Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Las Vegas, NM is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Las Vegas is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Las Vegas, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
$45 - $75 / night
"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"
"We were hit by a blizzard driving through the I-25 pass from Santa Fe to Denver and had to take refuge in the KOA Las Vegas, NM for 2 nights."
$15 - $30 / night
"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."
"The park itself is tucked away into a canyon between two towering cliffs."
"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.."
$15 - $30 / night
"Book on Reserve America for New Mexico “Santa Rosa Lake” very pretty and peaceful. Not all streets were labeled but the directions worked to get us there just fine."
"Nice campground in desert setting overlooking the lake. A lot of pull thru sites as well as back ins. Electric was all thru the loop, however water hook ups were not."
"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."
$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"
$40 / night
"There is a trail head with 2 trails, one atv accessible and one hiking/horse that goes up to Indian Lake. Beautiful views and about 1200' elevation change."
"Tent camped at this location in the middle of September (a week before closing). Very beautiful place to watch the leaves change, trailheads close by and picnic tables at each site."
$22 - $70 / night
"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"
"The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes."
"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."
"Campground is a little off the beaten path, about 30m from the High Drive highway. Dirt roads were nothing to worry about, should be fine for any SUV or sedan."
$15 / night
"Catch the cool evening desert breezes from the Rocking Point loop, which sits across the dam and above the lake. The drive to the park from I 40 is on a nicely paved road so the distance feels less."
GuideWe 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.
GuideThis was a nice place to stay for a couple nights. Check in was fast and friendly. They have a dog park. 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
RangerWe were hit by a blizzard driving through the I-25 pass from Santa Fe to Denver and had to take refuge in the KOA Las Vegas, NM for 2 nights. They quickly got us a space and allowed us to wait out the snow. Clean restrooms and showers, a shop in the grounds that serves breakfast. Hikes nearby. Very welcoming and friendly hosts.
RangerThe Las Vegas, NM KOA was one of the prettiest KOA settings I have seen. It is a stunning location, and the town of Las Vegas is charming. The owners are were kind and helpful. That being said, this property is tired and in need of some maintenance and love. Our camping cabin needed chinking, I could see light through the logs. Happily there was a heater for the cold rainy night. The shower house was in great need of an update. Breakfast was delicious, but really slow as there was only one kind gentleman doing the cooking and there were several groups to feed. Some people cancelled their orders and left rather than staying to eat.
All that said, I would stay here again. The people were kind, the cost was reasonable, and it still beats a tent in the rain when passing through on a long road trip. And as I said at that start - it is beautiful. My kids loved the playground.
This was our base of operations for a visit to Fort Union National Historic Site.
RangerPerfect 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!
LegendThe 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.
GuideStay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area
GuideBook on Reserve America for New Mexico “Santa Rosa Lake” very pretty and peaceful. Not all streets were labeled but the directions worked to get us there just fine. Park for kids, gorgeous sunsets and the stars show off at night. Clean bathrooms. Had hookups.
ScoutBased 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.
New Mexico offers stunning landscapes and diverse terrains, making it an ideal destination for horse camping enthusiasts. With a variety of campgrounds catering to equestrian needs, adventurers can enjoy the great outdoors alongside their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Las Vegas, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Las Vegas, NM is Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey with a 4-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Las Vegas, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Las Vegas, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
