16 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Hanover, New Mexico offers several tent campgrounds set within the scenic landscapes of the Gila National Forest region. Railroad Canyon Campground features a small creekside tent camping area with just four sites, providing a more secluded experience than nearby alternatives. Rocky Canyon Campground offers primitive tent sites accessible via Forest Road 150, though high-clearance vehicles are recommended due to rough road conditions. The Kingston Campground provides additional tent camping options with sites positioned along a seasonal creek.
Most tent sites in the Hanover area feature basic amenities including vault toilets, picnic tables, and established fire rings, though amenities vary by location. Many campgrounds operate seasonally, typically from April through November, with some areas closed during winter months. One camper reported, "Only 4 sites available with some privacy from the road, which was better than other campgrounds nearby." Campers should verify current status before arrival, as seasonal closures and controlled burns occasionally affect accessibility. Drinking water is generally unavailable at primitive sites, requiring tent campers to bring adequate supplies.
The tent camping experience near Hanover provides good access to hiking trails, including sections of the Continental Divide Trail. Tent sites at Railroad Canyon Campground sit between the road and Iron Creek, offering the peaceful sound of running water. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, the campgrounds remain relatively quiet, with one visitor noting that "it's a solid little campground with few amenities but many trails to access the wilderness." Summer months can bring hot temperatures to lower elevation sites, while spring and fall offer more moderate conditions. Free camping is available at several locations including Rocky Canyon Campground, though Lake Roberts and Silver City KOA provide more amenities for tent campers willing to pay for additional services.
"Great little lake, camping is free. 14 day limit. Lots of fish. Catfish, , LMB, Trout."
"This is a great spot to launch your boat into the lake. The launch has bathrooms and even a fish washing station!
Be sure to check out the tree covered in lures next to the launch.""It’s a few minutes from the lake but it’s nice and open.. both times we’ve gone it’s had quite a few people but beyond being able to hear them we weren’t running into each other."
"This campground is a “little” more hidden from the road than other nearby campgrounds."
"This campground is a “little” more hidden from the road than other nearby campgrounds."
"Definitely tents only Recommend that you have 4wheel drive, motorcycle or atv. Right on the continental divide trail. Very quiet"
"Was going to camp here on 4/15/2021, but there was what appeared to be from signage, a controlled burn going on at the entrance to Forest Road 150."
"This campground is right off the highway, but not too much traffic. The small creek bed has nice water depending on the time of year. Too hot in the summer. Gets cold I."
"I walked through Kingstown and which is a friendly, adorable town. It is just up the road from their provided campground."
"It is cool at night, even in August, due to the elevation. We were so cozy in our wool socks and sleeping bags in a tent. It even hailed on us hard one day."
"Beautiful campground in Santa Fe New Mexico. We came to stay one night to go to Meow Wolf and ended up staying 3 nights I liked it so much."
"I was able to set up a tent on the creek and dig down in the sand to find the hot water and then covered myself to get the geothermal properties."
"There are designated spots around installed fire pits with grills. There is one bathroom that is handicap assessable. I don’t believe there’s water or electricity here."
GuideThis is a solid little campground with 3 (maybe 4?) campsites and few amenities. This campground is a “little” more hidden from the road than other nearby campgrounds. Railroad Canyon Campground has many trails to access the wilderness from, and a small creek running behind each of the three campsites.
The campground does have a toilet, fire pits, picnic tables, and trash service. Please clean up after yourself, and leave no trace.
TravelerNice campground with about 10 sites. With concrete picnic tables, and a fire ring. Vault toilets, hiking trails, and with cell signal. No hookups. Curative camping at its finest
GuideA handful of sites located on the other side of Skates Canyon from Sapillo Campground. Close to great hiking around the CDT and fishing in Lake Roberts. Most of the sites sit on the shades of ponderosa and there's plenty of space for group camping.
This is as bare as it gets. No services, no cell signal, no trash disposal, not even a pit toilet. Some sites have rock rings for campfires but that's about it. Please recreate responsibly and leave no trace. Pack out whatever you pack in.
Quiet during the winter, but gets busy during the summer as evidenced by how well worn the dirt paths around the area are.
GuideThis is a solid little campground with 3 (maybe 4?) campsites and few amenities. This campground is a “little” more hidden from the road than other nearby campgrounds. Railroad Canyon Campground has many trails to access the wilderness from, and a small creek running behind each of the three campsites.
The campground does have a toilet and trash service. Please clean up after yourself, and leave no trace.
LegendThe drive out here is a long stretch of flat barren Chihuahuan desert, and then as you go over a hill in the distance you see literally what looks like a "city of rocks", enormous weathered volcanic rocks sticking out of the ground. The non-electric campsites here are scattered around the rocks, screened from one another, although not from the road by these enormous rocks. The full hookup campsites are more conventional, with gravel pads. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring with a grill, and a trash can. The visitor center has flush toilets, water and hot showers. Several vault toilets scattered around the campground, and a common potable water source. We were here in the winter time so we appreciated the fact that our site (12- Corona australius) had full morning and afternoon sun. Deming and Silver City groceries and gas, each about 30 miles away. T-Mobile service was fair. There were several sites available to reserve day of. Don't forget to hike to the top of Tabletop Mountain.
TravelerI was worried that this place wasn’t open due to the fact there were only two reviews and it had been a while since a review. I can happily share that they are open and thriving. I was driving from Gila Cliff Dwellings towards White Sands NP and needed a place to camp. I passed some dispersed camping along the way, but most of the cultivated sites were closed, I’m guessing due to COVID as New Mexico has really cracked down on their camping and I ran into lots of sites that were either closed or only open to residents. Anyway, this place was a STEAL. For only $21 (the typical price of most regular vault toilet and picnic table camp sites), you get heaven on earth. You wouldn’t expect it driving in from either direction, but the sites themselves are extremely shaded and surrounded by trees and as private as possible given the close proximity to neighbors. I stayed at site #47 and even though I was right next to the pools and bathhouse, I couldn’t be seen at all from those places. There’s a potable water tap at EACH campsite, free showers, unlimited 24/7 access to hot springs (clothing required & clothing optional pools), a clubhouse to wash dishes or cook or simply hang out inside in a comfortable chair to read or play games at a table), several bathrooms, phone service (and I didn’t have any driving in or out), peacocks and other wildlife to admire, friendly staff, firewood for sale, labyrinth maze, short scenic trails to watch the sunset and rise, inside facilities, amazing cabins (cheapest one is only $60 and comes with an hour long soak in a private pool which is otherwise $28 for one hour), etc. I could go on and on about this place. The best $21 I have ever spent to spend the night anywhere in my entire life and I am always camping and traveling. A literal oasis. I soaked from 7pm-11pm and had the pools to myself several times on a Sunday evening. Everyone was respectful and there was no sense of party / loud groups as so common is seen at hot springs. Alcohol allowed.
TravelerAbout 10 sites, most of them shaded with picnic tables and fire rings. Has garbage collection, and a vault toilet. Usually peaceful and quiet. Nice hiking trails throughout. No cell signal. Most spots are fairly flat with slight adjustment.
LegendBeautiful location in the tall pines. Sites were well spaced but little privacy, and close to the road which was not busy at all. Picnic table and fire ring at each site. Clean well-maintained vault toilets. We were there in the winter and there had been some rain and snow melt, and the creek was running over the road, but still crossable even in our Transit van. The sites themselves are a little small with lots of trees and you can see where many larger campers and RVs seem to have had a tree encounter. The drive up from Silver City was stunning.
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