Best Glamping near Las Vegas, NM

My husband had the great idea of tent camping just the two of us. Up to this point our tent camping adventures were reserved for grandbaby time. But I said What the hey! Let's do it. I wanted somewhere cooler than home. The Santa Fe area had plenty to keep us busy for the week.

We did not get a tent spot but opted for a small trailer site with electric and water. Our spot was near the bathhouse but not too close. Each site has native trees and plants, so everyone has privacy. The site had a nice flat spot for the tent, picnic table, fire pit and grill. We had more than enough room to set up our awning for a dining area. We loved our little spot for the week.

The bathhouse was clean and very nice. New tile and fixtures. It was a little small for the size of the campground.

They have plenty of activities there for everyone and in the evening it is very quiet.

It's a bit challenging to get to this campground coming from the southeast because GPS instructed to turn down a dirt road. Just continue on through town of Villanueva and at the fork in the road turn right to the park. The drive in has a steep hill and the lanes felt narrow, but doable in my rig (25' class C). There were larger rigs than mine in the park when I was there. Also, if you need cell service, Verizon was nil at the campsite. I had to walk up to the bath house to get a signal.

The park is nestled between 2 sandstone canyon walls and along side the Pecos River. It's a gem! The site I had was right on the river. The kiddos from a few sites down were wading into the river from this site. Could put in a kayak from here too.

The park has pull thru and back in sites, some with electricity and water, others just water. Also a tent area, playground, pit toilets and a bath house. The awesome park attendant, Gilbert, said that they will be upgrading all sites to electric soon. Fairly level sites. There's a dump on site, but it was closed during my stay.

Big old cottonwood trees provide shade and lots of birds visit the area. Hummingbirds galore!

Make sure to do the vista trail hike. It's moderate to challenging and the views are a treat! Also the river trail is an easy walk along the Pecos. 

Last but not least, check out the little village of Villanueva at the top of the "hill". Charming! The general store in town sells a delicious spice blend that is made with New Mexican hatch peppers. Try their nacho pie and enjoy!

Perfect little camping spot, super cheap with showers & toilets. Some locals told us that when the river is lower you can tube on it. Gorgeous area, the shelters were adorable. The park rangers hang out during the day and are super helpful. The only thing missing was a dumpster, there are plenty of smaller trash cans but if you need to throw out anything larger you’ll have to pack it out. There are water pumps scattered around but we’re not sure if it’s good to drink. Nothing said not to so we figured it was okay. Maybe bring a water filter if that’s something that worries you. Also, if you need any supplies get them early before you even get within an hour of the area. There is a very small convenience store close by but it doesn’t stock much, and the closest actual stores are in Las Vegas. Come prepared!

We were very excited on our first night to settle into our campsite after a long day of adventuring. Just a short drive to the outskirts of Santa Fe in mountain country we found our campground, Rancheros de Santa Fe.

Upon entry the staff was very friendly and welcoming and we felt like this would be a great place to call home away from home.

The campsites were laid out well with room between campers and because it was the end of a weekend, they were not entirely at capacity which made for a pleasant sense of space in the great outdoors.

Our campsite was positioned in the "high road" tent site area which is a primitive campsite without additional amenities. Each campsite has a fire ring and also a picnic table for campers to utilize and a pad site for tents slightly raises from ground level.

It made for a beautiful night sleep under the chilly New Mexico skies.

By morning we ventured up to the public showers and restrooms which were clean and had amazon water pressure and hot water to set the morning in motion perfectly.

The facility also offers a pool and theater room during summer months so while we didn't get to take advantage we were excited to know upon return we would have these features available.

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Overall we give this campground a 4 of 5 Bunniea! The only things we noticed which kept it from a 5 were the lack of wifi reach in the back sections of the campground, wouldn't have been a big deal but cell service in the off grid location was also patchy so the wifi would have been handy. And the pad site was not designed for a tent quite our size. Our tent is a 12x8 and had a little side hang on on the 12 foot end.

The park itself is 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. In fact, some adventurous neighbors were floating--but I was one mom and had 6 kids with me (between my own and some friends). There are also some campsites higher up with a commanding view, but less shade.

There is fishing in the river, hiking up to the mesas with commanding views, geocaching, a playground, showers, relaxation, and it is only a short drive to Las Vegas, NM. The adobe picnic shelters were wonderful. No phone signals in the park, but hiking up to the mesa will catch you a decent number of bars (as joyfully discovered by my teen). The campsites are really spacious, and water is easily accessible. The group shelter and camping area was gorgeous. There is a small visitor center with really friendly and helpful park staff.

While this campsite is not particularly visited by bears, etc., please be advised to keep your food OUT OF your tent. The squirrels and chipmunks are particularly good at finding food and did cut a hole through our neighbors tent to get to it! Likewise, unattended food at the campsite will be carried away by our four legged critters with super fluffy tails.