Lemitar is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Lemitar is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Lemitar. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"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. "
"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."
"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."
"Nice kid-friendly trails adjacent to the campground. We had a nice shady site, some others seemed more exposed."
"However, though there are bathrooms at the location, they are really smelly and flies surround them."
"Took awhile to get here, well off the beaten path. Ponderosa Pines, oak and juniper scrub. Ample supply of downed trees to use as firewood. Gets muddy if it rains."
GuideYou 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.
TravelerEvery 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.
GuideWe 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.
LegendPark 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.
GuideCame recommended by a friend. Beautiful secluded spot in the Manzanos. Nice kid-friendly trails adjacent to the campground. We had a nice shady site, some others seemed more exposed.
GuideThere are campsites available but not for big rigs. We have a 40 foot toy hauler and the dirt roads and narrowness would not allow for us. If you have something maybe 18’ or less and 4wd you could probably make it fine. We stayed right at the entrance near the picnic area. Spoke with fire inspector from the forest service and he said it was fine. The location was decent. Pretty quiet except for early morning vehicles driving up the road to the observatory and lab? We didn’t make the drive up as we have a dually and the road is pretty narrow.
ScoutNice 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.
ScoutThis is an amazing campsite. There are nice fire pits and picnic spots. However, though there are bathrooms at the location, they are really smelly and flies surround them.
GuideThis is not the state park campground. This is the NFS campground in beautiful setting. No reservation required. Right next to trailheads. Great Mountain biking on forest roads that link canyons. Toilets but no water so come prepared.
New Mexico offers a unique experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to equestrian needs amidst stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lemitar, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lemitar, NM is Water Canyon Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lemitar, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Lemitar, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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