Best Equestrian Camping near Cimarron, NM

The Horse Corrals Group Area at Sugarite Canyon State Park features designated spaces for equestrians and their horses just 50 minutes northeast of Cimarron. The park accommodates equestrians with trailer parking, water hookups, electrical connections, and access to sanitary dump stations. Sites in the horse area include fire rings where campfires are permitted, with firewood available for purchase. Shower facilities are accessible to all campers, providing essential amenities for multi-day equestrian stays. Reservations are required for the equestrian camping area, allowing riders to secure space for their horses and camping equipment in advance. McCrystal Campground, located in a remote area west of Cimarron, also attracts horse campers with installed horse corrals at select sites. The campground is popular among equestrians and hunters seeking a quiet backcountry experience.

Located within Carson National Forest, these horse-friendly campgrounds provide access to numerous riding trails through diverse terrain. McCrystal Campground sits about an hour from Cimarron on gravel roads, offering level sites with good separation between camping areas. Horse campers frequently observe wildlife in the surrounding valleys and meadows, with elk herds commonly spotted in early mornings. Valle Vidal trails connect to both campgrounds, allowing for extensive riding opportunities through mountain meadows and forested areas. The road to reach these equestrian sites becomes wash-boarded during dry periods, making high-clearance vehicles advisable when towing horse trailers. Bears are known to frequent the area, particularly around McCrystal Campground, so proper food storage is essential when camping with horses.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Cimarron, New Mexico (10)

    1. Cimarron Campground

    10 Reviews
    Red River, NM
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 586-0520

    $22 - $40 / night

    "Carson National Forest in Cimarron is absolutely beautiful. We hiked near Shuree Ponds and camped between Ash Mountain and Little Castillo Peak."

    "I wondered how rough the roads were, but driving from Castillo to the campground and then on to Hwy 64 east of Cimarron on 1950 was all very doable in a Subaru Ascent towing a trailer despite some heavy"

    2. Mccrystal Campground

    1 Review
    Ute Park, NM
    22 miles
    Website

    "A remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters.  The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean."

    3. Rio Costilla Park

    10 Reviews
    Red River, NM
    35 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 586-0542

    $30 / night

    "This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful!"

    "The park is HUGE and just so beautiful. 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines only one hour away from the town of Taos."

    4. Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    18 Reviews
    Raton, NM
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 445-5607

    $10 - $35 / night

    "After a long drive from south Texas, this was my first visit to Sugarite Canyon and it definitely exceeded my expectations! The staff was friendly and helpful and the amenities were accommodating."

    "** Campground Review:

    Located in NW Raton, New Mexico..."

    5. Mallette Creek North

    3 Reviews
    Red River, NM
    31 miles

    "Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"

    6. Soda Pocket Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    9 Reviews
    Raton, NM
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 445-5607

    $15 / night

    "Traveling from Denver to Southern New Mexico, this is a nice stopping point. Very easy to get to off I-25. Pit toilets are very clean."

    "Sites 1, 3, 14 and 16 have shade and a little more distance.  Bathrooms were in great shape, and there is a free shower near the park entrance which had good water pressure and was very clean."

    7. Agua Piedra Campground

    10 Reviews
    Llano, NM
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $40 / night

    "There is a trail head with 2 trails, one atv accessible and one hiking/horse that goes up to Indian Lake. Beautiful views and about 1200' elevation change."

    "Tent camped at this location in the middle of September (a week before closing). Very beautiful place to watch the leaves change, trailheads close by and picnic tables at each site."

    8. Santa Barbara Campground

    8 Reviews
    Llano, NM
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $22 - $70 / night

    "Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area"

    "The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes."

    9. Little Arsenic Springs Campground

    1 Review
    Questa, NM
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-8851

    $7 / night

    "Hiking trails down to the Rip Grande river are close by."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Cimarron, NM

69 Reviews of 10 Cimarron Campgrounds


  • Karen  N.
    Aug. 21, 2023

    Santa Barbara Campground

    Beautiful weekend

    Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area

  • George C.
    Jun. 10, 2019

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    First visit and wow!

    After a long drive from south Texas, this was my first visit to Sugarite Canyon and it definitely exceeded my expectations! The staff was friendly and helpful and the amenities were accommodating. The area is absolutely beautiful. This little park has something for everyone. Highland trails, lakes and streams, primitive and car-camping sites. Plenty of wildlife to see, birds and other critters everywhere. And of course the vistas. I will definitely be back there soon. Thanks, New Mexico!

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 17, 2024

    Soda Pocket Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Very easy to get to off of I-25

    Traveling from Denver to Southern New Mexico, this is a nice stopping point. Very easy to get to off I-25.

    Pit toilets are very clean. Unfortunately the camper next to me had his generator running the whole time until 10 pm. Even when they left their camper for the day. Very annoying. Other than that it was a quiet campground. The campground is less than half full (Tuesday night). 

    Note: The park office closed at 4. The sites are reservation only and there is no cell service. The sign at the gate states that you need to drive down the road to get cell service and make a reservation. Also the gate closes at dusk, so make sure you get there before then on your first night. After that you can get the combination to get in after dusk. 

    The campground staff were very friendly and helpful.

  • Christa A.
    Jul. 20, 2020

    Rio Costilla Park

    So spacious!

    This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful! The camp sites were nicely spaced, so we felt like we were primitive camping, but it was nice to have a picnic table, especially because we have a small child. Family friendly. We wish we would have brought our 4x4 vehicle because we had initially planned to camp at little blue lake, but my Subaru Impreza was not powerful enough/didn’t have high enough clearance to make it up the road that lead to the lake! We are definitely planning on camping back to check out the lakes. The only negative thing was that we found some trash at our site from the previous campers. Also, some cows woke us up early in the morning, which was cool, but also scared the shit out of us!

  • Reuben
    Aug. 30, 2021

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Lovely location, but some tight sites

    We've lived in New Mexico (Alamogordo and Albuquerque) for 30+ years, but had never made it up north to Sugarite Canyon State Park. But on our RV trip back home from Rocky Mountain National Park, we decided to spend a night here rather in the small town of Raton(eight miles away). It's a lovely park, with some steep walls, small lakes and an interesting history. We took a few of the smaller hikes(time was limited) and the one of the Coal Camp was very interesting.

    Our 29ft RV barely fit in our site, and there were some tricky branches and overhanging trees to work around. The site was fairly narrow, but I will say we were spread out nicely between the sites. We were at a site with electric(30 amp only) and water(water pressure very low, due to a lower aquafer). The dump station was nearby, but no water available by it for flushing out the tank.

    Camp hosts were super friendly. It was a very easy going place. Most of the sites are pretty small, and our"small" Class A was the biggest rig there, except for the hosts' 40' RV. So if you've got a bigger rig, you might have trouble finding a site to accommodate. But for smaller RVs, I think this is a great place to stay. VERY dark and quiet at night!! A lovely and reasonably priced spot that I can easily see spending a long weekend at.

    (OH, there is NO wifi and no cell signal. Be prepared to be off-grid completely! You're at least 5 miles from a signal.)

  • Dusty G.
    Jun. 21, 2016

    Cimarron Campground

    Stunning!

    Carson National Forest in Cimarron is absolutely beautiful. We hiked near Shuree Ponds and camped between Ash Mountain and Little Castillo Peak. The weather was all over the place, but the views were stunning. Bear precautions are necessary. Water was plentiful as the streams and creeks were rapid with snow melt. We will absolutely be returning!

  • M
    Jul. 7, 2023

    Soda Pocket Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Perfect for a Weekend

    This State Park is beautiful, with hiking/fishing/historic walks galore. We arrived late on Friday, June 23 after a 10 hour drive from Arkansas. We were in Site #23 in the Soda Pocket Campground.  Every site had a covered picnic table and was relatively level.

    Sites 20-23 have spectacular views of the canyon, but you trade that for some serious wind and neighbors as there is no natural shade.  Sites 1, 3, 14 and 16 have shade and a little more distance.  Bathrooms were in great shape, and there is a free shower near the park entrance which had good water pressure and was very clean.

    The visitor center is small but with a lot of good exhibits, and adjacent to the hiking trails of the abandoned coal camp and mine.  The coal camp trails have lots of informative stands explaining what everything was, how the people lived, etc.  The two lakes (Lake Alice is more like a pond) have nice walking paths. There is another lake just across the Colorado border and you can drive to the parking area just a mile or so away.

    There are numerous nature hikes, and I did the short (.5) miles Vista Grande Nature Trail which has a beautiful bench for a sunrise view.  Uphill some but not too strenuous and with lots of information.

    A really beautiful hike is the Little Horse Mesa Trail which takes you to the top of the mesa you can see to the north of Soda Pocket Campground.  It meanders a bit but at some point the trail builder said "I've given you all the switchbacks I can, you'll just have to go straight up" and the last 50 yards are pretty much straight uphill.  When you get to the top though it's like another world.  It's a pasture like setting with trees, and beautiful views from a trail that follows the cliffs. You'll have to make your own way over to the Lake Maloya overlook but it's well worth it.  Highly recommend this.

    The camp hosts and visitor center people were great, and the ranger came by one night and showed a group of kids a mountain lion pelt and a bear pelt. There was a report of bears on the road up to Soda Pocket Campground but we did not see any.  The road was a typical dirt road, and not in bad shape at all.

    I'm not a fisherman, but could easily spend two full days here hiking alone, much less fishing or kayaking Lake Maloya.

  • Ken M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 19, 2023

    Mccrystal Campground

    Remote camping with plenty of wildlife to see

    A remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters.  The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean. There are pit toilets on site and well maintained. Level spots with good separation. Nice hiking accross some flat lands and a smal creek runs near by. Early one morning we saw a herd of elk down in a valley near a turn out off the road.  Bears frequent the area trying to raid the garbage bins during the night. Makes tent camping a bit unnerving. If you want to explore the area, this is good place to camp.  It takes an hour to get to the campsite on a graveled road off the highway out of Cimerron.  25mph was best speed to go to handle the washboard road to the campsite.

  • Steve & Ashley  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2019

    Agua Piedra Campground

    Great Northern New Mexico Camp

    We stayed at this site on the way back to Texas from our Colorado trip this summer. This is a great National Forest Campground south of Taos in the Carson Forest. The campground is just off the highway and situated in a beautiful mountain pine forest and next to a great trout stream. You have great shade during the hotter summer months. It’s far enough away from the highway that you don’t hear the traffic. It has a huge meadow and group camp site which look fantastic. The individual sites have some privacy between the sites and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. We made a reservation but the camp had a number of open sites in the peak summer season. The highlight here is the proximity of great hiking to nearby lakes and fishing in the trout stream. They had great facilities including clean pit toilets and some historic log cabins. They have a camp host and the sites accommodate tents and smaller vans and campers. I would give this another visit on our next trip to NM.


Guide to Cimarron

Equestrian campgrounds near Cimarron, New Mexico provide designated areas for riders and their horses at elevations between 7,000-9,000 feet. Located within the Carson National Forest, these sites offer access to extensive trail networks through diverse mountain terrain. Summer temperatures typically range from 45°F nights to 80°F days, with afternoon thunderstorms common in July and August.

What to do

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Herds of elk can often be spotted in the early morning hours around McCrystal Campground, especially in meadow areas. "Early one morning we saw a herd of elk down in a valley near a turn out off the road," notes Ken M., who also mentions that "bears frequent the area trying to raid the garbage bins during the night."

Fishing in mountain waters: The cold mountain streams and lakes offer excellent trout fishing throughout the summer months. At Rio Costilla Park, visitors can enjoy quality fly fishing waters. Michelle B. confirms this is a "fisherman's fly fishing dream. Camping is great too as you can park next to the river."

Hiking diverse terrain: Trail systems connect to the Valle Vidal wilderness and provide routes for various skill levels. The Little Horse Mesa Trail at Sugarite Canyon State Park offers panoramic views. Matt B. describes it as "a pasture like setting with trees, and beautiful views from a trail that follows the cliffs. You'll have to make your own way over to the Lake Maloya overlook but it's well worth it."

What campers like

Peaceful evenings: The remote locations offer exceptional stargazing and quiet nights. At Soda Pocket Campground, Mary C. notes it's "Very dark at night so great for star viewing." Sites in this area typically have minimal light pollution and clear mountain air.

Stream-side camping: Many equestrian-friendly sites are positioned along streams or creeks, providing natural white noise and fishing access. Joel H. describes Rio Costilla Park: "The campsites are nearly all along a babbling brook, stream, or river. The roads to the entrance, to the campsites, and definitely up to the lakes are best suited if not exclusively suited for trucks and 4WD vehicles."

Well-spaced sites: Campsites at McCrystal Campground offer good separation between camping areas. Ken M. reports, "Level spots with good separation. Nice hiking across some flat lands and a small creek runs near by." This spacing allows for privacy while still maintaining the communal campground feel.

What you should know

Road conditions: Access roads to equestrian campgrounds can become rough, especially after rain. The road to Cimarron Campground presents challenges in wet weather. Ricky B. notes, "The road can be tough if it is raining a bunch, but worth the trip if you have time. Campgrounds are secluded, definitely bring everything you need because you are over an hour from a good store."

Service availability: Cell phone reception is limited or non-existent at most equestrian campgrounds. Jen M. describes Cimarron Campground as "quiet and peaceful with amazing stargazing at night," but warns about road conditions: "the road to get here from Amalia becomes very wash boarded. It is a long road to get here and is wash boarded the whole way."

Weather preparedness: Mountain weather can change rapidly, particularly during summer monsoon season. Drew advises about Cimarron Campground: "It is a long way down a dirt road but well worth the drive to be remote. No cell service at the camp site but a short 5 min drive back to the first cattle guard allowed for service to multiple cell providers."

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly fishing spots: Some areas offer designated youth fishing ponds with special regulations. Stephen K. notes that at Cimarron Campground, "The smaller [pond] was reserved for kids's fishing. Both are classified as 'Green Chile' waters so only flies or artificial lures with a single, barbless hook are allowed. 2 fish limit."

Stream exploration: Children can enjoy exploring shallow creek areas near many campgrounds. Marcela R. says of Agua Piedra Campground, "The creek is very close and accessible, which is probably the highlight. There are plenty of hammock and shade trees."

Wildlife education: Ranger programs may be available at some locations, offering learning opportunities. Terry R. describes how at Cimarron Campground, "We watched several herds of Elk down in the valley on one of our hikes. We had deer roam through our campsite, they could care less that we were even there. The kids had a few streams to keep them busy."

Tips for RVers

Site selection considerations: For RVers traveling with horses, selecting proper equestrian sites is crucial. At Sugarite Canyon State Park, the campground host can help direct you to suitable sites. Jeff T. advises, "The so-called 'treacherous' road up to the campground is gravelly and a bit steep in a few places, but very passable (there was a Class A rig up there, and a number of 30+ ft 5th Wheelers as well)."

Water and hookup availability: Water sources may be limited or require treatment. Fred S. notes about Soda Pocket Campground, "No potable water. Restroom/shower house across from state park visitor center is very good." This makes it essential to arrive with full water tanks.

Leveling challenges: Some sites require extra effort for leveling. At McCrystal Campground, horse corrals are installed at select sites, but the terrain can be uneven. Rosalinda S. notes about nearby dispersed camping, "Not the easiest piece of ground to get the trailer leveled but we made it work."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Cimarron, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Cimarron, NM is Cimarron Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Cimarron, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Cimarron, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.