Best Tent Camping near Mills, NM

I 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.

This canyon is a too little known gem tucked away in a corner of the state too few travel, as the near ghost town of Roy demonstrates.  for those wondering why I'd part with secrecy and reveal a local treasure, that's why: we've far too few tourists, unlike Barcelona. 

Back to the canyon, the key attractions are the river, often a rippling stream, and sometimes mere puddles, but still, water in a dry land, and the ruins of a thriving orchard and stagecoach stop, complete with an impressive hotel.  The hotel is the largest ruin, abandoned after a flood destroyed the business more than a century ago.  There are other stone buildings scattered about for those motivated to hike around the valley. 

The canyon remains hidden until you reach the rim and peer down (an excellent method for spotting ruins), and the first Forest Service campground is there, and best for those with larger trailers or lower clearances.

The second Forest Service campground is by the river, complete with picnic tables, iron fire rings, and vault toilets.  Both are free as of this writing.

I've never seen any explicit regulations beyond the obvious (don't do damage that gets us all a bad name) and 4x4 paths exist to get one further up and down the canyon for dispersed camping. 

I'd certainly camp away from large or loud groups if I needed, but neither campground gets a rowdy crowd, or, indeed, much of a crowd. 

p.s.  If you read this far, I'll throw in some nearby treats: Charette Lake, Fort Union, Pecos National Monument and Sugarite State Park all offer insights into the history and natural beauty of this part of NM.

There is no view of the canyon from this campground, so be prepared to hike or drive down if you want to have great views. The real downer for us was the plethora of vicious mosquitos. We were eaten alive even though we sprayed with bug spray often. Our tent was swarmed with them such that we heard them buzzing our tent all night. We tried multiple sites and couldn’t find a bug free spot. They seemed to be sheltering under trees and in the grass and there was only one spot of water where they may have been breeding. It had rained recently, which may have been the problem, so consider trying this campsite at a dry time of year. We probably won’t bother trying to come back.

The good: Free Nice cement picnic tables Clean vault toilets Quality covered horse stalls which we used for shelter Dark sky area of the State so some of our party got a great view of Neowise

Notes: No water or cell service Not every site has picnic tables and fire pits No gas in the general area so fuel up before you get there.

It’s places like this that make me realize this how possible Van Life is!

I rolled in at 9pm when I had reservation issues else where, after finding this online at 830pm. There are full bars and open spaces. I felt bad rolling in to the lot because there were other people set up and tucked in. A few were blasting music and chatting loudly, but everyone was quiet from 10pm to 8am. I car camp, but the people staying were full timer van life or family’s camping out for the weekend. With spring coming in, the birds were a great natural alarm. Sure the lake was empty, but it’s free, easy to find, and free. The pit toilets were clean, and there were a few picnic tables at a few spots and lots of trash cans to keep it clean. Plus, the Milky Way was to die for.

I pulled into a tall grassy area so I felt kind of guilty in the morning when I saw they cut the grass in recommended dispersed spots. It wasn’t an issue though, set up anywhere as long as you’re not being a jerk.

It’s very accessible, good views, 30 mins from capulin volcano and sugarite state park.

A 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.