Best Tent Camping near Gallup, NM
Searching for the best camping near Gallup, NM? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Gallup. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Gallup camping trip.
Searching for the best camping near Gallup, NM? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Gallup. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Gallup camping trip.
$10 / night
"This is a park and hike set-up. With gorgeous views and close access to the Wolf Sanctuary near by, this is a fun stay! Come and check them out and leave them a review here!"
El Morro National Monument features some amazing petroglyphs and the remains of a pueblo, offering fun hikes. Nearby is a free campground, first-come, first-served. There's water available except in winter (and then you can fill containers at the visitor's center) and vault toilets.
Sites offer picnic tables, fire rings, and tent pads. Some, because of their set-up, are better suited to tents than RVs, but because you can't reserve in advance, you'll get to choose what works best for you...assuming there's vacancy. In December it was cold and largely unoccupied, but in warmer months I'm guessing it fills quickly. Sit 5 is handicap accessible and located across from the bathroom.
We used this campground as a starting point for a research trip sampling Precambrian rocks of the Zuni Mountains. I hadn't spent much time in this part of New Mexico, and assumed that the trip was going to be hot and sun-bleached, similar to the desert exposed in nearby Gallup, NM. I was surprised to drive into a beautiful forest just a few minutes off I40.
The campsite includes basic forest service amenities: pit toilets, picnic tables, and metal-rimmed fire pit/grill sites. What set this apart from other non-hosted campsites for me was the condition of the grounds. The tent camping sites had well maintained, leveled tent pads, maintained gravel roads, and clean facilities. The Sites offered a reasonable degree of privacy, although some of the sites near the middle of the loop road place you in close proximity to your neighbor. The area is moderately wooded with pine and aspen, providing shade throughout the day and easy access to the dirt road that transects the Zuni Mountains, letting you out near the Bandera volcano and ice cave, which is a wonderful drive if you have a high clearance/4x4 and time to drive through.
We saw abundant wildlife while working in the Zunis, including several brown bears, deer, and elk. While we didn't have any run ins with these guy in camp, be aware that large animals are present in the area and be sure to take necessary bear-proofing precautions.
Camp fees were $5/night, which is quite the bargain given the well-kept grounds and wonderful scenery. If you're looking for a less-traveled escape from Albuquerque, or just want the chance to explore the under-valued Zuni mountains and western New Mexico landscape (and some pretty interesting geologic features such as orbicular granite), this campground is an excellent place to spend some time on the cheap.
Photos included are from the Zunis south of the campsite, as I didn't think to take any photos while we were at camp.
Uncrowded when we were there State park located right on a man-made lake. unfortunately, the lake level is extremely low! Decent sites each with picnic table and fire pit some with shade canopies others with a little natural tree cover, not a lot of privacy. Pit toilets, no drinking water available except at maybe the RV sites with hookups and at the pump outstation? Weak cell signal. Seems more suited for RV's.
Nice campground, camp sites are nicely spaced, plenty of shade under the pines, sites have picnic tables and fire pits, clean vault toilets, well maintained campground
Claen vault toilets, well spaced and quiet sites. We'll maintained. No water. No hiking from campground. Some trails and dispersed camping 1/2 mi down road south.
We were so grateful to stumble upon USA RV Park on our recent trip through New Mexico. We were dealing with snow all the way from Colorado to Gallup, and decided about an hour out of Gallup to stop for the night. We called USA RV Park, and while no one answered, they returned our call within the half hour. They graciously accommodated our 2 trailers last minute with full hookups! The campsite itself is large, clean, well marked, and very nice restrooms! The store was well stocked with what we needed (including a tent repair kit for our pop up!). The owner, John, was very kind, helpful, and a delight to chat with. We filled our propane tank up on site and were on our way the next day! Highly recommend! :)
Spent two nights here in June, very nice campground each site has a picnic table, fire ring and trash can nearby. Lots of trees for shade. Water is available at the visitor center a short drive away. El Morro is a great place to explore. Highly recommend this place to stay
In was a dreamy March evening, Colton, Elliot, and Ed drove in to Bluewater lake state park at 9:30 PM. It was post staff hours but we were allowed to park outside and do an easy, flat hike into the camp site. Lots of clean, empty sites, plus clean bathroom . The campsite numbers were hard to find but it’s chill. Got super cold during this time of year at night, so come ready with hats, gloves, and sleeping pads.
Great campground. Not far off I-40. Lots of sites. Most have a level, gravel tent pad, table and fire ring. Vault toilets in abundance. One bathroom with sinks and flush toilets. Separate shower house was closed when we were here. Some electric sites. Some large level pull thrus. Most sites have at least a glimpse of the lake. There were horses roaming through the campground. Mostly empty this April midweek. Good trails for hiking. I only saw one water pump in the park. There is an EV charging station.
Tent camping near Gallup, New Mexico offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures the region has to offer. With a variety of campgrounds catering to tent campers, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next getaway.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Gallup, NM is Hunters Point Campground with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Gallup, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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