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Best Equestrian Camping near Socorro, NM

28 Reviews

Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel in Bernardo provides dedicated facilities for equestrian travelers. The campground features full hookups for RVs including electric, water, and sewer connections while accommodating both tent and RV campers. Trailers and large rigs are welcome at this big-rig-friendly destination. The property maintains specific areas for horses with exercise facilities, though no permanent corrals are listed in the amenities. Campground facilities include clean toilets, showers, trash service, and picnic tables. The property experiences some noise from nearby Interstate 25 but maintains a pet-friendly environment. The park's location provides convenient access for riders exploring central New Mexico trails. The management team works well with guests regardless of circumstances.

Located 34 miles north of Socorro, Kiva RV Park operates year-round with reservation options available for planning horse camping trips. The park serves as a strategic overnight stop for equestrians traveling through the region. Water Canyon Campground, situated 10 minutes outside Socorro, offers a more primitive option with vault toilets but no water hookups or designated horse facilities. Numerous hiking trails connect directly to Water Canyon, providing potential riding routes. The campground previously operated at no cost but now charges $10 per night. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings with reasonable spacing between campsites. Red Canyon Campground in the Manzano Mountains offers another alternative with direct trailhead access and open pine forest settings favorable for primitive horse camping. Both locations require guests to bring their own water supplies.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Socorro, New Mexico (5)

    1. Water Canyon Campground

    13 Reviews
    Magdalena, TX
    13 miles
    Website

    "We were climbing in the Socorro area for a few days and this site is about 20 minutes further down the road from the climbing area and about 30-35 minutes from Socorro."

    "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. "

    2. Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

    4 Reviews
    La Joya, NM
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 861-0693

    "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."

    3. Red Canyon Campground

    8 Reviews
    Mountainair, NM
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 847-2990

    "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."

    4. Manzano Mountains Camp

    2 Reviews
    Mountainair, NM
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 346-3900

    "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."

    5. Cibola National Forest Bear Trap Campground

    1 Review
    Winston, NM
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 854-2381

    "Birding is good as there is a stream nearby. Good place for summer camping to escape the heat, but watch for precipitation that may make the road impassable for some time. It's a long way up there."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Socorro, NM

28 Reviews of 5 Socorro Campgrounds

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 2, 2019

    Water Canyon Campground

    Pleasant place, strange people

    Have to agree with an earlier review of this site--the place is great, everything you'd want in a campground, but we encountered some strange visitors as well. We almost didn't stay because of the seemingly sketchy activity going on here, but it ended up being alright, and the campground itself is great. Nice area, picnic tables, firepits, vault toilets, trash and best of all, free.

    We were climbing in the Socorro area for a few days and this site is about 20 minutes further down the road from the climbing area and about 30-35 minutes from Socorro. We stayed our first night here, and the next couple nights we just camped out at the climbing area, which proved much more pleasant (and equally free).

  • Patrick B.
    Oct. 16, 2022

    Water Canyon Campground

    Can't beat the price (for now)

    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.  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.

  • J
    Aug. 19, 2020

    Water Canyon Campground

    A solid stop

    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. 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.

  • Reuben
    Nov. 3, 2020

    Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

    Humble but still pretty nice

    We 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.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 4, 2023

    Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

    Horse Motel

    Park 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.

  • Gavin J.
    Jun. 2, 2021

    Red Canyon Campground

    Relaxing weekend getaway

    Came 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.

  • Melinda J.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 4, 2025

    Water Canyon Campground

    Water canyon

    There 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.

  • S
    Sep. 8, 2019

    Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel

    Nice for overnight

    Nice 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.

  • Atheena T.
    Apr. 12, 2025

    Red Canyon Campground

    Red Canyon

    This 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.

Guide to Socorro

Horse camping in New Mexico offers a unique blend of scenic landscapes and equestrian-friendly facilities, making it an ideal destination for riders and their horses.

Equestrian campgrounds include essential amenities

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

  • Water Canyon Campground is known for its free camping and easy access to hiking trails, making it a great base for equestrian adventures.
  • The Manzano Mountains Camp is surrounded by wooded areas, offering a peaceful retreat for horse campers looking to escape the city.
  • Kiva RV Park & Horse Motel not only provides horse facilities but also has a dog park and laundry amenities, catering to all your camping needs.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Socorro, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Socorro, NM is Water Canyon Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 13 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Socorro, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Socorro, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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