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Campgrounds near Canjilon, New Mexico range from developed sites to primitive dispersed camping areas across Carson National Forest. Lower Canjilon Lake Campground provides established sites for tents and RVs with basic amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. The surrounding area includes several lakes and campgrounds at elevations above 9,000 feet, with Middle Canjilon Campground offering paved sites that accommodate smaller trailers and RVs, while tent campers can find spots throughout the region.
Access to Canjilon's camping areas requires preparation, as many sites sit at high elevations with limited services. The narrow, rough roads leading to the lakes feature potholes and challenging conditions, particularly on the dirt road out of Canjilon town. One camper noted that "definitely a commitment to get to these spots, but you'll be rewarded. Make sure to print a map before you head in, as you'll loose all forms of cell reception once you leave the main highway into Canjilon." The camping season typically runs from late May through September, with weather conditions limiting access during winter months. Visitors should arrive prepared with supplies as the nearest stores are approximately 40 minutes away.
The Canjilon Lakes area attracts fishing enthusiasts, with stocked trout lakes providing recreational opportunities. Campground options include Lower, Middle, and Upper Canjilon Lake campgrounds, each offering slightly different experiences and amenities. Sites generally feature some privacy due to new forest growth following past wildfires, though cattle occasionally wander through the campgrounds leaving droppings that campers should watch for. Hiking trails connect the lakes and surrounding forest, providing additional recreational opportunities. A visitor mentioned that "the campsites have trees between, so a bit of privacy. There are three different lakes to choose from up near the sites, and they are stocked with trout. Plenty of hiking trails as well." The combination of fishing, hiking, and relative seclusion makes these campgrounds popular despite their remote location.
"Small campground next to U.S. Highway 84. There are 9 campsites with 3 small pull-throughs. I have seen large RVs in the day use area, not sure if this is tolerated. No services. "
"Hour outside of santa fe."
from $10 - $50 / night
Check Availability"There are nice trails that you can hike or mountain bike. Some are near cliff edges and not for the beginners. The lake is nice for New Mexico and sees a lot of use."
"Good views of lake & surrounding area from site. Vault toilet & drinking water a short walk away. Juniper provided minimal privacy. Site has lantern poll, fire ring, trash can & table."
from $10 - $80 / night
Check Availability"Rio Chama RV park in Chama, New Mexico, is at the intersection of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the upper Rio Chama. A nice place to stay May 1 thru mid October."
"It's an easy dirt road drive down the river and you will pass many dispersed site and a couple of defined camping grounds."
"The campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch."
"Recommend arriving not too late to see if you can get a good spot, we didn’t have shade so had to go find a nice shady bench away from our site for eating lunch / relaxing after our hike."
"Seems a given, since it’s close to the river! I found a site right next to the Rio and even though it was muddy, I still appreciated being able to get in to cool down a bit."
"One down side being close to the river is the bugs, literally thousands of them can make it unpleasant. Outside of that the spot on the river is fantastic for viewing pleasure."
"Make sure to print a map before you head in, as you’ll loose all forms of cell reception once you leave the main highway into Canjilon. The campsites have trees between, so a bit of privacy."
"4 small mountain lakes around two campgrounds. Lower campground is within walking distance to 2 lakes We stayed at campground 3 which was on the top of the campground."
"Very nice little campsites, a couple different lakes in the area. Only one outhouse by one of the lakes, the rest dont have any."
"We had no clue that this gem was close to us we went for a quick weekend camp we were right next to the creek with amazing views of the mountains."
"Seems to be a common problem, which is too bad because it is a pretty place and convenient to the large rock climbing area nearby."
from $225 / night
Check Availability"there’s a fire ban, so it makes it hard to stay warm at night, but the stars are amazing. it’s quiet. it’s lovely. there’s canyon walls for miles. it’s really amazing. some of these pics are from the nearby"
"I've stayed here twice now since being in New Mexico. This site is right on the water, overlooks the canyon, and is close to a hike to the right side of the canyon through a dried up riverbed."
"If you are coming for the lake you maybe disappointed. With the drought, the lake level is very low and the shore line off in the distance. "
"The lake is dismally low as the boat ramps are totally not usable. I don't know when they were last usable and it looks like it has been a while."
from $10 - $35 / 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.
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.
Carson National Forest surrounding Canjilon, New Mexico offers camping options at elevations ranging from 7,000-10,000 feet where summer temperatures typically range from 45-80°F. Camping near Canjilon requires preparation for significant elevation changes and limited services. Road conditions can deteriorate quickly after rainfall, making access challenging even for high-clearance vehicles.
Fishing in stocked lakes: The Trout Lakes provide good fishing opportunities, especially for crappie. "The fishing was good from the kayak lots of crappie," notes a camper from Riana-Abiquiu Lake.
Hiking nearby trails: At Rio Chama Campground, visitors can explore various paths along the river. "There are hiking spots, the echo amphitheater, and a monastery to visit. We even made objects from the clay in the river. Then fired them in the camp fire," explains one camper.
Kayaking and tubing: The river at Rio Chama offers water recreation options. "The sites are all close to the river and at most a quick drive away from a place to put your kayak or tube in the water," shares a visitor.
Privacy between sites: Many camping areas near Canjilon feature natural spacing between sites. At Whirlpool Dispersed Camping Area, "Camp spaces are spread out. Some of the roads on the campground had deep ruts and pools of mud water but not all. You can see every star on a clear night."
River sounds: Campsites along the river provide soothing background noise. At Oak Point Campground, one camper notes it's "Very peaceful location listening to the river all night."
Wildlife viewing: The region offers opportunities to see local animals. "Lots of wildlife here! We saw deer, coyotes and bear droppings," reports a visitor at Willow Creek Campground.
Limited services: Be prepared for minimal facilities. At Lower Canjilon Lake Campground, "Basic, simple sites at lower lake location. Upper lake has benches and picnic tables with fishing. No campground at upper lake."
Road conditions: Forest roads can be challenging, especially after rain. At Whirlpool, "The road to the campground is about 6 miles of curvy dirt and gravel single lane. But a woman managed it in a Jaguar so not too bad just go slow."
Seasonal availability: Most campsites near Canjilon operate during warm months only. "The campground is open April 15-Oct 15," notes one visitor about Riana-Abiquiu Lake.
Beach access spots: Look for sites with easy water entry. At Ghost Ranch, "This is an artist paradise. So many beautiful land formations and gorgeous sunsets. The campground includes a bath house with laundry room and electric hookups if needed."
Bring recreational equipment: Pack kayaks, tubes, or fishing gear. "We had a great time camping by the river over Memorial Day weekend. Definitely have some sort of raft or kayak or SUP to put in the river upstream and float down to the boat ramp or to your campground," suggests an Oak Point visitor.
Pack for variable temperatures: Mountain elevations mean large temperature swings. "Mornings chilly. Nice showers!" notes a camper at Riana-Abiquiu Lake.
Site selection for larger rigs: Choose campgrounds with appropriate access. At Willow Creek Campground, "The sites a quite large and well spaced. It felt more like being out in the woods by yourself as we couldn't see another camp site from our trailer. Any sized rig will fit and we stayed in the Blanco loop with power and water."
Check hookup availability: Services vary widely between locations. "For $14, we had f/u hook-ups. I think Lot 1 & 2 are the only lots with full hook ups," notes another Willow Creek visitor.
Cell service considerations: Reception varies throughout the area. "We did take a couple of hikes. One was to the lake, which was sadly almost empty. There was very spotty Verizon cell phone and dish satellite."
Frequently Asked Questions
What amenities are available at Lower Canjilon Lakes Campground?
Lower Canjilon Lakes Campground typically offers basic amenities including vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings at each site. While the campground doesn't provide electric hookups or running water, the natural setting compensates with beautiful surroundings. Similar to Hopewell Lake Campground, you'll find a rustic experience that connects you with nature. The campground maintains a peaceful atmosphere with well-maintained sites. Remember to bring your own water supply as potable water is not available on-site, and consider packing extra layers as temperatures can drop significantly at night due to the elevation.
What recreational activities can I enjoy while camping at Canjilon Lakes?
Canjilon Lakes offers excellent fishing opportunities in multiple stocked lakes, popular for rainbow trout. Hikers can explore various trails through the ponderosa pine forest, with paths suitable for different skill levels. Similar to Rio Puerco Campground, the area provides breathtaking views and photography opportunities. Wildlife viewing is rewarding with chances to spot elk, deer, and numerous bird species. Mountain biking is available on designated trails, while the serene setting is perfect for nature walks and stargazing. During winter, the area transforms for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing when conditions allow.
Where is Canjilon Lakes Campground located and how do I access it?
Canjilon Lakes Campground is located in the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, approximately 9 miles southwest of the town of Canjilon. To access the campground, take Highway 84 to Canjilon and follow Forest Road 129 west into the mountains. Similar to Edward Sargeant Wildlife Management Area, the campground sits at a higher elevation (around 8,000 feet) in the Southern Rockies. The access road is generally well-maintained during summer months but can be challenging during wet weather or winter conditions. Four-wheel drive is recommended but not essential when conditions are dry.
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