Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Gallina? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Gallina, including sites, reviews, and tips. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Gallina campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Elevation: 7,300', Sites: Four (Dispersed Camping)
Guide
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.
Scout
This is one of the places to camp in New Mexico
Traveler
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.
Scout
Mostly RV sites, some tent sites. Some with no hookups, partial hookand full hookups. Awesome staff. Full bathroom & laundry facilities.
Guide
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.
Ranger
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.
Ranger
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!
Traveler
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.
TravelerNot 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.
RangerSites 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).
Guide
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.
RangerI’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.
LegendWe 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!!
GuideReally 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.
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Guide
This is a larger RV Park. They provide full hookups, spaces for tent camping, and some small cottages. I have not used their restrooms, but the laundry is clean and reasonably priced. Many of the spaces are pretty close together, but we’ve had worse! They have nice picnic tables and fire pits. There is a creek that runs behind the park and the spaces along this creek cost more. We stayed in Space 20; which is supposed to have the creek behind it (so we paid more), but there’s a bunch of electrical boxes there so you can’t see it or access it and there’s also a huge manhole sticking up in our space! So don’t take Space 20 unless you are desperate! That is the reason for my 4 rating. The grass is sparse, but there are big grassy areas throughout the park. Some of the spaces have the shade of large trees. I would stay here again, but would avoid #20.
Scout
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.
GuideJoined the family down in Chama, NM for a fun 4-day, 3-night stay at this RV park. Good size RV park with all the amenities you need to camp with your RV, Tent or rent a cabin. Friendly staff and clean restrooms and showers. The owners have a spot right at the park and are very nice. Rio Chama river runs right next to the park so you can fish or wade through the creek. We have a roof top tent so we reserved a back in RV site. We were parked right next to the power sub-stations so at night we heard buzzing from the electrical boxes. The owner allowed us to move to the tent sites so that solved that issue. We didn't need any of the hookups so no biggie. They had no problem with us moving there. No bugs and the temperature was reasonable in the 80s and cooled down to 60-55 at night. Pack rain gear if you're camping in July/Aug because the monsoon flows up with some pretty good t-storms. Chama is a nice little town that draws train riders from all over to ride The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad into Colorado.
Legend
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!
RangerWe 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!
Legend**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.
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Score: 4/5
GuideMy 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.
GuideNew 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.
Scout
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
Guide
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
GuideThe 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.
RangerI'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!
Legend
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.
Tent camping near Gallina, New Mexico offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, with a variety of scenic spots that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gallina, NM is Resumidero Camping Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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