Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Costilla, NM has a lot to offer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that New Mexico camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Costilla, NM. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
Blue Lake Campground is located in the beautiful San Isabel National Forest at an elevation of 10,500 ft. Views of the nearby Culebra Range Mountains with aspen and spruce forests offer campers a genuine Colorado experience.
A well-marked trail system between Bear Lake and Blue Lake is open to foot and horse traffic. Across the road from the campground FSR 436, a rough jeep road, provides access to Trinchera Peak where Big Horn Sheep are often seen.
A tributary of the Cuchara River runs through the campground. Blue Lake is 1/2 mile from the campground, and Bear Lake is one mile away. Both of these small lakes are stocked several times during the summer providing for good fishing.
The nearby mountain town of Cuchara offers shopping and visitor information. The town of La Veta offers a grocery store, gas stations, and shops. The Spanish Peaks Wilderness, 14 miles from the campground, is a popular hiking destination.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$25 / night
A short drive up the gravel road that leads to the Bureau of Land Managements Zapata Falls Campground (CG) will let visitors to the area see the San Luis Valley and Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve from a whole new perspective. The campground offers birds-eye views of the valley floor below, the San Juan Mountains to the west, the adjacent Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and several 14ers and many other towering peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range that Zapata Falls CG sits on not to mention spectacular sunrises, sunsets and night skies! Zapata Falls CG has 23 single campsites, 1 group site and 1 camp host site nestled among pi__on pines along two one-mile long loops. The sites on one loop are designed for tent campers. Parking spurs on the second loop vary a little in length but in general can handle RVs, towed campers, or other configurations of vehicles up to about 50 feet long. A new trailhead in the campground supplies a link to the South Zapata Creek Trail and the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. A second trail, next door to the campground in the day-use area, leads visitors on a mildly steep half-mile hike to Zapata Falls, which gives the campground its name.
Zapata Falls Recreation Area is a destination known for its waterfall viewing and sweeping vistas of the San Luis Valley, its soaring mountain ranges, and the adjacent Great Sand Dunes National Park. From the waterfall, the trail continues onto the Rio Grande National Forest, for those seeking a backcountry experience in the high country above and the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. Recreation Sites Standard Nonelectric Rv Nonelectric Group Tent Only Area Nonelectric Overnight
Zapata Falls Special Recreation Management Area The Zapata Falls Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) is rich in history and geology and offers opportunities to hike, camp, mountain bike and view spectacular scenery. Zapata Falls and the 628 acres surrounding them are State Trust Lands owned by the Colorado State Land Board and are also a designated Colorado Natural Area. They are cooperatively managed with the Bureau of Land Management. History The name _ Zapata _ is the Spanish word for shoe and is tied to the history of settlement in the San Luis Valley. In 1864, Mexican families established the community of Zapata at the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and raised sheep and other livestock. In the 1870s, cattleman consolidated land holdings and established one of the San Luis Valleys first and largest cattle ranches know as Zapata Ranch, which remains an active ranch today. Geology Zapata Falls SRMA perches on the edge of an active rift valley. The San Luis Valley was formed when geologic activity along the Rio Grande Rift, a giant crack in the earths top layers, caused the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains to rise and the flat plain of the San Luis Valley to sink. Bedrock lies 5,000 to 13,000 feet below the valley floor, beneath layers of gravel, soil, and water. Approximately two million years ago, alpine glaciers inched down the steep slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Water flowing from the glacier and snowfields in the valley above found a weak spot near the end of a moraine a huge rock pile deposited thousands of years ago by a glacier. For thousands of years, water has carved its path, forming Zapata Falls. Dont Take the Plunge at Zapata Falls The cold waters of South Zapata Creek drop more than 25 feet through a narrow, rocky canyon. Please use extreme caution when hiking or wading around the base of Zapata Falls. In spring and summer, the water is cold, the current may be strong, and the rocks are slippery. In winter, climbing to the base of the falls is a slick proposition. Zapata Creek freezes into a sheet of ice blanketed by snow. Beware, the ice may not be thick enough to support your weight. There is no view of the falls from above; trying to climb the rocky walls is dangerous to you and to people below you. The falls are home to the black swift, a rare and elusive bird that nests only in the misty reaches of waterfalls. Stay on the trails to keep from disturbing the birds nesting in the cliffs.
Zapata Falls Trail To reach Zapata Falls, you will need to take a short but arduous hike to Zapata Creek. The falls are upstream from where the trail meets the creek. The only way to view the falls is to get your feet wet by wading carefully upstream to the base of the falls. Length: 1/2 mile each way Elevation: 9,000 to 9,400 feet Connections: South Zapata Lake Trail (U.S. Forest Service Trail #852) Other Nearby Attractions: NPS-Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. USFS-Rio Grande National Forest and Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. BLM-Blanca Wetlands Recreation Area. USFWS-Baca and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges. Great Sand Dunes Oasis-Restaurant, gift shop, and lodge (near GRSA Park entrance). Ft. Garland Museum and Cultural Center. Colorado Gators Reptile Park. UFO Watchtower. Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool. Other Nearby Campgrounds: Pinyon Flats CG, Great Sand Dunes NPP
$20 / night
Rio Costilla ~ Pristine Wilderness is located in Northern Taos County, New Mexico. Lush forests offer Spring & Summer Recreation through Labor Day Weekend and are a Hunter’s Paradise throughout the year.
Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Bike Riding, Rock Hounding, and just plain Relaxing are among many activities to be enjoyed during warmer months of the year in Rio Costilla Park.
$30 / night
Columbine Campground is located between Questa and Red River, New Mexico. The Red River flows past the campground and a trailhead leads into the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness area. Columbine Campground sits at 7,900 feet in elevation.
The Columbine Twining hiking trail can be found at the south end of the campground and gives access to 14 miles of hiking trails, and leads into the Columbin-Hondo Wilderness area. The Red River runs near the campground and can be accessed near the first loop.
The campground is composed of two loops. One small loop at the campground entrance, has all open sites and views of the towering mountains. The other is a long loop up the canyon along the fast-flowing Columbine Creek. The campsites in this loop are tucked in among pine, spruce and some aspen providing ample shade and good privacy between campsites.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.
Be sure to explore Red River, Questa, and the Enchanted Circle while in the area.
$22 / night
This is an irrigation reservoir that's stocked throughout the summer with trout. Camping and restrooms are available. NOTE: Reservoir is open to ice fishing during the winter.
Interactive Map: https://ndismaps.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html?app=FishingAtlas&keyword=fspot&value=262
Fishing Coldwater lake
Recreation Camping, Boating
Facilities Boat Ramp, Restrooms
Restrictions Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds visitors to check current hunting, fishing and land use regulations when planning to visit a State Wildlife Area. Refer to the Recreational Lands Brochure, as well as the Fishing and Hunting Regulation Brochures located on the Regulations Brochures Page. State Wildlife Area visitors can also find rules and regulations information in Chapter 9 Regulations.
Recently refurbished roadside campground sits near historic Red River mining area and downhill ski resort. Can be very crowded during summer weekends. As an alternative, try BLM's Wild Rivers Recreation Area north of Questa.
Cimarron Campground is located in the scenic Valle Vidal within Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, at an elevation of 9,300 feet. The sites are tucked among spruce, aspen and fir trees, and the camp offers an open range feel. Visitors have opportunities to enjoy a variety of recreational activities in a picturesque setting. Viewing wildlife and simply relaxing in the mountain air are popular activities.
Anglers can fish for Rio Grande cutthroat trout in Comanche Creek and the Rio Pueblo. Nearby Shuree Ponds offers excellent fishing. The smaller pond is a fishing hole for kids 12 and under. The main pond is stocked with rainbow trout and is also popular for float tubing. The area around the campground is open to horseback riding, and there are few maintained trails. Elk and deer hunting is excellent.
Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1.5 million acres within the Carson National Forest. Elevations range from 6,000 feet to 13,161 feet at Wheeler Peak, the highest in New Mexico. Big game animals roam the Carson, including mule deer, elk, antelope, black bear, mountain lion and bighorn sheep. Many species of smaller animals and songbirds can also been found in the forest. Cimarron Campground is located within the beautiful Valle Vidal, a Spanish term meaning "Valley of Life," of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Shuree Ponds, Comanche Creek and the Rio Pueblo are all near the campground, offering excellent fishing.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.
$22 - $40 / night
$25 - $169 / night
Stay at Road Runner RV Resort and discover all that the Red River Valley has to offer. We offer 120 RV sites located among 23 acres of mature trees. Contact us today to book your stay. Quiet & Secure At Road Runner RV Resort, we take security seriously. The resort itself is a gated community, so only guests have access to the grounds. This keeps traffic to a minimum and makes the whole property lovely and peaceful. Guests are provided an access code, so they can enter and leave the site whenever they like.
Top-Notch Amenities Whether you want to explore the town of Red River or simply relax, our resort is a great choice. The Red River trolley will pick you up right at the park and drop you off anywhere in town. We directly border the Goose Lake trailhead, and you can ride a UTV from our park to any trailhead in the area. There are also plenty of opportunities for fun and recreation right here at the resort, including:
A State-Of-The-Art Tennis Court 2 Basketball Courts Playground BBQ Grills Picnic Tables Firepits at Selected Sites A Putting Green Fishing in the Red River
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RangerGuideTravelerCamping near Costilla, New Mexico, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family getaway, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Costilla, New Mexico, offers a unique experience with its beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Costilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, Costilla, NM offers a wide range of camping options, with 165 campgrounds and RV parks near Costilla, NM and 41 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Costilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Costilla, NM is Sacred White Shell Mountain with a 4.5-star rating from 53 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Costilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 41 free dispersed camping spots near Costilla, NM.
What parks are near Costilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 14 parks near Costilla, NM that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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