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Best Tent Camping near Chama, NM

421 Reviews

Carson National Forest surrounding Chama, New Mexico offers several primitive tent camping options within its expansive wilderness. Upper and Lower Lagunitas Campgrounds in Tierra Amarilla provide walk-in tent sites with basic amenities during their June to October operating season. Los Pinos Campground, also in Tierra Amarilla, features tent-only sites situated along a river with vault toilets and fire rings. Elk Creek Trail in nearby Colorado offers spacious creekside tent camping with vault toilets and established fire rings. Cruces Basin Campground near Tres Piedras provides additional backcountry tent camping opportunities within the national forest system.

Most tent campsites in the Chama region feature dirt or forest duff surfaces with minimal grading. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for accessing many of the primitive tent camping areas, particularly after rain when roads can become rutted or washed out. Vault toilets are available at established campgrounds like Upper Lagunitas and Los Pinos, but most dispersed sites lack facilities. Campers should bring all necessary water or plan to filter from natural sources. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with complete bans common during dry summer months. Cell service is typically unavailable once leaving main highways, requiring advance planning for tent campers.

In early fall, tent campsites throughout Carson National Forest offer exceptional stargazing opportunities and fewer crowds. One visitor to Upper Lagunitas noted the campground is "very quiet, remote with space between sites. Best for tents." Campers at Canjilon Creek Campground reported the area has "three lakes filled with trout" and "beautiful vistas" at 9,000 feet elevation, though four-wheel drive is necessary to access the primitive tent sites. Wildlife viewing is abundant throughout the region, with one camper at Lower Lagunitas reporting sightings of "big Rams as well as an abundance of wildlife and plentiful bird watching." Tent campers frequently use these areas as bases for fishing, hiking, and wildlife observation.

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Best Tent Sites Near Chama, New Mexico (29)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Chama, NM

11 Photos of 29 Chama Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Chama, NM

421 Reviews of 29 Chama Campgrounds

  • Sofia A.
    Oct. 6, 2020

    West Fork Dispersed

    Best so far

    This BLM at San Juan National Forest is gorgeous! (Se pics) the spots are kinda leveled, the road to get there is a dirt road but not that bad (I have a converted sprinter full of sh$&@$ and I did it great) it is primitive so no hook ups, restrooms nor trash cans, so PLEASE Leave no Trace! Everything was super clean so I guess people is finally getting it. Te river passes right next to you and the views are amazing! There are a few trails next (like the Rainbow trail). Awesome place to stargaze!

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • K
    Jun. 28, 2020

    Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (south Central Co)

    Hidden Gem

    Great campground all around. The Reservoir has some of the best fishing we have found. We caught our bag limit every time we fished. The campground is nicely treed and the spaces are more private than most. The vault toilets are the cleanest and nicest I have ever seen! Be advised that if you are in an RV, you must bring your own water. There are no water hook ups, only to fill containers. There is trash service, but no electric or dump station. There is a really nice trail around the lake.

  • 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.

  • 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 Chama

Tent camping near Chama, New Mexico offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • The Lower Lagunitas Campground provides picnic tables and allows campfires, making it a cozy spot for gatherings.
  • At Upper Lagunitas Campground, you'll find a quiet, remote setting with ample space between sites, ideal for tent camping.
  • Los Pinos features picnic tables and toilets, ensuring a comfortable camping experience in the great outdoors.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

Tent camping features to enjoy

  • Laguna Larga offers a unique boat-in access, allowing for a more adventurous camping experience.
  • The primitive setting of Canjilon Creek Campground provides a charming atmosphere with no running water or amenities, perfect for those seeking solitude.
  • At Los Pinos, you can enjoy a drive-in access, making it easy to set up camp and start your outdoor adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chama, NM is Lower Lagunitas Campground with a 2-star rating from 3 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 29 tent camping locations near Chama, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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