Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Costilla? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Costilla campgrounds for you and your tent. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. It means no services; such as trash removal, and little or no facilities; such as tables, fire pits and toilets are provided.
There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It is your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
Camp in the San Luis Valley below snow-capped mountains and surrounded by sage brush and cacti in this high alpine desert. Nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountains at 7500’ in elevation, this dispersed campsite gives you magnificent views and a feeling of peaceful privacy.
Easy access to Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mt. Blanca, Zapata Falls, and Hooper Hot Springs.
This area is great for photography, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and solitude.
This place gets busy on holidays but we’ll find a place for you!
$30 - $44 / night
$7 / night
Small roadside camping area provides access to Red River fishing and hiking
One of three small sites on paved road to Taos Ski Valley providing access to fishing on Rio Hondo and hiking in Columbine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area and Wheeler Peak Wilderness.
Traveler
A lot of people here are nosy and can’t mind their own business. Quite a bit of RVs parking in the tent sites trying to push out tent camping. Very rude. Lake is dried up.
Traveler
We loved this camp site! It was our first time to tent camp in Colorado and it was great. Several sites to choose from. Some have views of the dunes, some are more secluded. Bathrooms were clean. Very spacious tent site with a fire pit. Our tent sleeps 6 and we had no trouble fitting in the spot.
Guide
This place seems like more of a day use area that has some fire rings and picnic tables. As best we could tell, there weren't any great tent camp sites, so we just pulled up onto a ridge and dragged a table up. Perhaps better for campers & small RV's.
That said, the lake is gorgeous and there's a great hike up the riverbed.
Scout
The scenery was beautiful, but very windy at times. Also the person that stayed before me left a lot of trash in the fire pit, so we cleaned that up before the campfire. It’s also loud with the 18 wheelers driving down the main road. If you’re camping in a van or camper shell, it’s probably not a big deal. If you roof top tent camp or regular tent camping, it gets loud.
GuideWe grabbed a tent site for our small teardrop for a night and decided to stay 2. Staff was very freindly. Store had essentials including a gas pump. Only a handful of folks in the tent area and it was nice and quiet. fantastic views of the dunes and plenty of shaded sites. Bathroom in the tent sites were clean
Guide
Cimarron Canton State Park is a wonderful place to stay, right on the Cimarron River. Bring your fishing gear and license for some relaxing fishing. Some of the sites are immediately adjacent to the river. My favorite campground is Tolby, the Westernmost. It has a Ranger/Information Station in the east end of the campground. It has flush toilets and sinks, but no shower. This is my favorite, because I love to hike and backpack. Just south across Highway 64 from the campground entrance is the Tolby Trailhead. The Tolby Trail takes you all the way back to Tolby Meadow on an excellent trail. A good spot for overnight tent camping. Tolby campground is also just minutes from Eagle Nest, NM and within easy range of Angel Fire, Red River, and a little less than an hour from Taos.
There are two other campgrounds for RVs, Maverick and Ponderosa, as well as one more for tent camping. Maverick sits right next to a pair of gravel pit lakes for added Fishing opportunities. Ponderosa is across the street from that, but is more like a parking lot with painted camping slots around its perimeter.
In the town of Cimarron I recommend dining at the Historic St. James hotel (very haunted) or lunch at the Creemee. Stop in at the headquarters of Philmont Scout Ranch for the National Scounting Museum and a Tour of the Villa Philimonte (Waite Phillips’ mansion). Also recommended is the Tooth of Time Traders at Philmont. It’s a camping/hiking store that is like an REI.
If you’re coming via Raton, the Colfax Tavern between Raton and Cimarron at Cold Beer New Mexico is a great place to stop for food and drinks.
Traveler
Clean camp, nice amenities. Dog park is a little small, but is nice to have a place for dogs. Pool was very nice. Was disappointed in our tent site as it was all gravel with brush behind us. Pics online showed nice grassy tent sites with big trees. We had dogs with us, and it sucked to only have gravel for them to sit/lie on at our site. Otherwise, friendly place!
TravelerA lot of RVs like to peep on tent campers and make snide comments. They ruin tent camping for everyone with their dog nose up your butt.
Traveler
One of the most beautiful campsites I seen. Two nights tent camping in the valley where two rivers meet. No showers but restrooms were adequate.
Traveler
$10 tent camping in desert behind groovy glamper park. Fantastic people. In walking distance to Taos brewery Oasis. On the road to the gorge. Cool summer nights
GuideSuper friendly staff. Tent camp parked with Sprinter RV . Great sunset view. Close to Great Sand Dunes. Super clean bathrooms and HOT showers! Bit of a walk but worth it
RangerStaff very helpful. Not much privacy, tent sites kinda wide open. Killer views of the San Luis mountains just past my fingertips.
TravelerGreat fishing opportunities, and wonderful hiking all around. Close by to two towns where you can pick up provisions. Campgrounds are great for tent camping, with many right by the river. Even though some sites are close to the road, the traffic is light so we didn’t notice.
GuideAwesome 4 tent campsites tucked away at end of parking lot. A short jaunt from vehicle to campsites so does require carrying your gear. Pretty neat. Highly recommend.
Traveler
Had a great experience here, stayed 3 nights tent camping with my dog. Bathrooms with showers, laundry room, store, and coffee/tea available in the office. The whole property has a friendly/family culture and the couple who manages the campground is very personable and knowledgeable about the area. Will be back!
Guide
This was a wonderful spot! We tent camped with our family of 4 for 4 nights. Camp hosts were awesome too! We haven’t ever done a site with no shower so that’s the only reason it didn’t get a 5 star. But! The river made for great bathing :-D
Nearby to tons of hiking spots and great outdoors experiences.
Guide
We stayed in the tent only portion.. with a rooftop tent. Problem being there are no pull in spots for the individual tent sites....just parking along the camp road. Had to pitch our rooftop tent over the parking barrier. Also, sites are right on top of each other. On the plus side the creek is pretty and loud enough to drown out the road not far away.
Guide
We had a great time camping here. Very cheap only $6 to camp all ages all year. 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.
Scout
This campground has 3 walk in tent campsites, a pit toilet, picnic tables, fire pits and great access to West Spanish Peaks trailhead. Very clean & quite. Great Mountain View’s. There are fees for camping & day use. US Forrest Service land.
TravelerIt's slight hidden behind a bigger RV andodge campground. It was beautiful views from ANY tent site you got. It had bathroom n accessible showers if needed. Firewood. Friendly hosts and snacks. And RIGHT outside the entrance to see the dunes. It was awesome! Close to lakes n rivers to fish and just beautiful.
ScoutThis place is cool. Its made up of about 15 1960-70's trailers, all updated and stylish, on the wide open Taos Mess. There's also tent camping available for $10 a night. Showers (indoor and outdoor) and bathrooms are all really nice and clean. The owners and employees are all a joy. 15 minutes to downtown Taos. There is a brewery right across the street with live music and an awesome patio.
Guide
Great rv or tent sites. Amazing views and fishing
Small store and restaurant on site
Free fishing is usually first weekend in June and the local fire dept hosts a fishing tourney
Sites fill up quickly. Busy on weekends. We prefer Sun-Thur to miss the crowds.
Near Stonewall which has restaurant/small store. Nearby fly fishing at North Lake
Come with a full tank of gas!
GuideSuper easy to access, very nice staff & good amenities. I pitched my tent four one night here. Tent sites are spacious & have a privacy fence between them. All wood burning fires are currently prohibited in Colorado, but there are fire pits for when they're not. I met a couple with an RV that make this camp a part of any trip this direction. They pointed out that even full this camp is still a gem.
TravelerThis place is so cool. There is a “hotel” made up of old airstreams and other RVs, a solid brewery and a music venue that brings pretty serious acts in.
We paid $10 to park our van essentially. Parked in the gravel lot, had acces to showers and bathrooms. There was also tent camping for $10 a night as wel and that looked really legit with unobstructed views .
10/10 will 100% go back to this spot and support what they are doing
Guide
Stunning spot, lots of tent sites, room for maybe 12 campers of modest length, mine is 26' spot #9 is prime for a camper with a driver side slide/kitchen table. unknown if it's seasonal but the biting flies, primarily deer flies are beyond bearable, I survived 4 days, most other campers left after one night. The camp host is very friendly, and knows the best fishing holes.
Traveler
Tent camped in July and could not get into the water; but did freeze my ankles off. Have nice latrine commode and that is all. There are no specific sites. Just find a place and set up. Longest stay is 2 weeks.
Photographer had a pop-up trailer, solar cells, (trees everywhere). He said 2X per week he would get a shower in town somewhere.
There is sufficient room for 10-15 families. Remove all trash when leaving.
Obviously, camp in warm weather or you need to have a snow plow since drifts 3-5 ft deep.
GuideIf you can't get into the Sand Dunes campground, this is your next bet. About 15-20 minutes to the National Park, great for RV's, tent camping was tricky. Winds were insane we ended up sleeping in the car. There are nice fire pits with grates, picnic tables, and a shelter. No other shade then that, no trees. Bathrooms were nice and there was a little camp store. The lake was dried up when we went. This would not be my first choice in the area but you can reserve spots which is nice if you aren't rolling in until Saturday.
Tent camping near Costilla, New Mexico, offers a blend of stunning natural beauty and a variety of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there are several options to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Costilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Costilla, NM is Cabresto Lake Campground with a 3.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 36 tent camping locations near Costilla, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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