Karen N.
Guide
GuideSanta Barbara Campground
Beautiful weekend
Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area
Best Equestrian Camping near Lamy, NM
RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe features horse corrals and overnight stabling for equestrians. This established campground offers full hookups for RVs including water, sewer, electric with 30/50 amp service, and accommodates tents as well. The facility includes showers, toilets, trash collection, and drinking water for campers. Located 20 minutes from downtown Santa Fe, the spacious grounds provide access to public land for riding. Sites are arranged with ample space between them, creating a quiet atmosphere even with approximately 50 total spots. Staff maintains helpful service for horse owners, and discounts apply for extended stays (10% for 4-6 days, 15% for 7-14 days).
Jack's Creek Horse Camp in Pecos offers excellent trailhead access to the Pecos Wilderness for equestrian camping. The camp includes multiple units of corrals with sufficient parking and turnaround space for large horse trailers, making it ideal for group trail explorations. Riders can explore Cave Creek Trail in one direction or follow routes to Round Mountain, which offers superb views and trails through aspen groves. The campground provides clean vault toilets maintained by an active camp host, and potable water is available from a well two miles down the mountain. Each site includes fire rings with cooking grates and picnic tables. The surrounding area offers creek access and fishing opportunities, with trails leading directly from the camp. The campground operates seasonally, typically busier on weekends.
Best Equestrian Sites Near Lamy, New Mexico (13)
1. Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site
38 ReviewsPlacitas, NM34 milesWebsite+1 (505) 761-8700"We even spotted wild horses nearby as we arrived. Weekend shooting practice is audible in the distance, but well away from camping areas, and we never felt unsafe."
"This campground offered amazing views of the Sandia mountains and the surrounding area."
2. RavenHouse RV Spot and Horse Hotel
1 ReviewEldorado at Santa Fe, NM16 miles+1 (505) 603-5225$42 - $75 / night
"It was easy to get around to the sites we had planned on visiting. The hosts were super nice and accomodating when we had a wifi issues, they got us up and running again quickly."
3. Villanueva State Park Campground
31 ReviewsPinos Altos, NM34 milesWebsite+1 (575) 421-2957$15 - $30 / night
"A little off the beaten path but was worth it. Each campsite had a picnic area some even had shelters over them! The lower campground was right next to the river (very high when we were there)."
"This is an awesome campsite if you chose the right location. Every site is booked online and comes with an adobe-style pergola thing with a picnic table."
4. RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe
1 ReviewSanta Fe, NM16 milesWebsite+1 (505) 474-0999$55 / night
"This is a very spacious private campground southwest of Santa Fe with access to public land. Located 20 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. There are probably 50 sites with restrooms and showers."
5. Turquoise Trail Campground
33 ReviewsCibola National Forest and Grasslands, NM36 milesWebsite+1 (505) 281-2005"CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Turquoise Trail Campground, Cedar Crest, NM Turquoise Trail Campground is a small privately owned campground located five miles north of I-40 off Route 14 (exit 175) just outside"
"Hardware store and a couple restaurants close by. New owners, same campground. Would definitely stay here again."
6. Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey
25 ReviewsLas Vegas, NM36 milesWebsite+1 (505) 454-0180$45 - $75 / night
"Cute cats and dogs all around. Pretty views and conveniently located within driving distance of a lot of attractions. Def recommend checking out the local hot springs."
"It is off the highway but nice and secluded. Pretty location and outside of Las Vegas, NM. It isn’t a five star because the sites are pretty close together"
7. Iron Gate Campground
8 ReviewsTererro, NM29 milesWebsite+1 (505) 757-6121"During rainy seasons, ruts form with deep mud on some spots driving up."
"It's a nice little place tucked away in the woods. The road to get there is a bit rough, hence the title. By no means, Not a road for a large trailer or 5th wheel. Wild life everywhere.."
8. Cuervo Mountain RV Park and Horse Hotel
10 ReviewsEdgewood, NM31 milesWebsite+1 (505) 305-1339$43 - $87 / night
"There aren’t many RV parks around and of the handful this is the one where you are going to get some space. There’s a playground for the kids and possibly some horses in the stables."
"He was always prompt with filling our propane, making sure we got our mail and keeping things tidy around the park."
9. Jacks Creek Horse Camp
3 ReviewsTererro, NM27 milesWebsite"The sites on the outside of the loops are decently wooded, smaller and not well suited to RVs. The sites on the inside of the loops have longer, RV sized pull in and little trees."
"Great overnight spot to use as a "home base" with lots of trail access. Multiple units of corrals and plenty of parking and turnaround space for large trailers."
10. Jacks Creek Group Area
1 ReviewTererro, NM28 milesWebsite$100 / night
"Beautiful drive out, creeks on both sides. Nestled deep in the Pecos Wilderness. Camping overlooks the mountains. Beatty’s trail head is nearby. Made a fire and had electric to charge my phone"
Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Lamy, NM
8 Photos of 13 Lamy Campgrounds
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Lamy, NM
175 Reviews of 13 Lamy Campgrounds
Warren K.GuideLas Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey
Campground close to a cool little town
We stopped here for an overnighter and it was not the most aesthetic choice, but the town of Las Vegas is quite charming. The town has a great plaza and historic hotel where we had a pretty good meal. The sunsets and landscape in this part of New Mexico really take your breath away.
- D
Dorrs T.
ScoutIron Gate Campground
Not as great as I thought it would be.
Based on the reviews I thought this place would be a cool oasis up in the trees. Alas, it's not. There's a loop with 14 total sites. Unfortunately, at least half the sites in the inner ring are unusable because of road runoff making it tough to get to them, and we have a Toyota Tacoma. As a result, they do not get used and are, therefore, overgrown with New Mexico ground cover, which is not comparable to soft grass. That immediately bumps it down to about 10 sites. When we arrived, there was one site available that we could access. It was behind the main trailhead parking area and completely shaded. All in all, not bad, just not our ideal choice since it's right there close to any and all foot traffic. Luckily, as we walked the rest of the loop to see if there was anything else, a couple was just finishing packing up so we were able to snag their spot (#13), which we felt was the best one. Score!
Now, let's talk the road to get there. Absolutely do not try to take a camper of any size to this campground unless it's a legit overland type tear or squaredrop, ideally with an articulating hitch. People are not kidding when they say that's not a good idea. We had our Tacoma in 4L and I'm honestly not sure how some 2WD vehicles make it. There are many spots where the incline is pretty good, a number of deep crevices as a result of water runoff, many sections that are absolutely one lane only, and at least 6 spots where there was a small pond of standing water to drive through. Were any of the ponds show stoppers, no, but the water in one dip came up past the bottom of our doors. All in all, the road is no joke. Yes, I get this is a forest road, but the road snakes through multiple pieces of residential property (albeit they are probably summer homes but we saw people at almost every house when we drove past), and there's a hiking trailhead at the campground, so I expected it to be not THAT bad. In my book, it's not officially 'offroading' but it's worse than other forest service roads we've been on. Oh, and the couple residents we passed driving in their vehicles (you can tell by looking at them they are not campers or hikers) made it abundantly clear they weren't happy with us being on their road. All in all, nice campground with great trailheads but there are too many other beautiful places to hike and camp in NM for us to want to go back.
- Jeff K.Guide
Borrego Mesa Campground
Great campsite!!
Good road all the way in. About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Close to the Rio Mario Trail trailhead. Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Worked great for tent camping. Sites have a small horse pen but you would need to make a gate on them. Not good for big LQ horse trailers.
- BBrent J.
TravelerTop of New Mexico - Dispersed Site
Quiet BLM Escape
Perched atop a quiet BLM mesa with sweeping views of the Sandia Mountains and Albuquerque, this dispersed site is a great spot. No services—bring everything you need—but the payoff is incredible sunrises and sunsets, wide-open skies, and a real sense of solitude. We even spotted wild horses nearby as we arrived. Weekend shooting practice is audible in the distance, but well away from camping areas, and we never felt unsafe. Roads in were fine for our low-clearance vehicle. Stayed three nights and loved every minute—simple, beautiful, and highly recommended for anyone seeking an uncluttered desert escape. There is a lot of confusion about how to get to the campsites, since the area borders a neighborhood. We found this to work best and does not go through the neighborhood - From 165 turn on Camino del Tecolote, right on Camino de La Rosa Castilla, right on Camino De Las Huertas, and right on Llano Del Norte (this road curves around to the three different spots to enter the BLM land, we went all the way to the end)
Alexander D.ScoutTop of New Mexico - Dispersed Site
Epic, accessbile, and open campsite with good views
This campground offered amazing views of the Sandia mountains and the surrounding area. We found a fire ring and plenty of level areas to set up camp in addition to large bushes to take shelter behind. Also plenty of wild horses roaming around, though we didn't ever see any at near our campsite.
Tina M.ScoutRavenHouse RV Spot and Horse Hotel
Majestic skies + Decent Amenities
We had the perfect 5 night stay. It was easy to get around to the sites we had planned on visiting. The hosts were super nice and accomodating when we had a wifi issues, they got us up and running again quickly. We used the grill area and even hosted friends visiting one night with their horse trailer and 2 horses. We stayed one night in the TeePee which was just magical and cozy, a mini vacay inside of our otherwise rustic van camping trip! The bathroom is located inside an enclosed out building with the shower located in an outdoor but private/roofed adjacent area. All and all, thumbs up for communication, comfort, basic amenities and ambience!
Steve & Ashley G.
LegendAgua Piedra Campground
Great Northern New Mexico Camp
We stayed at this site on the way back to Texas from our Colorado trip this summer. This is a great National Forest Campground south of Taos in the Carson Forest. The campground is just off the highway and situated in a beautiful mountain pine forest and next to a great trout stream. You have great shade during the hotter summer months. It’s far enough away from the highway that you don’t hear the traffic. It has a huge meadow and group camp site which look fantastic. The individual sites have some privacy between the sites and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. We made a reservation but the camp had a number of open sites in the peak summer season. The highlight here is the proximity of great hiking to nearby lakes and fishing in the trout stream. They had great facilities including clean pit toilets and some historic log cabins. They have a camp host and the sites accommodate tents and smaller vans and campers. I would give this another visit on our next trip to NM.
Dave V.LegendTurquoise Trail Campground
Clean and close to the mountains and Albuquerque
CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Turquoise Trail Campground, Cedar Crest, NM
Turquoise Trail Campground is a small privately owned campground located five miles north of I-40 off Route 14 (exit 175) just outside the east side of Albuquerque. Tucked along the base of the Sandia mountains, at 6940’ elevation. http://www.turquoisetrailcampground.com/
There is plenty of visible signage to guide you down Snowline Dr into the campground.
As you approach the office/museum on the right, the RV/Camper loop is visible on the left (which appeared full). Behind the office building are two tent loops (upper and lower). There are two very clean bathroom/showerhouses located between the office and tent loops. A laundry room and dishwashing sink is located at the back of the office building. *This is also the only water access for the tent loops.
RV sites have full hookups. Tent sites have only a leveled, gravel tent pad, picnic table and standing grill. Only stove fires were permitted at our visit due to open fire restrictions.
Tent sites are separated by scrub brush, which offered partial privacy between most sites, but you will hear your neighbors. The outer tent sites back up to a residential area, with a fence separating. Bring earplugs for undisturbed sleeping, as road noise from Route 14 can be heard, along with local dogs randomly in the distance.
At $20 a night, the campground is convenient and sufficiently met our needs as we traveled west on a tight itinerary.
Shower tokens are provided with your nightly fee. Each token gives you 7 minutes of shower time.
There is plenty to do nearby, with bike trails and hiking trails…though nothing of particular interest in the campground itself.
The bustling city of Albuquerque is the next exit west, so you are still very close to shopping, eateries, and nightlife.
Guide to Lamy
Equestrian camping areas near Lamy, New Mexico offer access to high-elevation terrain between 6,000-8,000 feet in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The region experiences dramatic weather patterns with afternoon thunderstorms common in summer months and overnight temperatures that can drop below 50°F even in July. Roads to remote horse camping locations often require high-clearance vehicles, especially after rain when forest roads develop deep ruts and standing water.
What to do
Trail riding opportunities: Several campgrounds with horse-friendly facilities serve as gateways to wilderness trail systems. At Jacks Creek Horse Camp, riders can explore "Cave Creek Trail in one direction as well as ride up to Round Mountain in the other direction. Round Mountain offers superb views and a nice trail through the aspens," according to Gretchen N.
Wildlife viewing: Early mornings offer the best chance to observe local wildlife. At Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site, campers report frequent wild horse encounters. "My first morning I was surrounded by a group of 5 cows grazing. They ended up laying 30 feet from the trailer all morning," shares Josh F., while other campers mention, "We woke up in the morning to a heard of wild horses moving through the area."
Stargazing: The remote locations provide excellent dark sky viewing. Lauren I. describes Top of New Mexico as a "Dark Sky Sanctuary" where "you can clearly see the Milky Way. No light pollution except the beautiful view of the city far away."
What campers like
Accessibility to public lands: Horse-friendly camping sites provide direct access to wilderness areas. RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe is described as "a very spacious private campground southwest of Santa Fe with access to public land" and is "located 20 minutes from downtown Santa Fe," according to marine J.
Peaceful atmosphere: Many campers value the quiet setting. At Villanueva State Park Campground, Wendy K. notes there are "Very secluded sites along the Pecos River," while Robert H. adds that "the night skies are wonderful."
Creek access: Water features add to the camping experience. Celina M. describes Villanueva State Park as "tucked away into a canyon between two towering cliffs. There are shady campsites along the Pecos river, which was a little high when we visited in June, but otherwise might be nice to float down on a tube."
What you should know
Road conditions: Forest roads to horse camping areas can be challenging. At Iron Gate Campground, Dorrs T. warns, "Absolutely do not try to take a camper of any size to this campground unless it's a legit overland type tear or squaredrop, ideally with an articulating hitch. We had our Tacoma in 4L and I'm honestly not sure how some 2WD vehicles make it."
Seasonal access: Most horse campgrounds operate on limited schedules. Iron Gate Campground is typically open "May to November," while weather conditions can affect accessibility even during open seasons.
Advance planning required: Some sites fill quickly, especially on weekends. At Jacks Creek Horse Camp, Allison C. notes, "The closer we got to the weekend, the more crowded and noisy the site became. One night, multiple campers arrived after dark and noisily set up camp."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Campgrounds with play areas provide entertainment for children. At Turquoise Trail Campground, campers note it "has a playground, pool (closed due to Covid), dog run area and volleyball."
Stream exploration: Water features offer natural recreation. At Villanueva State Park, Rosa H. reports, "We had lots of fun in the creek and hiking the trails," while Elena C. adds, "Our kids loved the playground and we enjoyed how quiet and beautiful the area is."
Safety considerations: Remote horse camping locations have limited cell service. When staying at Top of New Mexico, Josh F. notes, "Pretty isolated from supplies, which is the charm, but come prepared. Great Starlink location and pretty good cell service (3/4 bars)."
Tips from RVers
Site selection: RV sites at horse campgrounds vary in size and amenities. At Jacks Creek Horse Camp, Allison C. advises, "The sites on the outside of the loops are decently wooded, smaller and not well suited to RVs. The sites on the inside of the loops have longer, RV sized pull in and little trees."
Leveling challenges: Some horse camping areas have uneven terrain. At Turquoise Trail Campground, Mary T. notes, "Some of the sites I went by thought was not level but then you look closer the pad itself was very level."
Supply access: Remote horse campgrounds often require self-sufficiency. For those visiting Iron Gate Campground, Karen N. advises, "Enjoyed the hiking trails. Definitely difficult in a car. We made it barely," suggesting visitors bring everything they need as supply runs may be challenging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian
campsite near Lamy, NM?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lamy, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lamy, NM is Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site with a 4.6-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find
equestrian camping near
Lamy, NM?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lamy, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Lamy, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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