Dave B.
Guide
GuideEagle Nest Lake State Park Campground
Nice
Great views of lake and surrounding mountains. Washrooms are very clean with great showers
Tent Camping near Embudo, NM
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Carson National Forest surrounding Embudo, New Mexico offers several tent-only camping options within an hour's drive. Taos Junction Campground, located near Carson, provides year-round tent camping with basic amenities including drinking water, toilets, and designated tent pads. Trampas Trailhead Campground, situated at the base of hiking trails, offers free primitive tent camping with fire rings and vault toilets. For those seeking more seclusion, dispersed tent camping is available throughout Carson National Forest, particularly along Forest Service Road 578, where walk-in tent sites can be found on flat clearings among the pines.
Most tent campgrounds in the region feature dirt or gravel tent pads with minimal site preparation. Campers should bring their own water for dispersed sites, as potable water is limited to established campgrounds like Taos Junction. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with complete bans common during summer drought conditions. Vault toilets are available at established campgrounds but absent at dispersed sites. The standard 14-day stay limit applies throughout Carson National Forest. Road conditions vary significantly, with some areas requiring high-clearance vehicles, particularly after rain when dirt roads become muddy and rutted.
Tent campers frequently mention the peaceful creekside settings available throughout the region. According to reviews, Cuchilla Campground offers free tent sites directly adjacent to a creek where "sites are right on a creek and have picnic tables." The area experiences significant temperature variations, with one camper noting that "it gets cold at night since at approximately 8,000 feet elevation." Walk-in tent sites at Big Tesuque Campground require uphill hiking with gear, but reward campers with greater privacy and natural sound barriers from nearby streams. Weekday visits are recommended for backcountry tent camping, as weekend crowds can fill the limited number of prime tent sites by early afternoon.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Embudo (41)
1. Trampas Trailhead Campground
"The Trampas Trailhead campground gets 4 stars not because it's a great campground (it's good, don't get me wrong) but because it provides great access to an amazing trail."
"Wonderful trails and mountain views, I have been there 2 times in the last 10 years..."
2. Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping
"There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango."
"I tent-camped off of Carson NF Forest Service Road 578 in mid April 2022. FS 578 is south of Tres Piedras about 5 miles on the west side of Hwy 285."
3. Dispersed Camping Near Taos
"This is primitive, so bring all your amenities."
"Make sure you go all the way to the coordinates as there are a ton of great spots off to the left of the road, plenty of room to spread out and some solidly flat spots."
4. Trampas Medio Campground
5. Big Tesuque Campground
"Nice babbling brook alongside campsites, fun for kids to play in (COLD, but shallow), and makes for great white noise.
- Convenient to Santa Fe (20-25 min from downtown)
- drive up the mountain 4"
"If you're tent camping, Big Tesuque is AMAZING!! It's small, but absolutely beautiful. Each site has a picknick table and a tent pad. There are basic toilets. No showers, no sinks."
6. Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping
"Right off the road, literally. it hidden behind some trees so the barrier between the site and road makes for a little privacy. Great spot for a day or two right next to a creek so you fall asleep to"
"First coms first served with mostly tenting spaces."
7. Aspen Basin Campground
"Coming from Texas, I almost turned around to go back home with only 4 hours left of my drive because I was so terrified."
"Most campers pitch tent in the wooded area in the center of the parking lot - this is off the west end of the parking lot. Wonderful trails and you get to camp right in the middle of an aspen grove."
8. Trampas Diamante Campground
9. Cuchilla Campground
"Sites are right on a creek & have picnic tables."
"Picnic tables were marked up, but the sound of the River was so worth all of it."
10. Capulin Campground
"This was a nice basic spot, close to highway 64 so you get some traffic noise, but that goes away after dark for the most part."
"About 10 first come first serve primitive campsites next to the road and creek. The trees give some privacy in between the campsites and road."
from $6 - $12 / night
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Drive Time
- 48 min from Santa Fe, NM
- 1 hr 37 min from Albuquerque, NM
- 3 hrs 3 min from Farmington, NM
- 3 hrs 16 min from Pueblo, CO
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Embudo, NM
35 Photos of 41 Embudo Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
fs road 438
Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping
Capulin Campground
Aspen Basin Campground
Big Tesuque Campground
Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping
Cebolla Mesa
Cuchilla Campground
Enchanted Circle Campground E<< - #1 Campground in NM
Goat Hill CampgroundA
Cow Creek Dispersed Camping AreaR
Road 378, Fenton Lake - Dispersed
Tent Camping Reviews near Embudo, NM
998 Reviews of 41 Embudo Campgrounds
Ward M.GuideSanta Fe Skies RV Park
Expensive.. nice facility… I stayed 2 nights.. needed to use the laundry.. wash machines are super tiny and $3.25 a pop… I used 3 and 1 didn’t dispense enough water. Then another $3.25 for the dryer… at least it was big. People are friendly.
- Mike M.
TravelerOjo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa
Awesome campground at one of the nicest hot springs you’ll ever visit. Great farm to table restaurant and wine bar. New Mexico at its best.
Liz G.
ScoutRancheros de Santa Fe
Amazing Staff and a Wonderful Cabin Stay!
**Wonderful Stay and Great Customer Service!**
We had a really nice experience at Rancheros de Santa Fe! We originally booked one of the domes, but due to damage from the recent rain, we were upgraded to a cabin. The ladies at the front office were so friendly, welcoming, and helpful. They really made us feel taken care of. The cabin was very clean, cozy, and comfortable, which made our stay even better. The bathrooms were also very clean and well-maintained, which is something I really appreciate when traveling. I also loved that our cabin was located right behind the main office. Since it was just my girlfriend and me traveling together, being so close to the office gave us an extra sense of safety and peace of mind. Even though our original plans changed, everything worked out great. We really appreciated the hospitality and how accommodating the staff was. I would definitely recommend Rancheros de Santa Fe and would love to stay here again!- JJohn L.Guide
Questa Lodge & RV Resort
Good spot for campingn
Limited review due to rains. Nice area for quiet camping or for access to wilderness areas, hiking. Taos and Red River are 1/2 hour away for touristy stuff. During heavy rains river did not leave its banks. Sites are tight, best ones are by the river. Nice walking path by river but noticed many dog walkers not picking up after their dogs. Clean bathroom and laundry facilities. Some septic drains too high to drain properly, should be fixed. Had to move in order to dump tanks.
- RRoy R.Guide
Free Dispersed Camping
Free Dispersed Camping
This easy to miss spot is a free camping area near the ranger station. The road to get to the sites is probably only a couple hundred meters from the ranger station so slow down if you are going West on 64 and turn around if you reach the station going East on 64.
The actual camping spots are towards the very end of the road where they form a sort of triangle. There are three picnic tables with what look like fire rings. But there is a lot of open space around those three tables if they happen to be taken by any chance. I did notice that most boondockers would just park their vehicles on the side of the road along the way. So basically the entire area seems to be available for boondocking. There are no trash cans, water, more vault toilets. It's packed everything out. There are a couple of vault toilets at the ranger station and you can actually walk from the campsite area because there are trails that lead to the ranger station.
Very pretty area. Very quiet. Few vehicles on the nearby road.
Ben F.TravelerBig Arsenic Springs Campground
Amazing views, no water
All the campgrounds in the wild rivers area are very well maintained, the sites have sturdy pavilions, picnic tables and grills. Sites are nicely spaced and some have amazing canyon views. Vault-style toilets that are kept clean and stocked. Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store.
- NNathaniel S.Traveler
Ghost Ranch
Beautiful area; challenging camping
The campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch. Campground has sites that are gravel and not very level, as others have noted, making it a bit of a challenge (site 16 in particular). Also note that some electric hookups are 20A only, not 30A. Full hookups at front of campground; tent only at rear. Showers were great and heated; laundry and bathrooms clean. Host and staff friendly. Lots of great hiking trails within walking distance of the campground. 2 small museums worth visiting. We paid $50 for electric hookup. Meal plan is now $50.
Jeff V.GuideBlack Canyon Campground
Good but not as good as free camping just a few miles further
Hyde Memorial State Park, like many NM state parks, is more campground than park. There are additional campsites, some with 3 walled shelters at the park, so you're not limited to this particular campground, whose only real advantage is an illegal trailhead to the city reservoir, left by firefighters a couple of decades ago (look for a trail near the top off the campground loop hike).
It's illegal to go to the reservoir, but enough folks do it to keep the use trail well trodden. It's doubtful you'd be cited, but possible.
Personally I'm allergic to paying for camping if I can and still sore about paying $70 a night in Big Sur a decade ago when everything but a private campground was fully booked. So here's my cheap advice:
Drive another 6 miles to Big Tesuque, a free Forest Service campground with picnic tables, vault toilets, fire rings and a stream for water and enjoy the freedom from fees. If Big Tesuque is packed, drive up to the Ski Basin at the top and camp there, it never fills up for some reason, and also has picnic tables, vault toilets and fire rings.
There's also a dirt USFS road off the north side of Artist Road just above Hyde Park and a trailhead at the eastern edge of the stat epark that leads to the stream: this means shelpping your stuff a couple of miles though, downhill on the way in.
Point is, you can pay for camping here, but you need not if your prefer holding onto your cash, by driving just a few miles further.
Guide to Embudo
Carson National Forest near Embudo provides tent camping options at elevations ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 feet, creating dramatic temperature shifts between day and night. The region features juniper and pine forests intersected by small streams, with most tent sites located on uneven terrain that requires careful placement. Many campsites remain accessible through mid-October when aspens display fall colors.
What to do
Stargazing at higher elevations: Forest Service Road 578 offers exceptional night sky viewing at its higher elevation points. "I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road," notes one camper at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578.
Fishing along creek access points: Multiple tent campsites near Embudo, New Mexico provide direct water access. At Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping, campers appreciate how "We brought our four dogs and 13 year old. There's so much to do to keep them busy. The dogs love the river and to run through it."
Wildlife spotting opportunities: The Carson National Forest area hosts diverse wildlife including elk and bighorn sheep. A camper at Taos Junction Campground remarked about the "breathtaking views, big horn sheep elk."
What campers like
Creek sound for sleeping: Many tent campers specifically mention the white noise from water features. At Cuchilla Campground, a reviewer notes "The highway sounds are mostly drowned out due to the beautiful sounds of the river flowing."
Accessibility of basic facilities: Despite being remote, several campgrounds maintain basic services. A camper at Big Tesuque Campground appreciates that "Highly recommend for folks who are less physically abled; I developed a heart condition which limits my abilities most days and the ease of access to these sites and close parking is great."
Affordability factor: Most tent camping areas near Embudo offer low or no fees. At Taos Junction Campground, a camper mentions it's "Very cheap only $6 to camp all ages all year. They have nice grills at the tent sites along 28th tables."
What you should know
Temperature extremes: High elevation camping means significant temperature variations. At Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578, one camper reported "It got cold at night, like 27 F."
Road access challenges: Many tent sites require traversing difficult roads. One camper at Dispersed Camping Near Taos advises "One thing is that you MUST approach from the west, you can't get here coming from the east over John dun bridge."
Limited cell service: Connectivity is spotty throughout the region. A camper at Forest Service Road 578 noted "Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably."
Seasonal crowding patterns: Weekends see significantly higher usage. For Big Tesuque Campground, a camper suggests "Recommend going during the week as it's very busy on the weekends."
Tips for camping with families
Water play opportunities: Stream access provides natural entertainment for children. At Arroyo Seco Dispersed Camping, "There are so many campsites to choose from, all along the Hondo Rio. It's peaceful and quiet. We brought our four dogs and 13 year old."
Short hiking options: Many areas feature accessible trails for various ages. At Taos Junction Campground, a visitor mentions "With lots to do including fish and hiking trails. We look forward to going back."
Off-season camping benefits: Winter camping offers unique experiences. At Big Tesuque Campground, a camper shared "Fantastic. Easy to access. Road is paved all the way and regularly plowed during the cold seasons. I'm sure this is very busy during the warm seasons but we had the place to ourselves during the week in early December."
Tips from RVers
Dispersed RV site selection: Many areas can accommodate small to medium RVs despite not being designated RV campgrounds. At Cuchilla Campground, one RVer shared "We pulled our 19' RV with solar right up to the river and our dog was in and out of the river all day."
Clearance requirements: High-clearance vehicles are often necessary. A visitor to Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 notes "My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV."
Site flatness assessment: Finding level spots can be challenging. At Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping, a camper mentioned "We were able to find a level place to park the van & I took a dip in the creek in the morning."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Embudo, NM?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Embudo, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Embudo, NM is Trampas Trailhead Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
Embudo, NM?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Embudo, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Embudo, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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