Best Tent Camping near Continental Divide, NM

We used this campground as a starting point for a research trip sampling Precambrian rocks of the Zuni Mountains. I hadn't spent much time in this part of New Mexico, and assumed that the trip was going to be hot and sun-bleached, similar to the desert exposed in nearby Gallup, NM. I was surprised to drive into a beautiful forest just a few minutes off I40.

The campsite includes basic forest service amenities: pit toilets, picnic tables, and metal-rimmed fire pit/grill sites. What set this apart from other non-hosted campsites for me was the condition of the grounds. The tent camping sites had well maintained, leveled tent pads, maintained gravel roads, and clean facilities. The Sites offered a reasonable degree of privacy, although some of the sites near the middle of the loop road place you in close proximity to your neighbor. The area is moderately wooded with pine and aspen, providing shade throughout the day and easy access to the dirt road that transects the Zuni Mountains, letting you out near the Bandera volcano and ice cave, which is a wonderful drive if you have a high clearance/4x4 and time to drive through.

We saw abundant wildlife while working in the Zunis, including several brown bears, deer, and elk. While we didn't have any run ins with these guy in camp, be aware that large animals are present in the area and be sure to take necessary bear-proofing precautions.

Camp fees were $5/night, which is quite the bargain given the well-kept grounds and wonderful scenery. If you're looking for a less-traveled escape from Albuquerque, or just want the chance to explore the under-valued Zuni mountains and western New Mexico landscape (and some pretty interesting geologic features such as orbicular granite), this campground is an excellent place to spend some time on the cheap.

Photos included are from the Zunis south of the campsite, as I didn't think to take any photos while we were at camp.

Stopped here for the night on the way from Tucson to Denver and I'm so glad I did! I was a little nervous bc I'd read reviews saying it fills up fast and to get there before 5, but I got there about 8pm on a Monday in July and only saw one other spot taken. My 2wd car had no problem getting in and out and the ground was great for tent camping. Was solo camping and felt very safe the whole time. I'd love to go back again when I have time to explore the park, everything was SO beautiful.

1 star for the following reasons: 1) bathroom is locked until you get a key. 2) Their website says that there are tent sites. You will be pitching a tent in an rv site. 3)Even once you do go to register on their site, an awful experience that is on a timer and will reset mid registration (yes all your info). You have to choose a discount to get the tent by rate. 4) Map is awful, because the numbers of aren't on well lit and there are no signs. Good luck not waking everybody up. 5) There's a train audible from here. 6) the best view is of the stars. 7) Maze to get here.
All of these reasons are completely verifiable, but i don't suggest it. When i think of campgrounds from hell, this will be my go to. I want my money back.

Stopped here for the night as our first campsite after purchasing our travel trailer.

Gorgeous drive in from 40 to the campsite.

Awesome pull-through site.

Only saw one person doing tent camping. Looked like a cold stay Oct 30th-31st.

Beautiful sunset, unfortunately slept through dawn.

Moon was so bright we didn’t need a flashlight for the bathroom with a clear path from our site. Bear safe trash through out.

Each site is spaces a decent amount apart from the rest.

Quiet time 10 pm - 6 am.

We saw chipmunks scurrying about in the morning. We were hoping to see more wildlife but can’t complain for pulling in around 3:30 and choosing from about 4 empty sites and leaving by 9 am.

Very clean and safe toilet area. Incredible views!

Watch your dogs stepping in cactus. Dogs need to be on leash, but not enforced. Our dog loved this spot but he did sniff cactus too close ouch.

Highly recommend.

Face it, you don't go to Chaco Canyon, or Chaco Culture National Historical Park, for the camping experience. You go for the history, archaeology, ruins, mystery, astronomy and appreciation for the peoples who built these great houses 1200 years ago. But the facilities for tent camping are adequate-to-better, with very good restroom facilities and drinking water. No showers - carefully read the descriptions. No T-Mobile coverage to speak of, although if you make the climb up to Pueblo Alto to overlook Pueblo Bonito, I did get a weak signal that was good enough to download emails, but that was it.

Some of the campsites are closer to each other than others. The camp is arranged in a loop, generally I'd prefer to be toward the far end end of the loop for vehicle privacy. 

CAUTION: Pay attention to the weather and especially rain in the preceding days. I drove up to Chaco from Grants (from the south) and got stuck in about what turned out to be about a foot of mud under a few inches of standing water in a wash 4.4 miles from the Chaco Visitor's Center. Don't risk it! I drove out to the north on the road that connects to NM 550. That's the much preferred road IMO, and apparently the one also usually recommended by the NPS staff.

General: There are several options here: RV and tent camping, and cabins. As members of Harvest Host, we were able to stay here for free with the expectation that we would patronize the business. 

Site Quality: The tent section is behind the cabins, but RVs park in the gravel parking lot with no clearly defined spaces. The section at the top of the fence away from the trading post appeared to be level but otherwise, the lot is sloped. We opted to park closer to the trading post in our campervan, which was also closer to the pit toilet. 

Bathhouse: During the high season, there is a bathhouse and shower, but it was not open when we were there, but the pit toilet was very clean. When the trading post is open (9-5, later in the summer), there are restrooms inside. 

Activities: There is a trail to the ice cave (short but there are stairs) and a loop trail leading to the volcano (about 1.5 miles but wear sturdy shoes and you should be in reasonable shape). It was recommended that we do this hike in a counterclockwise direction and this was good advice. The fee is $12 for both and there are markers with an interpretive pamphlet explaining the history and geology of the area. There is a trading post with souvenirs and a small kitchen area where you can purchase some food and beverages. 

We were the only campers there on a VERY cold late March night so I imagine it would be very different during warmer months. We only heard an occasional car but otherwise, it was very quiet, and the night sky was beautiful. This is a family-run business, and everyone was very welcoming.

We were so grateful to stumble upon USA RV Park on our recent trip through New Mexico.  We were dealing with snow all the way from Colorado to Gallup, and decided about an hour out of Gallup to stop for the night.  We called USA RV Park, and while no one answered, they returned our call within the half hour.  They graciously accommodated our 2 trailers last minute with full hookups!  The campsite itself is large, clean, well marked, and very nice restrooms!  The store was well stocked with what we needed (including a tent repair kit for our pop up!).  The owner, John, was very kind, helpful, and a delight to chat with.  We filled our propane tank up on site and were on our way the next day!  Highly recommend! :)

This was the only lake we saw on our trip to the cattle ranch in New Mexico ;) The park is lovely and we truly enjoyed our time here. There is a nice beach as well as boating and fishing. The campground is broken up into a couple areas. Our site was somewhat shaded, which was nice in the heat of the summer. Very cool sites overlooking the lake. I wouldn’t say the sites are secluded, but it’s still a neat place. I haven’t been to many state parks in New Mexico so it was a unique experience!

The camp sites are well laid out with picnic table. The bath room was primitive and I didn’t check out the showers. The lake and the area is enchanting!! It was my first visit to New Mexico and for sure I will be back! The lake is large and has fishing.

A fun little campground with space to park an RV or rent a cabin. There are no hookups but you’re in a remote part of New Mexico under pines with a Giant night sky above. Plus you’ve got easy access to two fun little explorations... a 1.5 miles hike to the rim of the Bandera volcano and a 1/4 mile hike to the ice cave. It’s a family run business and they have a nice little gift shop and market with a few supplies. Once the park closes for the night, you have the hikes to yourself to take in sunset with lava rock surrounding. It’s a really beautiful area with a lovely family running the business. They charge $20/night for trailer parking but I’m not sure the price of the cabins. They’re also right by Malpais and El Morro national Monuments. Highly recommend for an overnight along your journey through New Mexico!

Needed an overnight stay along Interstate 40 in New Mexico.  Check-in was quick and easy, the sites are arranged so that RV doors are not facing the neighbor's sewage pipe, which is something I always appreciate.  Most of the sites are pull-through.  The park is well laid out and covered with an attractive reddish-brown gravel.  The facilities were clean, the staff was pleasant.  The park felt safe though the neighborhood around it is economically distressed.  The park is family friendly; there is a dog-park, a nice pool, and attractive common area near the office with tables and statuary with a cute bear theme.  The only negatives are not under the control of the park: trains pass by frequently day and night, and in the evening the mosquitos are voracious.  My wife and I agree that we would return here.

Had a relaxing, quiet three night stay from 8/10 - 8/13/21 with our Jayco Octane Lite SL161 toyhauler. The only facilities are clean vault toilets. Some pull through spots for smaller camping units. I would not recommend this campground for large RVs.

15 sites available with about 8 that I could comfortably park my camper in. All sites have table, barbecue, and fire pit/ring. All sites are reservable online at Recreation.gov. When arriving without a reservation and staying for more than one or two nights be aware that empty sites without a reservation posting may have a reservation that has not been posted. You could wake up and find a reservation posted at your site and have to relocate to another available site. 

There is a nice hiking trail available from the campground. La Mosca lookout is a nice drive from the campground with beautiful views. Head up to the Gooseberry Trailhead to hike to the top of Mt Taylor the highest mountain in NW New Mexico. 

Camping fees for this campground are increasing to $10 per night next season.

This campground is not easy to get to, so get your head around that. The last 5 miles of the unpaved road getting to the park boundary will be a challenge, so take it slllooow. It is worth it, and you’ll have fewer crowds at this amazing place. 

The campground is similar to many national parks, with nicely spaced out, no hook up campsites. The toilets are clean and well maintained, flush toilets, and sinks, but no showers.  Water is available throughout the campground, and there’s a big sink for dumping your dish water. 

The campground is ideal for solar power, as is the New Mexico weather.  We also had no problem connecting with Starlink, but there was no LTE or phone service to speak of. 

Hiking in the park is simply stunning. With the ruins of the Chaco Culture all around, you can pick your adventure or simply drive the park loop road, stopping to wander through the remains of this vibrant place that was once the heart of a vast cultural empire. 

Cycling is also a great option -- bike/ hike your way around the park from the campground. The visitor’s center is good, and worth spending some time in.  The closest town with services is a long long way away, in any direction, so come prepared with your supplies, food, etc. 

There is a convenience store/ gas station about 20 miles out, but the drive back along the rough road will take an hour in an RV.  

This park is so worth a visit and the campground makes it easy to stay for as long as you can to soak up the solitude of this simply amazing place!

This is a great area to camp in.... but not in the summer, there is no shade for tent people. This would be a perfect spot for spring and fall. We stayed in the northwest camping site that was about 25 feet from the cliff overlooking 117. Perfect spot. The ground is hard and required a Mason bit and cordless drill to set tent stakes.

Great place to stop & relax. Laundry room large & comfortable. Bathrooms clean. Friendly staff. Only negative is that tent spots don’t have much shade & one picnic table needs replacing.