Best Tent Camping near Canjilon, NM

Carson National Forest surrounding Canjilon, New Mexico offers several primitive tent camping options at varying elevations. Canjilon Creek Campground, located at approximately 9,000 feet, provides tent-only camping near three trout-filled lakes with beautiful mountain vistas. For backcountry tent camping experiences, dispersed sites along Forest Service Road 578 offer secluded options with views of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Upper and Lower Lagunitas Campgrounds, located north of Canjilon near Tierra Amarilla, provide additional tent campsites in a forested setting.

Most tent campgrounds in this region require self-sufficiency and preparation. Canjilon Creek Campground features very primitive conditions with no running water, toilets, or other amenities, requiring campers to pack in all supplies. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for accessing many sites due to rough, rutted roads with washouts and potholes. Vault toilets are available at some established campgrounds like Los Pinos and Lagunitas, but most dispersed camping areas lack facilities entirely. Fire rings are common at established sites, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply. The 14-day stay limit is standard throughout the national forest.

Tent campers frequently note the solitude and natural beauty of the area. According to one visitor at Canjilon Creek, "Hardly met anyone while there... plenty of wood to forage for" and "beautiful vistas" compensate for the lack of amenities. Another camper at Carson National Forest's dispersed sites observed "a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees" and wildlife including elk. The higher elevation means temperatures can drop significantly at night, with one camper reporting overnight lows of 27°F even in April. Walk-in tent sites often provide the best access to creeks and small lakes, making them popular with anglers despite the primitive conditions.

Best Tent Sites Near Canjilon, New Mexico (30)

    1. Canjilon Creek Campground

    1 Review
    Canjilon, NM
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-6200

    "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."

    2. Star Dance

    1 Review
    Youngsville, NM
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 901-2936

    3. Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

    5 Reviews
    Carson National Forest, NM
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-8678

    "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."

    4. Lower Lagunitas Campground

    3 Reviews
    Chama, NM
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-6200

    "The trek across northern New Mexico was truly breathtaking. We were fortunate enough to see tons of big Rams as well as an abundance of wildlife and plentiful bird watching."

    5. Resumidero Camping Area

    2 Reviews
    Gallina, NM
    31 miles

    "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."

    6. Upper Lagunitas Campground

    1 Review
    Chama, NM
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-6200

    7. Taos Junction Campground

    6 Reviews
    Carson, NM
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-8851

    "They have nice grills at the tent sites along 28th tables. Bathrooms were nice and clean and a close walk. With lots to do including fish and hiking trails. We look forward to going back."

    "The shelter provides nice shade. Bugs & dust were only real drawback. Oh, and it was hot!"

    8. Dispersed Camping Near Taos

    4 Reviews
    Arroyo Hondo, NM
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-8851

    "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."

    "Don’t drive to the John dun bridge from Taos use the longer route instead. The switch back road is blocked off now."

    9. Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping

    8 Reviews
    Valdez, NM
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-6200

    "Right off the road, literally. it hidden behind some trees so the barrier between the site and road makes for a little privacy. Great spot for a day or two right next to a creek so you fall asleep to"

    "First coms first served with mostly tenting spaces."

    10. Los Pinos

    2 Reviews
    Antonito, NM
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 758-8678
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Tent Camping Reviews near Canjilon, NM

462 Reviews of 30 Canjilon Campgrounds


  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 3, 2024

    Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

    Fascinating National Monument in Northern New Mexico

    This was our first time at this lovely National Monument and we simply loved it. The campground was small with only a few spaces for bigger rigs, but we fit without any problem. Love those small spaces! 

    The campground is perched on the mesa above the monument’s protected dwellings, artifacts and trails at the valley. You can get there by walking about 2.5 miles from the campground along a stunning trail, or driving around the road. We simply loved hiking here, choosing a different way each day over the four days we were there.  So much to explore!

    Campsites have the standard picnic table, bear box locker, and fire ring. The trees were mostly shorter scrub junipers and other high desert trees so there was lots of sunshine for solar powered rig, but no electrical service at any sites.  Nice privacy between sites.

    The bathrooms were clean, heated, and had flush toilets and running sinks with potable water, plus a small dish cleaning sink, but no showers. 

    The Visitor Center is an awesome CCC structure from back during the depression as are many of the hiking trails in the valley.   We were here for Halloween, so carved our pumpkins in memory and celebration of the people who lived here so many years ago.

    Nearby Los Alamos has all the services you need as far as supplies, services and restaurants. But if you can plan your hike to end before 4pm, the cafe at the VC is really worth it!!

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2023

    Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    Great views, great hosts

    Camped 2 nights at site #38 on the Puerco Loop. Reserved thru rec.gov while at the site. Wonderful campground hosts. Site was not quite level for our campervan, but close enough. 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. No hookups at this site. $6/night with senior pass. Restroom/shower house within walking distance. Facilities & vault toilets were very clean. Hiking trail in campground. AT&T & T-Mobile service. Overall, quiet & peaceful stay.

  • marycatmathis  ..The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 29, 2020

    Oak Point Campground

    Lovely, Beachy, Scenic

    These coordinates are a rough estimate, but this entire forrest road is filled with amazing campsites you can simply pull off and camp in. currently 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 canyon that’s a bit of a walk up the road, but most are from our campground. loved our first experience camping in New Mexico!

  • Tim W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2023

    Whirlpool Dispersed Camping Area

    Will go again

    We got there on a Friday and had our pick of sites. We picked one right on the river. No electricity. No water. No picnic tables. No trash receptacle. Vault toilets. 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. 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. Rustic and relaxing.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2018

    Redondo Campground

    Set back in the pines

    A nice campground set north of the town of Jemenz Springs. There was a fire ban in place and the Forest Service was planning on closing the entire forest the morning after I showed up. I had enough time to camp and get in one hike to a social spring before they came through and closed everything up for safety. The campground was nice, but there was no water available (it had been shut off in preparation for the closure). The campsites were nice and well spaced with lots of pine trees around each site, so there was a lot of privacy. There was an abundance of pine needle duff covering the ground which would have been great until you considered the fire danger. Each site had a picnic table and fire pit (with bright tape over it to remind you not to use it).

  • E
    Jul. 25, 2019

    Island View — Heron Lake State Park

    Unusually Quiet

    I did a fair amount of research online regarding walk-in tent camping at Heron Lake, during the week. See the great maps and detail at https://newmexicostateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/heron-lake/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NM&parkId=430012 . I called the visitor center to confirm that being a walk-in would not be a problem during the week. Once one arrives as a walk-in, look for the campsites with a green tag on them.

    The Heron Lake camp sites shown at the above reserveamerica website all have a fair amount of trees for shade. What the reserveamerica site does not show is a few more Heron Lake campgrounds southwest along Highway 95 (beyond the dam). The southwesterly sites are way more exposed to the sun than the first four campgrounds. Otherwise, the southwesterly campgrounds have fine views of the lake.

    I was at Island View campground, in a loop that was convoluted enough that I do not think a trailer (with its inevitable noisy generator) could get in. I guess that this is the point. As a result, all I heard from time to time were muffled voices and no generators. It's the first tent spring-summer-fall camping I have enjoyed in years that was generator-free. I had at least one empty campsite on either side of me as an additional buffer to noise.

    I walked along the lakeshore. It did not seem that low. I saw large fish jumping in one cove. I hiked the Salmon Run Trail to the dam. The Salmon Run Trail is a beautiful hike, not all level but not too steep for this older person's knees and walking poles. On the lake side of the dam, walking along the highway to get a good look at the dam, I saw several schools of large fish.

    The vault bathrooms and the flush-toilet bathrooms were fine. Not super clean and not super dirty. I did not try the shower but it looked like people were using it.

    This time of year, bring some bug repellent or wear jeans and a light long sleeve shirt at night. New Mexico has had a lot of moisture this season, so I think the bug-giness is higher than usual. Still, I sat outside and read for an hour or so pretty comfortably.

    The camp host was lovely.

  • Michael M.
    Aug. 30, 2017

    Ponderosa Campground

    The River runs through it

    The website listed for this campground is correct Ponderosa campground Antonito, CO.

    Phone 719.376.5857

    This is a very relaxing place to stay and it seems like most of the people there have been there many times before. The drive in is easy on Route 17 and does not require a vehicle with high ground clearance. They do allow campfires, they have clean bathrooms and a shower house. I stayed in a backpacking tent after driving all day arriving on a Friday at about 4:00 PM. The campground is set-up for small campers and has some cabins for rent too. The bathrooms with showers are clean and comfortable. The sites have fire rings with grates and picnic tables. The owner manager is great, providing quality fishing advice, conversation and even a free cup of coffee in the morning. Hiking on the CDT is near the campground and fishing is right in the campground. The steam train is right up the pass and I happened to be there the night before opening day catching a photo when I drove over the pass to Chama New Mexico. The Cumbres and Toltec Train traveling between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico. This is a very nice drive and Chama is a cool place to visit, it is a trail town on the CDT.

    I will visit this campground again for sure.

  • Tyler G.
    Jun. 22, 2016

    Hopewell Lake Campground

    Wonderful Campground in the scenic Tusas Mountains

    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. It was enchanting enough that we made sure to make it back for an opportunity to take in the scenery and relax during a long weekend. The only issue we ran into was an abundance of mosquitos, but this should be expected during the late Spring/early Summer in northern New Mexico and can be easily addressed with a citronella candle and a bit of bug spray. Our most recent stay was on one of those rare nights where you can pull off the rain fly and not worry about a midnight downpour, which left us with a wonderful view of the stars, and the sites are private enough that, as long as you don't set up next to the table, it's comfortable with an open tent and away from prying eyes.

    The campground is nice, very well maintained, and the site host is friendly and helpful. The grounds are a

  • Abigail R.
    Jul. 10, 2021

    Ponderosa Campground

    Secluded and beautiful

    I actually deleted my other review because I thought I had the wrong campsite but I checked and it’s all good. The only amenity we had was a vault toilet with a nearby water pump, a fire pit, picnic table and bear boxes. The vault toilets were probably the nicest I’ve been too. They were clean and didn’t smell at all.

    The view was beautiful and it’s a short hike down to wade in the cool water. I really enjoyed the quiet here. There were only a few other campers and it mostly felt like we had the place to ourselves.


Guide to Canjilon

Nestled in the scenic Carson National Forest, Canjilon, New Mexico, offers a variety of tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy fishing for trout at the picturesque Canjilon Creek Campground, where you can explore three serene lakes surrounded by stunning vistas.
  • Experience the enchanting atmosphere of Star Dance, a magical spot perfect for relaxation and rejuvenation, complete with reservable sites and showers.
  • Discover the peaceful surroundings of Cruces Basin Campground, ideal for hiking and immersing yourself in nature's beauty.

Explore these local attractions

  • Venture to the scenic Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578, where you can find secluded spots for primitive camping and enjoy breathtaking mountain views.
  • Visit the charming Lower Lagunitas Campground, which features small ponds and a tranquil environment, perfect for a quiet getaway.
  • Experience the remote beauty of Upper Lagunitas Campground, known for its spacious sites and peaceful atmosphere, making it a great choice for tent campers.

Amenities that enhance your camping experience

  • At Star Dance, enjoy modern amenities like showers and reservable sites, making your stay comfortable and convenient.
  • Los Pinos offers essential facilities such as picnic tables and toilets, ensuring a more enjoyable camping experience in the wilderness.
  • For those seeking a more rustic experience, Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 provides a no-frills environment where you can truly connect with nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Canjilon, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Canjilon, NM is Canjilon Creek Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Canjilon, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 30 tent camping locations near Canjilon, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.