, but we stayed at a few different ones over the week & everyone was quiet & respectful," notes a visitor to Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping.
Road conditions: Many camping areas have rough access roads that worsen after rain. According to a reviewer at Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping, "We had storms while camping. At least six rock/mud slides on the road. I don't know who, but someone managed to clean it all up in record time."
Seasonal access: Higher elevation sites may close during winter months due to snow. When planning to camp near Carson between November and April, confirm site accessibility before traveling.
Limited services: Most camping areas near Carson have minimal to no amenities. A camper at Cebolla Mesa Campground notes, "There is 1 clean vault toilet, but no TP so bring your own. 1-2 bars LTE AT&T service available near bathroom but gets worse the further you go away from it."
Safety near water: When camping with children along the Rio Grande, be cautious of strong currents and steep banks. Areas like Taos Junction Campground provide safer riverside access points.
Bathroom accessibility: Choose sites with toilet facilities when camping with young children. A visitor to BLM Orilla Verde Recreation Area notes, "We camped in Pilar CG with an RV. The RV sites are more private Than at Rio Bravo, but Rio Bravo is next to the river. We liked our location. The restrooms were immaculate and the camp host was very helpful."
Weather preparation: Pack clothing layers for children as temperatures fluctuate significantly between day and night. "We've had a great time, even with the rain and hail," comments a visitor to Arroyo Seco, highlighting the importance of proper preparation.
Site selection for larger rigs: Some camping spots near Carson can accommodate larger vehicles, but access requires planning. A camper at Hotel Luna Mystica advises, "Parking my vintage Shasta on the mesa of Luna Mystica is like no other place I've ever parked. Rustic site with a nearly 360 view to die for, I just picked a place and parked. A very short walk to the best private bathrooms I've ever used at a campground."
Water and dump considerations: Most dispersed camping areas lack hookups, so plan accordingly. "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," suggests a visitor regarding Dispersed Camping Near Taos.
Generator usage: Many camping areas near Carson have quiet hours or generator restrictions. Check specific campground rules before arrival to ensure compliance and maintain the peaceful environment valued by fellow campers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Carson, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, Carson, NM offers a wide range of camping options, with 206 campgrounds and RV parks near Carson, NM and 43 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Carson, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Carson, NM is Taos Valley RV Park & Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 29 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Carson, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 43 free dispersed camping spots near Carson, NM.
What parks are near Carson, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 parks near Carson, NM that allow camping, notably Carson National Forest and Abiquiu Lake.
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