Best Tent Camping near La Joya, NM

Recent Tent Reviews near La Joya, New Mexico

124 Reviews of 5 La Joya Campgrounds

• W

  Walter and Winnie G.

  Traveler

  

  May. 15, 2022

  Manzano Mountains State Park Campground

  Quiet park. Clean and Shady.

  Nice tall shade trees at all sites. Clean facilities (vault toilets). Some tent sites have brick wind structures around their picnic tables, which can be a handy especially with NM spring winds.

• 

  Sue H.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 21, 2021

  Escondida Lake Park & Campground

  Better than expected!

  I didn't stay but I did drive through to check it out for future stops. First impression was very clean! There are two basic areas, the fishing area around the pond which is good sized and shaped so that there's lots of shoreline. The other area is the camping area with hookups and tent sites. In between was the playground and bathroom area. There is a group shelter, and trees. It's a bit off the main highway but easy access. The river is nearby and there are some primitive access roads.

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 10, 2019

  Escondida Lake Park & Campground

  A fishing pond and inexpensive sites

  This is a state park campground that offers everything from basic tent sites to full hookups near a small pond for fishing (no swimming or boating). There's a picnic table (numbered with the site so there's no question which one is which) and fire ring. Bathrooms offer flush toilets, no showers and it is not heated. Numerous portable toilets also got the park around the pond and play area. In early December only 4 of the sites are occupied and one person was fishing. It's handicapped accessible with a paved path to a small dock.

• 

  Jennifer A.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 6, 2021

  Red Canyon Campground

  Nice Campground, loud nighttime visitors

  There are vault toilets, trash bins, and bear boxes. This campground is nice with sites for RV and tent camping. We camped here one night with our scout troop. I did have spotty T-Mobile service, others had phone service as well but I’m not sure of their provider. We had a great night with a campfire and a good view of the stars and moon. All was well until someone started illegally cutting down trees at 2 in the morning. After an annoying couple of hours they were gone, most of our group were wide awake and tried to go back to sleep. We stayed at the site till afternoon with no other problems, just a group of tired scouts.

• 

  Randy T.

  Traveler

  

  May. 23, 2022

  San Lorenzo Canyon

  Camp in the red Rock canyon

  DONT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS! You will end up at a closed gate with instructions on where you are supposed to go, wasting 30 mins in the process. We took a 20 ft Jayco Feather Micro travel trailer. Don't attempt unless you have 4 wheel drive and/or sand mode if you plan to pull a heavy trailer. Otherwise, most other vehicles out tent camping didn't seem to have too many problems. Camping pull off spots are numerous but beware the sand is even more treacherous. Try to pick a spot that won't require backing up maneuvers if you have a trailer. There are many campers but plenty of distance between you and the next camp site. Amazing views make it worth it. If you're trying to show off on your IG... this place is for you!

• 

  Katriza L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Manzano Mountains State Park Campground

  Our new favorite spot!

  We love it here! We stayed for a weekend at campsite #6. Ours and A few other sites have RV hookups (electric only). No sewer hook up but dump station on site with water. There are multiple Drinking water spigots available; one next to our campsite 6, at the group shelter, by the dump station, and another spigot at the office / visitor center (closed right now) but that had a lock on it. Some sites have a nice brick and metal shelter and a charcoal grill, but all sites seem to have a picnic table, and fire ring. This is a pretty small electrical loop campground and some sites are pretty close, separated by trees, and vary in driveway length. There’s tent sites (some have good privacy) as well as day-use only sites that look very clean and with shelter. Our site had the picnic table and charcoal grill on one side of the driveway and the fire pit on the other side which is kind of weird but that just means we can drive in or back in depending on our awning side preference. I saw in some reviews that this was a problem for people.

  Behind our site there’s a horseshoe area and group site not too far after. The group site has a small parking lot across the way for it and has a large shelter area with nice cement tables and large grills. Next to the office there’s a trail for the outer loop and nature trail. There are several trails within the park and all are pretty easy (kid-friendly) and not too long. This is a pet-friendly campground with dog stations to pick up after your pet. Make sure to bring your own firewood and kindling as gathering is not allowed in the area. There is phone signal for t-mobile and Verizon as well. Vault toilets were clean but no showers.

  There is no lake or stream/river in the state park. The nearest lake is Manzano Lake it’s about 10 minutes from the campground in the small town of Manzano. Fishing and picnicking, not a very large lake - more like a pond really but still beautiful and something to see and do. Currently the lake just opened and there’s a sign at the entrance that the fish have not been stocked. Not much for some decent stores around but a grocery store in Mountainair (25 mins away) Also nearby is the Quarai Ruins (15 mins) to check out which has some trails and also pet friendly so long as they’re on a leash.

  Also, getting here by GPS, just takes you to where the pavement ends on HWY-131 but you’ll need to go another mile on unpaved road to get the the campground. Just follow the signs for the state park. Also, make sure to check on weather because although the unpaved road is typically well-grated and maintained; when it rains hard - it tends to wash out which makes the last mile to the state park hard for some. Also, there’s not gas stations nearby to this camp.

  Overall a great and beautiful place to stay. Definitely bring some bug spray and repellent, lots of flies and mosquitoes to be had! There’s not a whole lot to do besides relax, eat, and check out some trails so bring your own entertainment as we brought a remote control all-terrain car, frisbees, lawn darts, board games, card games, etc to entertain the kids. We would definitely recommend the place and we will certainly be back!

• J

  Joey H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2016

  New Canyon Campground

  Neat

  This is a very neat place and new mexico is just neat in general. Great service too.

• 

  Berton M.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 11, 2022

  Escondida Lake Park & Campground

  Simple Campground Next to Train Tracks

  This is a basic campground located about a mile from I-25. The campground has the basics but that's it. It's a good place to stop while traveling thru New Mexico. There's a baseball field and a small lake adjacent to the campground. The trains do blow their whistle in this area. 

  Cell Coverage: Good

• 

  Rio J.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 9, 2021

  La Vista RV Park

  Beautiful and Affordable NM Stop

  We stayed at La Vista for one night on our way through New Mexico heading to Utah. The owners are extremely friendly and were very helpful. They are a couple who own the park independently and you can tell the long term renters are happy there.

  We woke up to a gorgeous view of the nearby scenery and were just a half mile from a Loves to gas up and head out for another day of driving.

• 

  Kathryn R.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 3, 2023

  San Antonio Riverine Park

  Overgrown and alot of dead tree branches

  I would not recommend anyone with an rv or travel trailer to use this site. I was hopeful from the one picture that there would be some nice green trees which is hard to find in New Mexico. I arrived there's a steep decline to go into the park. There are a few big pot holes to be weary of. Most of the area looks to be overgrown and most of the trees look dead. I didn't see any budding in early spring and no signs of greenery. It was also very difficult to turn around. I ended up with a few scratches on the travel trailer.

• 

  Patrick B.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 16, 2022

  Water Canyon Campground

  Can't beat the price (for now)

  You don't often find free developed camping at the end of a paved road in New Mexico, but Water Canyon is one of those exceptions.  It seems to be one of those spots that people don't take the time to get off the highway to explore -- on a weekday in July there was only one other campsite occupied.

  There are about a dozen campsites, vault toilets, trash cans, a group campsite at the bottom of the hill and easy access to some great hiking trails, all about ten minutes outside of Socorro and an hour from Albuquerque.

  While the campground is free for now, I did see some notices posted about the Forest Service taking public comment on levying a $10 per night fee per site.

• J

  Jacqueline C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 19, 2020

  Water Canyon Campground

  A solid stop

  Every year, we drive from Texas to Apache National Forest. Cibola is halfway. Every year, we make sure to stay the night at Water Canyon. First: the views. Secondly, the amenities. A level spot, with a fire ring, table and maintained vault toilets for $0. The most spacious spots are the first two, after that a six man tent is the largest tent you’ll fit on a level spot. We have never really explored further than our camp site, as our children are small and out number us. But for 12-36 hours, it is a beautiful stay that includes campfires, lizards and the occasional equestrian that lets our kids treat their horses. Treasured memories, unplugged and free.

• S

  Stevie S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 10, 2023

  Manzano Mountains State Park Campground

  High winds tough for tents

  Night one was decent, but the rest of the nights I had to hold the side of my tent up to keep it from collapsing despite multiple points staked to the ground. I’m happy I had strong stakes or the tent would’ve been gone. The wind comes in waves like hurricane bands. In one week we had the crazy wind every night, hail, and saw a dust twister at the base of the mountain. Lots of flies as well. At one point we had the back circle all to ourselves, but Friday large groups came out and were very loud until 1am. During the week everyone was quiet. The site layout was nice, private despite being close to the next site over. It’s pretty hot during the day and dips to the 40s at night. We liked the sound of the clicker bugs, they were pretty cool even though we never actually saw one. The trails are nice, vault toilet area is clean. The front office was closed our whole visit. I’d say it’s a cool place for a trailer or RV although the road is difficult in rain. Tents are fine, but be ready to move to the car for the wind or hail.

• 

  Paul B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 13, 2023

  Capilla Peak Campground

  Gorgeous View

  Got site number 6, which has the best view to the SE. The site has a tent shelter which was much needed for the high winds experienced at night. The pit toilet was clean. The deer were abundant. A hiking trail was close. And the views were fantastic.

• 

  Sam

  Scout

  

  May. 30, 2023

  Escondida Lake Park & Campground

  Harrassed and felt unsafe

  Stopped here as an in between on a road trip. We arrived just after dark and there was only one other truck with someone else tent canping on the other side of the camping area. We set up our tent and a little while later the people in the truck packed up and left. The site is near busy road and train tracks so it was pretty noisy but we went to sleep thinking everything was alright.

  Right around 3am a van with a search light came through revving its engine with a man (who sounded drunk) screaming security, to wake up and come out with our hands up. We stayed in the tent and after a few mins of this he drove away, although we could see him go to the other side of the park and could still hear him yelling. This freaked us out but we hoped it was just a one time thing and decided to stay until the sun rose. About an hour later a different truck, also with a search light, came through. This one just quietly circled around and promptly left but it was freaky nonetheless. We decided to pack up and leave even though it was 4am and while we were getting everything back in our vehicle another car came through and circled the lot as well. We got out as soon as we could because it felt very unsafe with the harassment and the amount of vehicles coming through for seemingly no reason.

  Aside from these occurrences the campground was okay. The bathrooms were gross with overflowing trash and the noisiness were not ideal.

  We stayed here because we didn't see any safe BLM camping nearby so we decided to spend a few dollars for an established area but were very disappointed by the harassment and fear we experienced. Would not recommend staying here

• 

  David C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2017

  Manzano Mountains State Park Campground

  A Hidden Gem!

  Well off the beaten path, but worth a few nights of peace and solitude. Went in July and the weather was cool in the 80's most of the time, cooling to the upper 40's at night. Isolated at the end of a road in the edge of the Monzano Mountains, it is fully treed with great shade. Good place for an RV or tent. Nice hiking (easy) trails. Flush toilets but no showers. Dump station. Very nice facility.

• 

  Salena D.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 21, 2023

  Star Gazer Ranch

  Great site and beautiful skies

  Wonderful place to check out the stars. The setup is great, there’s a raised wood floor to set up your tent on. They also have a fire pit and grill you can use. It’s easy to get to from downtown Albuquerque and it’s worth the trip.

  There is a lot of firewood to keep the fire going and there are even horseshoes and bags set up for entertainment.

• 

  Day Hiker Chronicles

  Scout

  

  Sep. 30, 2019

  Fourth of July Campground

  Solid sites but nothing special

  This was our first time camping in the Manzanos. The campsites are well made with a picnic table and fire ring. There isn’t a tent pad but all of the spots have a nice section of relatively flat ground. There are several vault toilets spread through the site. Cost is $7 per night. There is no water source at or near the campsites so make sure to bring enough for your stay. The campground is clean and well maintained. The sites are relatively close together but the campsite wasn’t crowded. The road in is a forest road. SUV’s will be fine but starting to push it for cars. You can walk from the sites to the Fourth of July trail

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 20, 2020

  Water Canyon Campground

  Free for 2 More Years!

  We loved this place. Attempted at first to camp at The Box down the road but it was really crowded so we came here and what a great choice! 

  This is a FREE campground but plans are in the works to started charging in 2 years at $10/night. There are gravel tent and parking pads, picnic tables, fire rings, pit toilets and garbage.

  When you first pull in there is a narrow opening to a rocky dirt road straight ahead and to the left is a day use picnic area. The sign at the beginning of the dirt road said trailers not advisable but one came down before we started up so we went for it. We have a 26 foot class C. Dirt road driving experience necessary. The road is quite narrow, rocky and has a couple washouts and tight turns but not impossible to navigate....use your best judgement! 

  There were only a couple of other campers and the views are very nice. Some sites are close together however. There are pit toilets and garbage at the beginning of the campground and at the end loop. 

  Great hiking area too! Further down the road where it says "no turn around" is a group site but the gate is locked and you'll need to contact National Forest Service if you want to use this area. 

  There is no drinking water or cell reception from AT&T or Verizon. Pets allowed on a leash. Also there are free roaming cattle we saw on the main road in but none in the campground though there was poop evidence that they've been around. 

  Along the dirt road hiking trails near the campground people have made other camping areas with rock fire pits. The roads to these areas are narrow and 4WD necessary.

• 

  Reuben

  Guide

  

  Nov. 3, 2020

  Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

  Humble but still pretty nice

  We live in Albuquerque, but wanted to spend a day hiking the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Kiva RV Park is just a 5 minute drive from the NWR, so we stayed there on a Friday night, so we could get up bright and early for our hiking the next day.

  The folks running the place were very friendly. Led us to our spot and made sure everything was okay for us. It's a fairly humble place...gravel roads and parking spots. No concrete to be seen. Each slot has a fairly wide planted area, but this is not patches of green lawn. They have mature native trees and shrubs that are well maintained. Plenty of big cottonwood trees provided shade. The place is clearly run on a low budget, but is well maintained and there is pride in the work here. When we visited, it appeared to be nearly full, and it felt like perhaps 50/50 mix between long-term residents and overnight(or nearly overnight) visitors. There is a large corral area for horses. We walked over to it but there were no horses there. There's a little dog park, a bathhouse and laundry. We didn't use any of those amenities, so I can't comment. I believe the laundry is listed as free.(This is not the case with the wifi, which was complex and had a fee.) I just used my hotspot from my Verizon service and because we had 4 bars, that worked just fine for streaming some Netflix that night.

  We really like the place. Lots of neighbors, but everyone was very friendly, and no late partying. A few kids. But really, it was all very pastoral and nice. We'd stay here again. 

  Not all was perfect. Aside from the less-than-friendly wifi: 1) The sewer hookup is just an open pipe. No threads. A little stinky when you take the cover off.  2) It is almost literally right next to the interstate. There's no denying those traffic noise is real. We slept with no issues, but if traffic noise doesn't act like white noise for you...you might want to look somewhere else. We're lucky; but I know this is a deal-breaker for some.

  They do offer a Good Sam discount of 10%, so with tax, we paid $34. Well worth it. Very nice stay.

• 

  Greg R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 14, 2022

  Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

  Hot weather, but great customer service.

  Nice area, clean, shade trees and the management works with you no matter what. Little noise from I25 but very pet friendly. Will be back.

• S

  Sussn S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2019

  Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

  Nice for overnight

  Nice place for an overnight stay. Owner is nice, laundry, showers & restrooms. Close to highway, which you hear, but nice stop for just an overnight. Takes Good Sam & Passport.

• J

  John R.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 4, 2023

  Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

  Horse Motel

  Park is very nice. Spots are accessible and park is clean. Stables for horses with exercise area. A little bit noisy from interstate but not to bad.

• 

  Renee T.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 6, 2025

  San Lorenzo Canyon Dispersed

  Hidden Gem

  Not easy to find but gorgeous spot to hike many canyon trails. Zero cell service. Don't follow goggle to find.

• C

  Colin Y.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 28, 2021

  San Lorenzo Canyon

  Really pretty

  Have you ever looked at your woman, man or non-binary lover and thought “wow, absolutely amazing”. Well that is San Lorenzo. If your in the area definitely stop in and enjoy this place.

• 

  Dennis P.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 2, 2021

  San Lorenzo Canyon

  Hoodoos and beasties

  Rather hard to find the road onto the correct road to get to the right road! Once headed to the west look for the sign taking you to the right into a dry wash. Follow the arroyo past a giant "bread loaf" that is a geological unconformity. Drive into an abrupt canyon with straight walls and side slots. Eventually you run into a rock wall that can be traversed by scrambling around it and continue 1/2 mile to a short pour-off. Camping is allowed but be aware of flash floods. It's a narrow canyon with only one way out. A parallel road just to the south of San Lorenzo Canyon is all on BLM land (dispersed camping). Pack it in, pack it out.

• A

  Agustin

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 11, 2024

  San Lorenzo Canyon

  San Lorenzo Canyon quiet

  I enjoy camping here very quiet and peaceful. No bathroom and water