Best Equestrian Camping near Gallina, NM

Horse camping opportunities near Gallina, New Mexico are limited, with no dedicated equestrian facilities at the established campgrounds in the immediate area. Rio Chama Campground in Abiquiu allows pets but does not offer specific horse corrals or equestrian amenities. The campground provides primitive camping with basic facilities including toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. Dispersed camping areas along Forest Road 151 offer more flexibility for campers with horses, though users must bring all necessary equipment for their animals. Several campers mention finding secluded spots with enough space to accommodate small trailers.

Ghost Ranch, located approximately 25 miles from Gallina, permits pets but similarly lacks specific horse facilities such as corrals or stables. The ranch offers various accommodation types including tent camping, RV sites with hookups, cabins, and yurts. Visitors access numerous hiking trails from the property, some potentially suitable for horseback riding. The surrounding Carson National Forest provides additional dispersed camping options with more space for horse trailers and room for portable corrals. Campers planning to bring horses should contact campgrounds directly to confirm current policies regarding equestrian use, as no dedicated horse facilities are mentioned in recent reviews.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Gallina, New Mexico (5)

    1. Rio Chama Campground

    14 Reviews
    Gallina, NM
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 638-5526

    "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."

    "It's an easy dirt road drive down the river and you will pass many dispersed site and a couple of defined camping grounds."

    2. Oak Point Campground

    6 Reviews
    Youngsville, NM
    12 miles
    +1 (575) 758-8851

    "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"

    "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."

    3. Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    16 Reviews
    Jemez Springs, NM
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 829-3630

    $15 - $90 / night

    "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."

    "We typically come up to Fenton Lake once a year and last year was fantastic however this year the park rangers aren’t that friendly (or that helpful)."

    4. Ghost Ranch

    6 Reviews
    Cañones, NM
    20 miles
    Website

    "The whole ranch has been turned into a top notch facility with campgrounds and motel rooms, horses for rent, classes, and great hiking. The campground is large with several interconnecting loops."

    "Recommend arriving not too late to see if you can get a good spot, we didn’t have shade so had to go find a nice shady bench away from our site for eating lunch / relaxing after our hike."

    5. Hopewell Lake Campground

    8 Reviews
    Tierra Amarilla, NM
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $24 - $125 / night

    "My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM."

    "No luck fishing but several people around us were catching very nice sized trout.

    Vault toilets were well stocked and clean."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Gallina, NM

49 Reviews of 5 Gallina Campgrounds


  • marycatmathis  ..The Dyrt PRO User
    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!

  • Beth B.
    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.

  • Tyler G.
    Jun. 22, 2016

    Hopewell Lake Campground

    Wonderful Campground in the scenic Tusas Mountains

    My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM. It was enchanting enough that we made sure to make it back for an opportunity to take in the scenery and relax during a long weekend. The only issue we ran into was an abundance of mosquitos, but this should be expected during the late Spring/early Summer in northern New Mexico and can be easily addressed with a citronella candle and a bit of bug spray. Our most recent stay was on one of those rare nights where you can pull off the rain fly and not worry about a midnight downpour, which left us with a wonderful view of the stars, and the sites are private enough that, as long as you don't set up next to the table, it's comfortable with an open tent and away from prying eyes.

    The campground is nice, very well maintained, and the site host is friendly and helpful. The grounds are a

  • marycatmathis  ..The Dyrt PRO User
    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!

  • Katriza L.
    Oct. 20, 2020

    Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    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.

  • Katriza L.
    Jul. 20, 2021

    Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    Mostly a fun experience!

    We typically come up to Fenton Lake once a year and last year was fantastic however this year the park rangers aren’t that friendly (or that helpful). For instance, my father-in-law came up for a day but the power went out all over and didn’t have access to an ATM to pay the $5 day pass. They wouldn’t allow him to come up to our site to tell us (no cell service to call us) so he parked outside and had to hike in. He’s 73.

    Also during our stay, a couple of ladies across our campsite got locked out and my husband and other male friend helped break into it as the park ranger watched claiming he couldn’t help for liability reasons so he just watched us like a hawk, completely unhelpful.

    We were stopped several times when driving around and park rangers stop and walk up to your car to check we’re all paid up. I can understand this but it was rather excessive being stopped 2-3 times and then park rangers stopping at the camp to check the vehicles 4-5 times a day when we stayed for 3 nights feels like overkill. Expect to run into a park ranger often and see their trucks driving pass your site like clockwork.

    Aside from that, our stay was very nice. We stayed at campsite 8 which was very nice for a big family. There’s no one behind you or to either side of you. The site easily accommodated our 32ft RV and the camp site could host 3+ tents. It’s close to the playground which was finally open! It rained heavily one night and flooded the back road behind the playground but they had the tractor out fixing this quickly.

    If you’re coming for fishing, get there and grab a spot before 7am for your best chance of catching something. My husband caught two the day we left. It’s very packed and usually stays that way until about 5-6pm. One of the park rangers did mention that we had a better chance fishing the stream beside the campsites and did find a family that caught several fish that way so that’s much more private and easier, especially for little kids or if you don’t like crowds.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2018

    Ghost Ranch

    Beautiful setting where Georgia O'Keefe Painted

    While many say that Georgia O’Keefe owned Ghost Ranch, that’s not true. She actually only owned 7.5 acres of the large ranch. The whole ranch has been turned into a top notch facility with campgrounds and motel rooms, horses for rent, classes, and great hiking. The campground is large with several interconnecting loops. There aren’t many trees, but the sites are not on top of each other so there is a semblance of privacy. Showers and laundry are available in the campground. It's pretty nice that this campground is pretty much open year round, and even better with tents and RV's kept separate. There are some great hiking trails heading out of the campground as well as from other parts of the ranch. Stop in the visitors center to get a map of trails and some advice about what to hike and when (don’t plan on any mid-day hikes as it is just too hot).

  • N
    Jun. 14, 2025

    Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    Beautiful, well-maintained campground!

    We stayed here just after Memorial Day weekend in late May, and again in mid-June. Such a great campsite! Although at 8,000 feet of elevation, prepare for cold nights and intermittent rain, hail, and high winds, even during the "summer" season. We experienced day time temps of 70s - 80s and nighttime drops to the low 40s on both trips. There was a burn notice in effect in May, which was lifted for our June trip - probably because the significant afternoon hail storms on the first two days of our trip nicely saturated everything!  ;) Day time weather was usually clear until noon, and then intermittent afternoon storms would set in, usually clearing by 6 pm. Basically, typical New Mexican mountain weather! 

    The sites are very well maintained, and the Camp Host was incredibly friendly and made regular rounds. FYI - there is NO cell signal at any of the tent sites, although we were able to get a signal (Verizon) within 50 feet of the ranger station if you need to check your phone.

    A note about the various campsites. There are four main loops past the RV/electric hookup section. Loop 1 (sites 1 - 9), loop 2 (sites 10- 14), loop 3 (sites 16 -18), and loop 4 (sites 19 -30). Each of the four main areas have their pros/cons and would be ideal depending on personal preference. 

    Loop 1 - this is where we stayed in both May and June. It's the easiest walk to the lake, but also has the oldest vault toilet. This toilet locked itself a couple times after people left, and we had to ask the camp host to open it back up. Ultimately, he taped the lock in the unlocked position which worked fine. Several of the toilets have been upgraded throughout the site, but this one is still on the list.  

    Loop 2 - there's a playground next to site 14 and this is a GREAT loop for folks with kids. If you're not a kid person, you'd probably prefer a different loop.  

    Loop 3 - this is a beautiful loop with a brand-new vault toilet. With only sites 16, 17, and 18 sharing this loop, it seemed a little quieter.  

    Loop 4 - the final loop. Furthest away from the lake, you'll get less traffic from folks going up and down the road to their site. 

    Honestly, all of the sites are beautiful and your favorite site will depend a lot on personal preference. The river runs along the south side of the campsite road and we saw folks fishing - and catching fish! - at those campsites that backed  up to the river.  

    This is a beautiful campground and we will definitely be back!

  • Megan V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2021

    Rio Chama Campground

    Great for a river trip

    We visited memorial day weekend 2021 with a group of 6. This spot is beautiful with a good amount of tree coverage. It's an easy dirt road drive down the river and you will pass many dispersed site and a couple of defined camping grounds. The sites are all close to the river and at most a quick drive away from a place to put your kayak or tube in the water. Not a ton of large group sites.


Guide to Gallina

Horse camping in New Mexico offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventure, perfect for equestrian enthusiasts looking to explore the great outdoors with their horses.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • At Rio Chama Campground, riders can enjoy scenic trails along the river, making it a great spot for both camping and horseback riding.
  • Oak Point Campground provides access to nearby forest roads ideal for leisurely rides, with the added bonus of beautiful riverside views.
  • Hopewell Lake Campground features trails that are perfect for horseback riding, along with opportunities for fishing and picnicking by the lake.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like corrals

  • Ghost Ranch offers a variety of accommodations, including options for horse camping, with amenities that cater to equestrian needs.
  • At Calaveras Canyon, equestrians can find ample space for their horses, although facilities are minimal, making it a more rustic experience.
  • Hopewell Lake Campground has designated areas for horse camping, ensuring that riders have a comfortable stay while enjoying the natural beauty of the area.

Tips for equestrian camping near Gallina, New Mexico

  • When visiting Rio Chama Campground, arrive early to secure a good spot, as it can get busy during peak season.
  • Be prepared for limited amenities at Calaveras Canyon, as it lacks facilities like toilets and trash disposal, so plan accordingly.
  • At Oak Point Campground, ensure you bring enough water for both yourself and your horse, as there are no water hookups available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Gallina, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Gallina, NM is Rio Chama Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 14 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Gallina, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Gallina, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.