Escape into nature and disconnect from daily life with glamping near Grants. Glamping offers the perfect opportunity to explore Grants and stay off the beaten path. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right New Mexico glamping spot for you.
Coal Mine Campground is situated in the upper portion of the Cibola National Forest in west-central New Mexico. Visitors can enjoy hiking the Lobo Canyon Trail, as well as picnicking and scenic driving.
The Lobo Canyon Trail begins in the campground and leads hikers access a network of trails in the area. Some trails are still under constuction.Visitors also enjoy picnicking in the surrounding area. The Sandia and Manzano Mountains offer extensive stretches of scenic drives.
The campground is located northeast of the town of Grants at an elevation of 7,400 feet. It lies on the top of a hill, with campsites situated on gently sloping ground. A forest of mature pine, juniper and oak trees surrounds the campground.
The El Malpais National Monument and Conservation Area can be accessed from various points within a short drive of the campground. Its extensive, ancient lava flow landscape and other scenic features draw tourists year-round. Points on interest within the monument and conservation area include the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, Sandstone Bluffs Overlook and La Ventana Natural Arch. A portion of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail parallels the Zuni-Acoma Trail as it passes through the monument. The city of Grants is about 12 miles from the campground, offering dining and lodging options. The city also boasts a mining museum with gem and mineral displays and a self-guided tour into an underground world.
A $10.00 service charge will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. Late cancellations are subject to additional fees. For full details see NRRS Reservation Policy.
$5 / night
The campground offers a respite from the heat in a setting of aspen and mature ponderosa pine trees, approximately 6 miles south of Fort Wingate. This is the most recently renovated campground on the Mt. Taylor Ranger District. This area has a rich history of railroad logging, and the original town of McGaffey was built in the vicinity of McGaffey Lake a few miles down the road. Remember to pay attention to road conditions and your vehicle's abilities before driving off of the main road.
$5 / night
$30 - $94 / night
Traveler
Coal Mine campground is a beautiful little campground with paved roads & spots, picnic table and fire ring at each site. It is primitive camping with pit toilets no water available. Sites of varying sizes from tent/car camp to small travel trailer or Rv. We stayed with a 30 ft class c no problem. Very quiet with easy access to Mt Taylor and only 15 min to Town of Grants for services. $10 per night self serve envelope in drop box when we were there.
Traveler
We spent a few nights here. It’s not a big campground and we came in without a reservation. I don’t think reservations are possible? The sites are pretty spaced out and shaded. I think there were about 16 sites total though there might be more. There are clean pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Really nice hiking / mountain bike trails. The aspens are in the trails not the campground
ScoutNice 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
RangerClaen 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.
GuideI would give this a 5-star rating except it didn't have hook-ups. Still, for $5/night you can't go wrong. Everything was clean: vault toilets, smooth gravel driveways, gravel tent pads, and almost no litter anywhere. Sites were spaced far enough apart we hardly knew there were others camping nearby. We camped in a 30' fifth-wheel and had no problems maneuvering. Some sites have pull-thrus and others are easily backed-in. We'll stay here again.
TravelerStopped here on our way from Arizona to South Carolina. And we’re hefty campers. This was the best campsite we’ve ever been at. The cleanest campsite we’ve ever been at. Bathrooms were spectacularly clean. It was great for a short night stop only about 15 minutes off of I-40. Don’t forget to bring your own firewood if you want a fire.
LegendLocated about 15min from I-40 is this campground. It offers everything you would expect including tables, fire pits, restrooms, and trash. For only $5 a day you can't beat it. There are a few hiking trails in the area worth exploring as well.
Cell service: Limited by the entrance
GuideStopped in to rest late at night on my way to CA. Super easy to find. Set up our tent right before quiet time. Lots of campgrounds. Perfect for tent camping.
GuideWe came in at dusk and it was such a lovely campground! Our only wish was that we could have stayed longer.!! We were shocked when we woke up to snow on Oct. 12, but it was gorgeous. Beautiful pine & golden Aspen greeted us on our way out. Will definitely stay here again.
TravelerHaving four dogs who love to bark when they hear/see someone, we really appreciate campsites with lots of space. Dogs didn’t bark once! Very quiet, maybe two others in the park with us on a Sunday evening. About 10-15 minutes from the freeway, so it’s the perfect distance from the freeway - no freeway noise!
TravelerEasy check-in. Many sites have water, electric & sewer. Sites are very close to each other and there are no tables. The dog run is very small. Road noise from I40. There is a small brewery on site, hence upgraded to 4 stars. It appears that most sites are occupied by full-timers.
TravelerHad a relaxing, quiet three night stay from 8/10 - 8/13/21 with our Jayco Octane Lite SL161 toyhauler. The only facilities are clean vault toilets. Some pull through spots for smaller camping units. I would not recommend this campground for large RVs.
15 sites available with about 8 that I could comfortably park my camper in. All sites have table, barbecue, and fire pit/ring. All sites are reservable online at Recreation.gov. When arriving without a reservation and staying for more than one or two nights be aware that empty sites without a reservation posting may have a reservation that has not been posted. You could wake up and find a reservation posted at your site and have to relocate to another available site.
There is a nice hiking trail available from the campground. La Mosca lookout is a nice drive from the campground with beautiful views. Head up to the Gooseberry Trailhead to hike to the top of Mt Taylor the highest mountain in NW New Mexico.
Camping fees for this campground are increasing to $10 per night next season.
TravelerLavaland is a nice rv park, but focused on the older community. registration was easy and online. Check in was simple.
There is no kid amenities at this property. There is a small dog run. No grass.
The property is still under construction in some spots. Newly cement pads and updated electrical (which wasn’t available yet). New asphalt road around campground; still loose and bumpy for trailer driving.
Restrooms were clean, but there was little toilet paper available, and no soap and paper towels. Showers were newly renovated. Fresh paint in bathrooms.
Brewery onsite. Cute . No food available. But you can order from dominos to be delivered. Outdoor patio and Jenga.
RangerWe love this area. Amazing hiking and mtb’ing trails. And, a nice lake.
GuideSmall campground with massive campsites. This campground could easily squeeze double, if not triple, the sites out of these woods, but someone decided to let everyone breath a little here, and we should thank that someone. Granted, it's a small crawl to one of the only two bathroom huts (each with two clean pit toilet bathrooms), but with so few campers, even when the site is full, you don't feel like anyone's fighting for their potty time.
Quiet? Absolutely. Stars? All over the place. When summer heat was beginning to knock everywhere else in late May, it was serious blanket weather up here. The hiking must be amazing, although we didn't have time to find out.
Friday night, late May, and we barely got the last spot. No reservations makes this gem a tricky quest when you're running a bit late, but if you're lucky enough to snag a spot, you'll celebrate your success. There ain't a bad spot in the lot, if you're lucky enough to get one.
Guide
We tried to stay at the Joe Skeen CG and it was full on a Wednesday. Searching further we found this spot. There are "no camping" signs once in the picnic area but nothing indicating no overnight parking or camping on the 3 spots near the TH for the Narrows Rim Trail. It was 7pm when we rolled in so we felt comfortable just staying the night in our van. In the morning we moved into the day use area and took turns doing the rim trail while our kids enjoyed playing in the picnic area. 2 pit toilets and garbage are available at this location.
Ranger
We loved this RV park for many reasons. Friendly people, creative vibe, nice campground, cozy cabins, full hookups for RVs, beautiful spot, free-range chickens, pet friendly, plus a yurt with enchanting wind chimes, spiritual labyrinth, a gong, art and healing artifacts. Not to mention the groovy Ancient Way cafe which was closed when we were there (April 2021) but opening next month. My parents stayed in the cabin and loved it, we stayed in our camper van. We really enjoyed talking with some of the folks who live there and it’s a very welcoming community. Feels like home. Morro National monument nearby is spectacular. We’d love to return and stay for a few weeks. Special spot.
TravelerSouth Narrows Picnic Area: This day use area is set just off of NM Highway 117 and tucked against the sandstone cliffs among piñon and juniper trees. There are six covered picnic tables with fire grills available. The area also has two vault toilets. No overnight camping is allowed in the area.
GuideWe stayed here in 2018. The place has a very laid back vibe. The little cafe is fun and tasty. Decent clean shower house. Full camper hookups. It is just minutes from El Morro Nat’l Monument and close to Mal Pais Volcano flows. I recommend the place.
GuideI grew up in this part of the state, but never knew this one existed. It’s a small campsite and not much more then vaulted toilets. But it was a very beautiful campsite. There was only a few people camping so it was very quit and peaceful. Easy access to shopping in Grants and real close to many other attractions like Bluewater lake, El Morro, and the Ice Cave. I would happily camp here again.
TravelerWe were parked in a vacant spot since Thursday and on Friday afternoon, a forest service employee came and put up a sign on our spot saying it was reserved and he told us that we would have to leave. When we asked him why the sign wasn’t put up earlier in the week? If it had been we would have parked somewhere else. He got an attitude and just told us to move. We told him that we would and he said well if you park in an available spot we would have to pay again. Well yeah we moved and no we did not pay again. Then to top it off, the spots he claimed were reserved never became occupied all weekend. He did this to several people that were already parked and unhooked for the weekend. We decided that he just didn’t want to have to patrol the weekend or something. Never saw him again all weekend. We didn’t let that ruin the weekend. We had a good time overall.
TravelerThis is just a picnic area, if you have a small tent you can make it work for just a night, one plus is you can hike the South Narrows trail!
GuideDensely wooded PRIMITIVE campground with trails and fishing but NO WATER. We only stayed there while driving from ABQ to the coast, which was perfect for us, but we will plan to return to explore the Cibola National Forest more. It was cool and shady in August so we quite enjoyed it as a stopover. In our little sedan we didn’t have trouble, but I think there are other forest service roads you’d want a jeep for?
RangerVisited the coal mine campground after driving a 500 mile day, so it was a set-up eat and crash situation. I did make a reservation on line, but that cost more than the $5 per site fee and was not necessary even though it was memorial day weekend. The fee is great because it is primitive, no electricity, no water at all, not just hookups, but the bathrooms were nice and clean with no sinks.
If you are prepared for a primitive camp with your own water and batteries for your electronics it is great. They have fire rings, grills, picnic tables and level places for tents.There are also nice back-in sites for boondocking RVs and the road up to the campground is fine for big rigs.
I ran into two mountain biker's here from Ireland that were riding the Continental Divide trail from The Mexican border in New Mexico to the Canadian border in Montana. They were staying here since the Trail goes through here. Paddy & Conner were very interesting people and I was fortunate to have run into them here.
I enjoyed my stay with a peaceful quite nights sleep and a short hike in the morning before breakfast cooked on the campfire. I would recommend this over a hotel stay if your passing through Grant's New Mexico on I40. You can probably get a site for the night anytime your passing through.
TravelerWe stayed at Quaking Aspen Campground for one night but thats all it took. I fell in love with the campground. The big aspen trees, how remote and quiet it was. The elevation at which the cg is at is 8000' makes for cool days and nic crisp cool nights, even in the summertime.
GuideWe 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Grants, NM is Coal Mine Campground with a 4-star rating from 5 reviews.
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