Best Tent Camping near Cuba, NM

Recent Tent Reviews near Cuba, New Mexico

259 Reviews of 7 Cuba Campgrounds

• 

  Beth B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 16, 2018

  Rio Chama Campground

  Great place to watch the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Train

  Rio Chama RV park in Chama, New Mexico, is at the intersection of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the upper Rio Chama. A nice place to stay May 1 thru mid October. The train passing by twice a day is an exciting event and it's a short walk to the train yard.

  Pull through sites have great shade and full hookups with 30 or 50 amp electrical service. Spacious tent sites with full service restrooms nearby. Pet friendly with dog park and free wifi. A great place for fishing, train watching and relaxing.

• E

  Ellen C.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 6, 2018

  Jemez Falls Campground

  Awesome place to camp

  This is one of the places to camp in New Mexico

• L

  Lloyd S.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 14, 2019

  Cochiti Recreation Area

  Cochiti lake NM.

  This is a great U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground. Great level sites with water and 50amp power for RVs and water at tent sites. Clean restrooms with showers. No sewer hookups but dump stations. Stays are limited to14 days, RVspaces are $20 tent sites are $14, 50% discount if you have an Access pass. Fishing docks at the lake, boating (no wake) hiking trails and lots to see and do in the area.

• 

  Melanie H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 16, 2021

  Rio Puerco Campground

  Small campground - big views

  Only had 3 or 4 spots for camping. A spot was big enough for an RV while the others were mostly for tent camping. We found some waterfalls brushwhacking along the creek but be prepared to get your feet wet.

• 

  Megan E.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 11, 2021

  Ghost Ranch

  Beautiful

  This is an artist paradise. So many beautiful land formations and gorgeous sunsets. The campground includes a bath house with laundry room and electric hookups if needed. $30 to tent camp (no electric). Lodging, yurts and cabins, are also available.

• 

  Anthony G.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 25, 2018

  Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

  Perfection

  The Juniper campground is perfection. The layout of the campground allows for both RV and tent camping, while still having you own quiet area. Plenty of water filling stations, and bear boxes. The evening ranger presentations, held at the amphitheater, are informative and interactive.

• 

  marycatmathis ..

  Ranger

  

  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!

• 

  Darren G.

  Traveler

  

  May. 11, 2021

  Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

  Better get there early

  Not good for large trailers but if you have a smaller one or tent camping, this place is great. When it is full it is still fine as it seems people there are decent and know their manners. (becoming unusual these days) Will stay there again.

• 

  Megan E.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 8, 2021

  Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

  Beautiful place

  Sites are exposed, and summer is hot. I imagine fall or spring would be more ideal weather. Definitely planning a trip back later in the year. Each tent site is small, relatively flat with picnic table. A few pull through sites are available. Firewood is pre-cut and can be purchased for $1 a log (cash only, drop box).

• 

  James F.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 28, 2021

  Fenton Lake State Park — Fenton Lake Fishing Area (and Dam)

  Nice State Park

  Fenton Lake is usually busy and reserving months ahead of time is a good idea. We like spots number 1 and 17 for tent camping. Rangers patrol the campgrounds and in general people are usually well behaved. Nice hikes along the creek. Getting a fishing spot may be hard to find sometimes as the small lake is usually circled with people fishing. Fishing is usually good though as it is well stocked. Temperatures at night can get down in the low forties after being in the eighties during the day.

• 

  Katriza L.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 20, 2020

  Fenton Lake State Park — Fenton Lake Fishing Area (and Dam)

  One of our favorite places to go camping!

  I’ve been coming to Fenton Lake for camping with family since I was little and we’ve always loved it. It’s beautiful and well taken care of. Park rangers are always making their rounds and always friendly and helpful. Plenty of tent sites; only a few have some good privacy. Not many electrical hookups though. Trash bins and vault toilets are usually close by. Love the trail that runs along the side of the camp and the stream that runs adjacent to the campsites. Fishing is fun but get there early because spots fill up quickly. Only downfall I’ve seen is that theres only one water spigot and it’s right at the lake.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 29, 2018

  Cochiti Recreation Area

  Great Views and Access to Tent Rocks

  We checked out this campground as an option when traveling to the Tent Rocks and it was a great place. The campground was clean and sites were not to close together. We noticed a good mix of both tent and rv campers on the property.

  For tent camping with no hook ups it was only $12 which fit the perfect price point. These sites included a pad for the tent as well as fire rings and awnings with tables.

  The view of the sunset here was impressive to say the least and I was so in awe of the colors in the sky I forgot to take a picture, that doesn’t happen often!

  Bathrooms were just the right size for the amount of people who were coming and going and best of all, hot showers!! That in itself is nice to find when you are traveling in the southwest sometimes.

  We were only about 15 miles from the Tent Rocks on very nice roads so it was perfect!!

• 

  Brett H.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 24, 2021

  Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

  Great campsite to access Bandelier

  Really nice campgrounds right inside entrance to Bandelier National Monument. Self serve/first come, so get here early to snag a spot. We stayed in Bear Loop and found those sites the nicest for vans, car camping, tents.

  Pros:

  • Relatively quiet for a three loop campground, esp at night
  • A good mix of pull through and tent sites with plenty of room to drive in. Our site did not have partial shade, though there are plenty of trees in the loop to help with that
  • Frey and other hiking trailheads accessible near camp (lived this)
  • Firewood for sale at pay kiosk (cash donation, $1 per log)
  • Kiosk was pretty easy/took cards, just be mindful of searching for a spot before you pay
  • Nice bathrooms, no showers available at time
  • Was really awesome launching point for exploring Bandelier; easy to drive or walk right into the thick of things

  Cons:

  • $12/night may be too pricey for some, but we found it reasonable
• E

  Emma D.

  Scout

  

  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.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 27, 2023

  Riana - Abiquiu Lake

  Clean well-laid out CoE campground

  General: 54-site campground in four loops; the Pedernal Loop has water and electric hookups, the Chama and Puerco Loops do not and there is a walk-in tent site loop. There is also overflow camping. 

  Site Quality: Sites appeared to be mostly level (at least in the Pedernal loop); most were paved but a few were gravel. Most were back in, but some were pull-through. There are two ADA-accessible sites in the Pedernal Loop. Many have reservoir views. Site 14 has a generous-sized paved driveway. Completing the site is a lantern hook, BBQ, and covered picnic table. Too bad it was so darn windy that we could not enjoy these amenities. There was also a garbage can at the end of each site but no recycling that I saw. If you do not need hookups, sites 34 and 39 (in the Puerco loop) provide excellent water views. 

  Bath/Shower House: Basic with two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. Very clean. There are also very clean vault toilets located throughout the campground. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it works. 

  Activities: The Abiquiu Lake Vista Trail is a 4-mile hike and bike stacked-looped trail (so you can add or duplicate interconnected loops). Boating access is one mile away. Fishing is also popular. There is also a volleyball net and a very nice modern playground. We were there at the end of April, so it was very quiet (which is the way we like it). Shout out to great camp hosts – we were greeted upon arrival and they made sure we didn’t have any questions or concerns. For $16, this is affordable but with the senior pass, $8 is a bonafide bargain!

• 

  Katriza L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 23, 2021

  Cochiti Recreation Area

  Very clean but no shade

  We stayed at the Buffalo Grove Site #66 for one night. If you have an RV/trailer, Buffalo Grove is the best loop as all have 30/50 Amp, city water hookup, covered table, lantern and paved sites. There are other loops in the campground that may have 50 amp and no water or 15/30 amp with water and gravel. The Juniper loop requires a 100ft hose for shared spigots.

  Some sites in Buffalo Grove are drive through or back-in. Decent space between camps and some privacy but there’s not a lot of large shrubs, extremely scarce actually and no trees whatsoever making all sites at this campground super hot with full sun. We were praying for the rain to come. There are tent sites available but I can’t imagine withstanding this kind of heat in July. We hardly saw anyone hanging outside during the day.

  According to their map, there should be a playground right behind our site but it is nonexistent and clearly has been for some time and they’ve never updated their maps for it. The check-in was quick and simple, they gave us a map to our site and they were very friendly! The bathroom and shower facility close to our campsite was very clean and showers are free. There’s working water fountains outside of the bathroom. There’s no sewer hookups but there are two dump stations with water near the campground host location just outside of the Buffalo grove loop. There are no stores or laundry facilities inside the campground however if you drive past this campground you’ll find a mini mart, gas station, and laundry place.

  If you go down to the boat ramp there’s covered picnic tables right off the shoreline with a bathroom on the left and you can walk on the shoreline to the right and find several picnic tables with no shade. The fishing and swimming are down a different road and the swimming area is by far the most popular area. They don’t allow pets here (at swimming area, OK at campgrounds) and there was literally no one fishing (unless you’re on a boat)!

  Alcohol is not permitted and currently there’s fire restrictions that are not allowing fires (wood or charcoal, but propane is fine) though there are no fire rings in the Buffalo Grove area, not sure if that’s the case for other loops.

  Tent Rocks is about 5 minutes away but they are currently closed. The crest dam road is also currently closed at this time. Overall a great stay, we would come back - preferably in the spring!

• 

  Alan B.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 12, 2019

  Jemez Falls Campground

  Ranger Review: Red Ledge Free Rein Jacket in and Around the Valles Caldera

  **Campground Review: **

  Imagine 1.25 Ma ago an eruption blew apart the landscape of Northern New Mexico that would rival the shear volume erupted by the world famous Yellowstone hotspot!  Jemez Falls and its namesake campground are the closest, largest, and most developed CG to the Valles Caldera proper and the entrance to the caldera's access roads.  The Jemez Falls CG is more developed than the nearby primitive (dispersed) sites that surround the flanks of the caldera proper, this CG offers 50 single sites and 2 double sites, $10 and $50 respectively.  Most of the sites can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 40' in length with good options for tent camping as well.  Each site has the usual metal fire ring, along with picnic tables and a paved driveway/parking area.  You can reserve sites from mid May through Mid September.

  Even if you plan to stay here for a couple weeks (which is the limit) you'll have more than enough to keep you preoccupied!  If you want to drive around and hike or fish in the caldera proper then you will need to go to the Valles Caldera Visitors Center and buy a pass.  They typically cost $25 but when we visited during the International Balloon Fiesta the fee was waived.  If they are charging when you arrive, you can also use your National Parks Pass to get entrance.  Be sure to arrive early on the weekends as they restrict the # of permits they hand out.

  Now with all this exposed rock you know there's going to be some amazing climbing!  All of the rock in the immediate area was created by the caldera and related volcanic and magmatic activity in the area in the past few million years.  This gives you the opportunity to climb on some "bulletproof" welded tuff (hardened volcanic ash) much like what exists at the world famous Smith Rock State Park in Oregon.  If you want to find out more about the interesting geology of the area you can look Here

  Product Review:

  Being a Ranger for the Dyrt allows us to test and review gear from time to time!  This time we got to test out the Men's Free Rein Jacket by Red Ledge.

  Pros:

  • First thing I want to say about this jacket is that it is super cheap for a rain jacket this rugged and with this many features!  It was only ~90$ after shipping and is comparable to some of my other jackets that were 2-3x as much! 
  • I also really liked the mesh fabric on the inner portion of the breast pockets.  It added another dimension of breath ability to the jacket to prevent condensation from building up on the inside.  This was a nice addition to the gusseted armpits flaps to help air out.
  • The last thing I really liked about this jacket was the amount of high-vis color options you had to choose from!  I went with the Hi-Vis Orange which is close to a hunters orange and came in very handy as there was active hunting while we were hiking in the Valles Caldera.

  Cons:

  • There were only a couple of things that we thought could have been improved.  The first was to have the armpit openings be meshed on the inside to prevent it from opening wide up.  We really liked that feature in the breast/side pockets and wished it had been incorporated into the armpits as well.
  • The other thing was the inability to zip the jacket from the top or bottom, which would have allowed you to kind of blouse the bottom of the jacket.  

  Score: 4/5

  • While other jackets have more features, this is a great, durable rain jacket at a price point that is reasonable and affordable for most.  This was a great jacket to test and I anticipate using it for many more rainstorms and windy belays in the future.
• 

  Reuben

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2021

  Riana - Abiquiu Lake

  Overall, very nice, but a few little caveats

  My wife and I spent 3 days here in late May.  Because we planned out trip a little late, we actually stayed the first night in Spot 16 (no hookups) and then the last 2 at Spot 14 (electric and water).  Spot 16 was in the "Chama Loop" and I have to say, this loop is really not for our rig (a 30' Class A).  We had a pull in spot, and fit okay, but the spots here are all on the smaller side and we mostly saw tents and some truck campers and a couple of Class Bs.  We could NOT get level on our site without some serious efforts and more blocks than I really like.  We never got level enough to feel comfortable putting out our slides.  When we moved the next day to Spot 14 (in the Pedernal Loop, where the only electric/water sites are), it was much better.  Leveling was easy as can be.  The hookups were very conveniently located and we had no complaints here.  Very spacious lot.  Picnic tables under cover, a grill and a fire pit.  

  Spaces between spots are fairly generous.  Not huge, but far better than most commercial sites.  We felt very much "alone" here.

  Some great things:  the camp hosts Al and Cindy were INCREDIBLY helpful and friendly.  Best hosts we've ever had!  The playground is excellent (we don't have little kids, but we actually enjoyed the swings and such ourselves one evening!).  The views of the lake are very good (you can't get down to the lake from here, but the extra height made for great views), and the walking trail from the visitor center to the boat launch goes right through the park, so you can join it easily if you wish.  Dump station has two dump spots, which was nice.  There are lots of picnic areas, and the tent sites looked very nice too.  

  Not the greatest:  other than the aforementioned levelness issues, I was amused to see how steep the road down to the little "front gate" is.  Not ideal for RVs!  You come down off a Mesa to the much lower campground on a fairly steep grade, and 2/3 of the way down, you have to stop to check in.  Just seemed weird.  The dump station has NO hose hookup for the non-potable water (just a weird contraption that sprays water everywhere), so no easy way to flush the black tank, which I don't love.

  Connectivity:  no wi-fi.  And the cell signal is spotty.  We were able to use my iphone to create a Verizon hot spot, and actually, after a struggle, could watch some Netflix.  But then surfing sometimes went from slow but okay to non-existent.  My one word review would be:  inconsistent.  And now, we don't spent our time surfing the internet, but for doing research, checking email, etc., it was not ideal.  Workable, but not the best.

  We'd stay here again in a second.  We've already talked about what we'll do next time we stay here.

• s

  seryna R.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 27, 2024

  FR376 Dispersed

  Amazing

  This camp spot is one of the best free camp sites in New Mexico. Would definitely go again. Highly recommend to anyone who loves to camp and drive four wheelers

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2016

  Rio Puerco Campground

  Pecos, NM

  New Mexico is just beautiful and this park really brings that to life. Its a great place for fishing, camping, hiking and breath taking river veiws. Love every picture I took here.

• 

  James F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 6, 2021

  Riana - Abiquiu Lake

  Nice camp hosts

  The campgrounds is nicely laid out and decent. There isn't much for shade or privacy. The camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. There are nice trails that you can hike or mountain bike. Some are near cliff edges and not for the beginners. The lake is nice for New Mexico and sees a lot of use. Didn't get a chance to fish or get to the waters edge this trip. The area is near where Georgia O'Keefe lived and did some of her work.

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 12, 2018

  Tetilla Peak

  Needs Some Work

  There are two campground I found in the area, this one and one almost directly across from it. I checked out each on my way to the tent rocks and ended up settling on the other.

  WHY? This one is like the red headed stepchild that everyone knows is there but doesn't want to deal with it seems. I think what happened is the other was constructed after this one and because of that this one was neglected instead of maintained.

  Was it all bad? No. But was it as nice as the other, NOPE!

  I honestly think that if there was a little maintenance to this one I would have enjoyed it a bit more. I liked the views from this side a bit more and they seemed a bit more vegetative overall. But that was also the problem, it looked like no one had maintained the sites and they were a little wooly.

  When I visited over a year ago some of the picnic tables were vandalized and looked broken. Several of the plug in posts had been bent and damaged and looked a bit dangerous. I have seen photos of other campers which have camped since my visit and it looks as though they have been working on this area to make improvements and I really hope they have because I would love to see it again in better form.

  The water access in my opinion was better from this side and had more points of interest overall including the feeder stream which was flowing pretty well when I was there.

  TIPS:

  • If you have ATT you will not have signal here so if possible bring a booster. The entire region is spotty for this service.

  • Check out the Tent Rocks, only a short distance away for some amazing hiking and views. An amazing way to see this portion of New Mexico.

• 

  marycatmathis ..

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 17, 2020

  Oak Point Campground

  yet another amazing site at Oak Point

  I've stayed here twice now since being in New Mexico. This site is right on the water, overlooks the canyon, and is close to a hike to the right side of the canyon through a dried up riverbed. I *love* staying here. It's so peaceful, quiet, enough trees to keep you shaded from the harsh sun here. The road is runner friendly, so you can go on a jog if you like. Its definitely a campsite for people looking to strictly hang out. 

  views and sunsets are EPIC. Stay here instead of the packed Rio Chama campground if you're a casual camper who doesn't need amenities. And pick up your toilet paper so this place stays nice!

• B

  Ben W.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 27, 2023

  Rio De Las Vacas Campground

  Favorite Campground for Many

  I was the campground host at this place for the summer of 2020, one month of 2021 and all summer of 2022. The campground has 15 sites.  Sites 1 thru 11 can be reserved through recreation.gov the last four are first come/first serve. The fee is $10 per day. $5 per day with a Senior Life Time Pass. According  to the web site the first four sites are for tents only but a short trailer can fit. There are two vault toilets and many people told me that the toilets were the cleanest they had encountered in their camping experiences. There is a water well across the road from site #6. The stream runs beside sites 1 thru 4.  That stream is a river, Rio de las Vacas.  Trout have been caught in it.  A hiking trail can be accessed from site #4. Sites #4 & 5 are favorites for some campers because they are a little bit remote from the others.  Some people came to the campground multiple times each summer.  Each site has a paved parking area, a large picnic table and a fire ring.  Sites #4 & 11 have two tables. Do not park vehicles off the asphalt. Firewood is not sold here but the grocery store in Cuba sells it.  Nearby is Eureka Mine now abandoned and a mountain top view from Bluebird Mesa.  San Pedro Peaks Wilderness is about four miles west on the campground.  San Gregorio Lake is a one mile hike into  the wilderness.

• 

  Reuben

  Guide

  

  Nov. 3, 2020

  Theresa's RV Park and Beauty Salon

  Just be ready for a "casual" experience

  This RV Park is the most haphazardly laid out place I've seen. Imagine if you had a really large lot. Near the front, you own a small beauty parlor. On your land are a couple of old mobile homes. You decide to add some RV hookups(probably 20 years ago) and you just kinda scatter them about in what is only a semblance of order. That gives you an idea. I had called a few weeks before and"reserved" a 50 amp site(there are only 2). She took my name. That was it. No confirmation#, nothing. I had a bad feeling from the start. We arrive just before 7(that's when we said we'd arrive) and both 50 amp spots were taken. She had forgotten we were coming. She offered us a 30 amp site, which for one night, was more than fine. We backed in(sites are uneven, we had to add blocks to keep our motorhome from being held in the air by the jacks) and started set up. I got my money's worth from my EMS that day! We got a reverse polarity error!!! Fortunately, the site near us(unused) was close enough I could run my power cable that way, and it checked out okay. After that, all was well.

  It's a very good location, on the north end of Cuba(tiny town). We grabbed take out dinner from the historic El Bruno restaurant, which was phenomenal. The next morning, we struck camp and drove away. It all worked out okay, but don't expect your reservations to be honored. Theresa is super friendly, but clearly relies only on her memory to help her with reservations. Be prepared with a Plan B, I guess, in case you show up and she's rented everything. But at$20, it's a reasonable stay.

• S

  Scot L.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 2, 2020

  Clear Creek Campground (Nm) — Santa Fe National Forest

  Wonderful campground

  Living in Albuquerque, this has become our long weekend, get-away destination of choice. The CG is relatively small (12 sites) and is typically very quiet. The road and sites are all paved, with a mix of larger spaces (fit our 35 ft. 5th wheel just fine) and smaller tent / pop up trailer size spots. All sites have tent pads. The area provides lots of opportunities to hike or drive the many forest roads that are nearby. If you enjoy exploring in an atv/utv the forest roads range from well maintained to pretty rough. There is a fresh water hand pump and two vault toilets. Cellular connectivity is nonexistent.

• 

  Sean L.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 7, 2020

  Rio De Las Vacas Campground

  Great site

  Clear Creek was full so we camped her for the night and had a great place to park the pop up and our friends were out behind us in their tent. Very beautiful area!