Looking for the best campgrounds near Mills, NM? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that New Mexico camping has to offer. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Mills, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"Multiple camp sites for primitive camping with flat areas for tents, and each site has a fire pit, sturdy table, and space for parking."
"A beautiful little campground of solitude was found if you drove on just past the Mills Canyon Campground."
$15 - $20 / night
"We stayed here primarily because it was on our route to Northern New Mexico and Colorado. It was exactly as we expected and we enjoyed an overnight here in June."
"The bath house was recently renovated and very clean. The only downside to the park was that the tent pads we rock and gravel making it very difficult to stake a tent."
"Bathrooms are clean. The water is off for the winter season but they do have water to fill your tanks if you wish. It was $50 for our site for the night."
"Finally, I must stay unequivocally this campground has the nicest bathrooms I've seen in a very long time. Very clean very modern and very well maintained!"
"Plenty of wildlife to see around the area and a very quiet place to set up camp."
"There are lots of trees around and natural grass growing. There aren’t any shooting competitions going on at the time, so we don’t hear much shooting."
ScoutI give this campground 2 stars - one because it is a lovely spot and two, because it is well-maintained considering its remoteness. The other 2-3 stars it may well have deserved were blacked out by the sheer numbers of outright rude and inconsiderate campers.
The drive into the canyon is, indeed, bumpy but doable in a high-clearance car or SUV. There is no cell service. The campground is near the river but does not have river access - it is possible to get to it but the stickers make it extremely uncomfortable, especially if your bring your pooches. There are some places to walk and see both the ruins of the Mills orchard homestead, as well as access the river, but walking was made very unpleasant by the numbers of trucks, ATVs, and motorcycles zooming by - very loud and lots of dirt in the eyes and mouth.
Not sure if it's the "COVID camping" phenomena but the campground was full to near-full the 3 days, 2 nights we camped there. During that time there were multiple very large groups (10-16 people) of people pulling in and out. One group from Texas brought along very loud 50cc motorcycles and large ATV/Side by sides for their kids, who would make rounds around the campground loop, sending plumes of fine dirt into all of the campgrounds around the loop, not to mention the noise. Another large group of trucks from Texas pulled into the campsite next to ours and literally drove 6 vehicles into the actual camping spot and proceeded to then set up tents all the way into my spot -- loud music, loud talking, loud wood chopping, 4:30 am trucks in and out (I suppose they were driving to the bathroom, which was about a 2 minute walk away). I was forced to sleep in my car, instead of my tent thanks to the noise and the fact that I was not comfortable sleeping with a bunch of strangers who didn't seem to care that I had already set up there. As I packed up the next day and was checking my campground for trash I noticed theirs was strewn with it - I considered cleaning it until I noticed it was mostly used toilet paper.
Camping in New Mexico is amazing and one of the reasons I live here. I don't understand why people need to come to the middle of nowhere to be obnoxious, ruin the experience for everyone else, and trash the place in the process.
Until the COVID camping phenomena ends, expect the worst.
RangerCapulin RV Park is a pretty nice private RV park across the highway from the Capulin Volcano National Monument entrance road. We stayed one night. Some of the sites are shady. The park streets and sites are crushed limestone. The park was clean and quiet. The sites are very close together; fortunately, it was not full and we had room. Restrooms and showers were clean (did not use shower). Amenities include: common fire ring with seating and view of volcano, swing with view of volcano.
Stayed in pull-thru campsite #25 which had evening shade and level. It was a crushed limestone site. There was barely enough parking for my 34 ft TT. Neighbors are VERY close. Utilities: 20/30/50A electric in middle of site. Water in middle of site, good pressure. Sewer in middle of site with 4-in screw-on fitting.
AT&T had two bars of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 36.6 Mbps down, 7.5 Mbps up. Free WiFi is available, but did not use it.
The town of Capulin, NM is very small. The closest restaurant is The Sierra Grande Restaurant in Des Moines, NM, which is open year round for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Other restaurants and fast food are available in Raton and Clayton.
Would stay here again.
TravelerMultiple camp sites for primitive camping with flat areas for tents, and each site has a fire pit, sturdy table, and space for parking. The campgrounds also have clean brick & mortar bathrooms without running water; all for free! This campground is first come first serve so reservations aren’t necessary. Pretty secluded area that is mostly vacant during the week days, and mostly visited by climbers. Both upper rim and lower canyon campsites are fairly close to some great boulders and there’s plenty of hiking to do.
This area is still pretty unknown to the mass public so crowds aren’t an issue, which is really nice, but the canyon is overflowing with awesome boulders for climbing so it’s only a matter of time until it starts to become more popular.
GuideA beautiful little campground of solitude was found if you drove on just past the Mills Canyon Campground. Not very much available in terms of hiking, but what there was went along the Canadian River, and yielded some interesting, crumbled old structures. Definitely take the time to read a little bit of the history once you have a signal again! Campfires weren’t allowed while we were there, but they are allowed when the fire danger isn’t so high. There are vault toilets (which were well maintained), but no running water. There is no cell service. Bring trash bags, as there are no trash cans or dumpsters. No bear lockers, though there are bears in the area. Recommend 4 wheel drive to access the Canyon itself. Many of the primitive roads have been closed to motorized vehicles, but still make for a nice hike! We could hear owls every night, and saw a mountain lion one morning.
GuideWe stayed here primarily because it was on our route to Northern New Mexico and Colorado. It was exactly as we expected and we enjoyed an overnight here in June. Fortunately we had electric power for AC and were comfortable. Enjoyed some short hikes right from our campsite. Very isolated location between Tucumcari and Las Vegas, New Mexico, but that was our intended route. Marginal highway, but almost no traffic.
GuideYou wouldn’t expect seeing a place like this in the flat land that it rests in. Mills canyon is a nice litttle camping spot with fun little secrets. Can you find them? There is a fire pit per site with a few restrooms between sites.
TravelerThis is a great location. Getting there you are driving through the middle of NM ranch land and slowly the topography starts to change as you get closer, and it is very cool!
The road down the canyon is about 2 miles and any stock SUV, Subaru or the same can make it when it's dry. But, if it's wet be careful, the mud is super slippery….just take your time! You could probably even do it in a sedan as long as you aren't too low to the ground.
If you read other reviews or see videos on YouTube you may hear that trailers are not allowed on the road down. As of April 2018 the warning at the top say not recommended. I was in a Ford Expedition with an 8' popup trailer (probably 11' with the tongue) and it was no problem. I wouldn't take a 5th wheel or a huge camper down there, but smaller trailers are ok. The sharpest turns are near the top.
The campground is very nice, the 12 spots are spread out, two nice pit latrines, tables, fire pits, and charcoal grill stands. THERE IS NO WATER except for the river, and no trash service, so pack it out!.
The valley is gorgeous and you can see the ruins from the old homestead….be sure to stop and read the info signs on the way down, it's a very neat story
I went at the end of April, the days were great and the nights were cool, I can see how it would get very hot in the summer. There is some shade but be sure to bring an easy up or something.
The first river crossing is a concrete bottom, the second is river bottom but not too deep, the third one is much more rough and very wide, use common sense. Lots of opportunity for hiking and biking.
Hunting is allowed so don't be surprised if you hear shots during hunting season. We saw several turkeys and deer. The signs say bears and cougars are in the area as well.
I think there are fish in the rive but we didn't get any. There is a lot of 'grass' in the water to be prepared to get snagged.
Take a good map with you and explore some off the roads in the grasslands area that take you to the rim of the canyon, it's a great view.
I drove from Denver, about 6 hours, and it was worth the drive. Highly recommended.
There is also a campsite on the rim if you don't want to venture down, and they have some horse paddocks you can use.
ScoutI stayed at the North Campground in the park and it was great. The bath house was recently renovated and very clean. The only downside to the park was that the tent pads we rock and gravel making it very difficult to stake a tent. Each site had a covered picnic table and a charcoal grill. There was easy access to drinking water and there was an access road to the lake close by.
TravelerThis is a nice campground, but if you can go to the bottom of the canyon please do! It's a relatively mild 2-mile road that any stock SUV, Subaru, Rav4 etc can do, and probably any sedan when it's dry.
If you look at other reviews or videos of this location some say that trailers are not allowed on the road to the bottom. Officially as of April 2018, they were not recommended. I was in a Expedition with an 8' pop up and it was no problem….just for reference.
The sites are nice and spaced out, nice pit toilet and a couple of horse paddocks if that is your thing.
Be aware there is NO WATER at all and no trash service, so pack it out!
See my review of the Mills Canyon Campground for more info!
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Mills, NM is Mills Canyon Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 21 reviews.
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