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.
$18 / night
"I didn't stay but I did drive through to check it out for future stops. First impression was very clean!"
"Not much to catch at the lake. 3pm someone rolls up next to us. Definitely in the wrong spot and he would have known that if he was aware of the “back in” policy."
"It worked and allowed quick access to the crag in the morning. Does start to get busy with climbers fairly early (8am or so). Would be perfect for somebody with a camper-van or teardrop."
"There is no service, but walking back down the road just a bit a could find a few bars.
Several hiking trails with beautiful views! A lot of great climbing also!"
"Follow the coordinates to the exit. Make a left off to go over pass then make a right onto the frontage road."
"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."
"We are surrounded by what looks to me like oak trees, but I have yet to confirm that. It reminds me of my home state of Minnesota!"
"It is right near the Rio Grande (but admittedly not a very spectacular portion). The foliage in late fall is a lovely pale yellow and orange."
"I saw very few people it will feel like you are not driving on the right place as the ‘road’ is eventually just a dry river bed, but keep going the course and you will find gorgeous sites to camp at."
"Not easy to find but gorgeous spot to hike many canyon trails. Zero cell service. Don't follow goggle to find."
"Here, the Rio Grande pauses on its long winding path to the Gulf of Mexico and allows these waterfowl and other migratory birds a place of rest and safety during their bi-annual migration."
"There are walking paths where you can walk to the river. Mosquitoes / other bugs not bad when we were there in early December. No trash bins and no bathrooms. Please pack out your waste!"
"Little noise from I25 but very pet friendly. Will be back."
"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."
LegendThis 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
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.
TravelerThis is a very neat place and new mexico is just neat in general. Great service too.
TravelerWe 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.
RangerWe 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!
ScoutI 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.
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.
GuideNice area, clean, shade trees and the management works with you no matter what. Little noise from I25 but very pet friendly. Will be back.
ScoutThis was inexpensive but turns out it will cost us a bit more in the long run. When we pulled up there was a maintenance employee doing his job. We were trying to get into our spot. My husband is hard of hearing and I was trying to guide him. I tell him “nooooo” and the guy tells him to “crank it” and guess what? He cranks it. Dents our bumper to the truck. Sooo yeah, that happened.
The site. It has all the amenities. The bathroom is tended to but basic. There is one light and it is right over campsite 13. So be aware. Luckily we have blackout blinds and that helped but dang it was bright. There are little stickers so don’t let pets run in the “grass” or kids barefoot. And bring your bug spray. I am covered in bug bites.
We loved the little town of Socorro. And this really was a pretty good deal overall. The lake part is really just a pond and if you want super quiet this is not for you as it was close to a busy road with ATVs and trucks running constantly over the gravel road and the occasional train.
Would I come here again? No.
But it was an adventure I suppose. All part of the ride.
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Lemitar, New Mexico, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lemitar, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lemitar, NM is Escondida Lake Park & Campground with a 3.4-star rating from 14 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 25 dog-friendly camping locations near Lemitar, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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