Are you planning a trip to Datil with your RV? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in New Mexico with your RV has never been easier. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your New Mexico RV camping excursion.
Juniper Campground is Quemado Ranger District's most popular campground. It offers electric RV hookups (no water, no sewer), leveled tent sites, and easy lake access. This campground is a mix of first come, first served sites and reservable sites. For more information, you can visit our website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gila/recarea/?recid=1964
Recreational opportunities include fishing and boating on Quemado Lake, hiking forest and lakeside trails, and RV and tent camping.____
Recreational opportunities include fishing and boating on Quemado Lake, hiking forest and lakeside trails, and RV and tent camping.____
Lake Access/ Forested / Unrestricted Night Sky Views
For facility specific information, please call (575) 773-4678.
El Caso I-3 Campgrounds El Caso 4 & 5 Campgrounds Pi__on Campground Quemado Lake and Day Use Area Boat Ramp at Quemado Lake__
Cancellation Policy: __A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
$15 / night
Pinon Campground is a mix of first come, first served campsites and reservable group sites. The campground is located across from Juniper Campground and is less than 2 miles from Quemado Lake. For more information, you can visit our website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/gila/recarea/?recid=1964\_
Recreational opportunities include fishing and boating on Quemado Lake, hiking forest and lakeside trails, and RV and tent camping.
__Forested / Unrestricted Night Sky Views
-El Caso I-3 Campgrounds -El Caso 4 & 5 Campgrounds -Juniper Campground -Quemado Lake and Day Use Area -Boat Ramp at Quemado Lake
For facility specific information, please call (575) 773-4678.
San Lorenzo Canyon is jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management as a primitive recreation area. This scenic east-west canyon offers ample outdoor opportunities for hiking and primitive camping. Not only a destination for hikers, the Canyon offers outstanding opportunities for photographers. Millions of years of Earth’s history unfold in San Lorenzo Canyon, a picturesque area of sandstone cliffs, arches, and hoodoos. The cottonwoods indicate there may have been a reliable water source at one time in the area. The area has remnants of old ranches and homesteads; springs and tiny creeks are hidden in the canyon bottoms and washes. High clearance and/or 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. There are no restrooms or drinking water.
Datil Well Recreation Area Campground includes one of 15 water wells along the old Magdalena Livestock Driveway. The old cattle trail was established in the 1800s and stretched 120 miles from Springerville, Arizona, to Magdalena, New Mexico. The area includes 3 miles of hiking trails in pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands, with scenic views of the San Augustin Plains. The trail and vistas also offer an occasional glimpse of wildlife in a setting of quiet and solitude. You can close your eyes and almost hear the cattle lowing as they settle in for the night.Please leave a clean camp and respect the facilities and natural surroundings. Pack it in. Pack it out.
This campground is located at an elevation of 6,800 feet in the Magdalena Mountains.
Quemado Lake is located__16 miles__south of Quemado, NM. __From Quemado, take NM 32 south 14.2 miles to the__Quemado Lake/NM 103 sign. At sign turn left onto NM 103 and go 4 miles to where Forest Road 13 (gravel) begins. Continue straight on FR 13 for 1 mile.
Ranger
Stayed 2 nights. No reservations, so had to take chances. Several spots open on a Friday. Most spots roomy and decent spacing. Clean toilets and water and only $5 per night; $2.50 with a Senior NPS Pass. 3 spots have electric hookups but all taken. Very nice nice trail in campground. Quiet. PieTown down the road with excellent pies--If you go, eat at Pie-O-Neer (best option---great reviews and did not disappoint). Does have host. Supposedly open year round. Good proximity to VLA (Very Large Array).
One very good ADA accessible site.
Trailhead at one end of campground, with some good routes/options, Easy to moderate. We did pick ripe pinyon pine nuts that had fallen on ground (Oct. is pickin' season). They were very good eatin'.
One camper started generator up well before sunrise… :(
Traveler
Stayed here one night. Only saw one other person out here. It’s the middle of June, so I think all of the NOBO CDT hikers have come and gone. It’s close to the not-very-busy highway. Easily accessible when dry, almost certainly would require AWD/4WD if muddy.
Guide
Very close to the main road, few spots and some with firepits, we were only 3 cars staying for the night. Perfect for an immersive night in a beautiful forest, we saw a group of deers in the late afternoon. No toilet no water. Def recommend.
Traveler
I enjoy camping here very quiet and peaceful. No bathroom and water
GuideWell maintained little BLM campsite right on US-60. Remarkable night skies when clear. $5 a night gets you access to brand new, clean solar toilets, (they light up at night even with no power!) water during the warmer seasons (already off as of 11/25) and mostly decent phone signal if you care about that.
The Eagle Guest Ranch nearby has a gas sation, basic necessities, alcohol, and a cafe that serves all your standard diner fare. Beautifully polite people staffing the place. A highlight in the mostly barren stretch between Magdalena and Springerville.
The campground is attached to a fantastic 3.25 mile loop trail that takes you to three fantastic vistas and isn't hard at all.
Worth as a stop for a day, or a destination for a weekend trip. The Very Large Array is a stone's toss away; as well as further hiking opportunities in the Gila National Forest by way of NM-12, and the Cibola National Forest by way of the aforementioned US-60.
GuideThe sites were very nice and clean with some sites in the woods and others in the clearing. The sites in the clearing have concrete telescope pads. The pit toilets were like brand new with solar lighting. Big rigs would have trouble fitting into this campground.
Datil, Mew Mexico is a few minutes away and has a combined gas station, restaurant, and grocery store for your needs.
And, a few miles west on US 60 is Pie Town, New Mexico with two bakery's that sale fresh baked pies. But they sale out quickly.
TravelerThis is an awesome campground. Very spacious sites, lots of pull throughs with Ramadas, clean, yes, clean fire pits, scenery is beautiful, lots of trees for privacy but those that need solar can find sites as well, great trails with a gazebo, clean grounds (no glass), pristine bathrooms and trash facilities. The only down for me in a Class C is no dump site and as far as I can find, nothing within an hour';s drive at best. I guess I'll use the bathrooms in the park! 😏 I'll be here again for sure!
Scout
Armijo Springs is a quiet secluded free campground with a vault toilet (low maintenance due to its isolated location), picnic tables (5) and fire rings. No trash service so take it with you. We were here Memorial Day weekend 2023 and there was only one other quest that arrived on Saturday. There is a $5 dump and water station at Pinion campground near Quemado Lake about 15 miles (?) away. We stayed with a 17' trailer and Class B van. There is NO cell service and we had to move down the dead end road 100 yards to get a clear enough area for Starlink to partially work. Probably why few people stay here. Elk walk through camp occasionally and there is an actual spring w/ tank nearby. I don't think it runs in the drier months but it is flowing now. May/June 2023. The water could easily be filtered for personal use I think.
Traveler
There are 5 camping areas within this campground. We stayed in the 4th area and were the only campers. This area had two sites that could accommodate a travel trailer or motorhome. There are also two tent camping sites within this area. There is a toilet which was clean but not well stocked. Make sure to bring toilet paper. There is a dump and water station a mile away. 5.00 charge to dump. Quemado Lake is a short drive down the mountain. Several hiking trails in the area.
GuideVery well maintained, nice campground. The sites are pretty far from each other, and almost all have a ramada. A few sites have electricity, but by the time we arrived these sites were already taken. There are water spigots all around the campground, but not at the sites. The restroom (chemical toilet) is clean and during the night is well lit. Reservation is not available, first come first serve, but approx. half of the sites were still available when we arrived, around 7 pm. The fee is $5/night, but if you have Golden Age passport, America The Beautiful Senior pass or similar, it's only $2.50/night.
Guide
You don't often find free developed camping at the end of a paved road in New Mexico, but Water Canyon is one of those exceptions. It seems to be one of those spots that people don't take the time to get off the highway to explore -- on a weekday in July there was only one other campsite occupied.
There are about a dozen campsites, vault toilets, trash cans, a group campsite at the bottom of the hill and easy access to some great hiking trails, all about ten minutes outside of Socorro and an hour from Albuquerque.
While the campground is free for now, I did see some notices posted about the Forest Service taking public comment on levying a $10 per night fee per site.
GuideThis is one of the best maintained campgrounds I have stayed at in recent years. New tables and shelters. Some sites have electricity and some even have telescope pads. All have a great fire pit. The hosts were very helpful and friendly. The best part was the incredible night sky full of stars and the milky way. I had a very peaceful and restful night. I’ll be stopping here again.
Guide
This is a basic campground- has hookups on gravel but no trees, picnic tables near campsite tho they do have a nice bbq area available for people. Bathrooms are very basic and we’re not especially clean tho there was hot water. If you need hookups, this place is right on highway 60 so convenient.lots of stickers in the grass- beware if you have furry friends.
ScoutQuiet, only campers here on a Saturday. Tall trees, crisp fresh air. Would have stayed longer but needed to do research so need cell service. Got a little signal with a booster. If you need to disconnect this is the place.
TravelerBeautiful Canyon with a handful of free camping spots. Fire pits, picnic tables, and bathrooms (pretty clean for late June).
There’s a group camping section with a large gazebo and a number of picnic tables, but it was closed when we were here.
No cell reception (Verizon & TMobile). No water so bring your own.
Please practice LNT.
TravelerJackson Park is a free campground provided by Pie Town NM, just south of US 60. Elevation is 7,786'. I am here at the beginning of May and it's 80 degrees. No water, garbage or dumpsite available and a vault toilet has been trashed. Drive past the campground sign and you can find many places to camp. It's dusty and a little noise from the highway, other than that is private and quiet. Less than 5 minutes walking distance to eat pie. Pack it in and pack it out. Let's not lose this free campsite.
Pie Town is noted for pies. Check out the restaurants right on US 60.
TravelerDONT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS! You will end up at a closed gate with instructions on where you are supposed to go, wasting 30 mins in the process. We took a 20 ft Jayco Feather Micro travel trailer. Don't attempt unless you have 4 wheel drive and/or sand mode if you plan to pull a heavy trailer. Otherwise, most other vehicles out tent camping didn't seem to have too many problems. Camping pull off spots are numerous but beware the sand is even more treacherous. Try to pick a spot that won't require backing up maneuvers if you have a trailer. There are many campers but plenty of distance between you and the next camp site. Amazing views make it worth it. If you're trying to show off on your IG... this place is for you!
GuideNice basic campground, several vault toilets that are clean. Road access is pretty rough and it is easy to miss the campground turnoff! We missed it the first time. The campground is up a hill on a side road across from the Water Canyon Campground sign. Sites are pretty basic, not all area level but they do have tables and fire pits. I wouldn't take a camping trailer up that road, it is very bumpy.
We only stayed for a day but it was quiet. Lots of hiking trails there which is the only reason we would return.
GuideJust one night here. Very quiet. Everything you need to camp. The town when we visited only had one coffee shop open. Wi-Fi worked well. Easy pull thru.
GuideAlthough had a bit of trouble finding it (don’t trust google maps) Once finally arrived it is a widely spaced canyon that has you surrounded by rocks in a desert setting. Although a bit windy on first night because all canyon (wall protected) areas were taken. Simply gorgeous area.
TravelerBeautiful views, established campsite, bathrooms, amazing stars at night. Highly recommend!
TravelerLove this site. We end up here a few times a year. This was a special occasion to celebrate life and enjoy family. It was spring break and we drove through a blizzard to find ourselves under clear skies at Quemado Lake. El Caso camp ground is a few miles into the canyon. The camp sites are spread out well, and the roads and trails are solid. The weather caught up to us and we had about four to five inches of snow fall on us overnight. It was beautiful. The slash-pit had plenty of wood to burn, and we were the only fools in the snow and on the lake. It was perfect.
Guide
The lake is beautiful and we had great neighbors, but I would not come here again. Whoever designed the campground had no business doing so. The sites are three RVs crammed into a spot made for two with everyone on top of each other. You also have to walk through each other's picnic spots to get to your picnic table (this could easily be solved if they get someone who knows what they are doing like a designer/planner to rearrange the tables logically). Only a few end spots were decent. If the person on the end spot took up more than their fair share of the spot, you had no outdoor seating in front of your rig. You also have no view in the middle. Although a nice family was next to us, they were a large family of 9 so it was always loud and busy. I also could not get a fishing license since there was no cell or internet service so I could not fish the lake which was my goal. I loved the lake but will find another due to the cramped inefficient layout of the campground.
GuideNo frills. But a perfectly fine place to spend the night if you are looking for a place from Truth or Consequences to Sedona. Nice owners. Clean bathrooms. Gravel sites. Little cooking area. Night night sky.
TravelerCampsites are well-developed and maintained. The facilities were clean and stocked with tp. Was only half-full on weekend. Many beautiful trails and forest roads nearby.
GuideHave you ever looked at your woman, man or non-binary lover and thought “wow, absolutely amazing”. Well that is San Lorenzo. If your in the area definitely stop in and enjoy this place.
GuideRather hard to find the road onto the correct road to get to the right road! Once headed to the west look for the sign taking you to the right into a dry wash. Follow the arroyo past a giant "bread loaf" that is a geological unconformity. Drive into an abrupt canyon with straight walls and side slots. Eventually you run into a rock wall that can be traversed by scrambling around it and continue 1/2 mile to a short pour-off. Camping is allowed but be aware of flash floods. It's a narrow canyon with only one way out. A parallel road just to the south of San Lorenzo Canyon is all on BLM land (dispersed camping). Pack it in, pack it out.
Camping near Datil, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and peaceful retreats. Whether you're looking for a quiet spot to unwind or an adventurous getaway, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Datil, New Mexico, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great choice for your next outdoor getaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Datil, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Datil, NM is Pie Town RV Park with a 3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Datil, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 RV camping locations near Datil, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
