Looking for an adventure where you can explore Newcomb and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Newcomb, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Newcomb, New Mexico's most popular destinations.
Ranger
Stayed in site 12 which was wedged between handicapped spot next to toilets and next RV over. Very small area although other campsites did not all appear so small.
Nice dog-friendly hike on wajiji trail which begins from campground, crosses road and is out and back of~3.2 mi in total. Otherwise, dogs not allowed on trails in park.
As noted here, the road can be rough, and we accessed Chaco off Hwy 550 (we were told that accessing Chaco from other direction can be even more dicey if roads are wet). Road was washboard and beware of steel protrusions on sides of road which can be sharp. We made it fine in camper van but went slow.
Traveler
Plenty of spaces and happy to get one with shade on my camper. $20, no pass discounts. Reasonably clean, fairly quiet. No complaints
TravelerThis is a great central location to both the north and south canyon road. Self pay at the entrance, $20 a night no services. The park was quiet, well treed and clean. A number of bathrooms, older but clean and well stocked. Lots of garbage pails. Dump station easy to access with working black tank sprayer. Park was 1/3 full by the evening.
Scout
Juste pour vous partager ma mésaventure(Mieux vautêtre averti pouréviter les mêmes erreurs;)) 2 points importants: 1- L'indien Howard Smith(qui ne ressemble plusà la photo de son site depuis de nombreuses années) n'accepte les paiements que sur place en cash- Donc si vousêtes contacter avant, ce sont des pirates! Il est au courant, cela lui arrive régulièrement, mais il considère que c'est pas de sa faute, surtout qu'on est européens, et que les pirates sont tous desétrangers... 2- Hogan- C'est une aventure en soit unique. Mais si je ne pensais pas avoir payer d'avance, j'aurais fait demi-tour. Un lit de camps, une petite planche sur des parpaings avec un matelas qui dépasse... Rien de bon pour passer une bonne nuit en soit! J'ai regretté de ne pas dormir dans ma tente au final. Sachant qu'onétait 6 et qu'on l'avait dit, On peut dormirà l'aise sur ces matelas tachéà 3, pas plus... Les toilettes sont des toilettes de camping car. Le camping en lui même est idéalement situés et les camping car sont donc surement content du séjour.
TravelerBeautiful grove of trees. Maintenance people apparently not allowed to clean up bugs in bathrooms. Floodlights at night a bit bright.
Traveler
Free BLM campground. Modern and well kept. Only a few others there the night we stayed so it was quiet and peaceful
TravelerWe came on a Sunday in July and there were only 2 other campers there. Very quiet, the only thing missing was electric outlets that only worked in 1 of the 3 restrooms, but that wasn’t an issue. Great place to camp if you plan to visit canyon de Chelly
Legend
OHV trails are all over. I am not a OHV guy, but looks to be OHV haven. Flat and hilly areas for lots of fun. I’d stay away during heavy rain.
LegendThis campground is not easy to get to, so get your head around that. The last 5 miles of the unpaved road getting to the park boundary will be a challenge, so take it slllooow. It is worth it, and you’ll have fewer crowds at this amazing place.
The campground is similar to many national parks, with nicely spaced out, no hook up campsites. The toilets are clean and well maintained, flush toilets, and sinks, but no showers. Water is available throughout the campground, and there’s a big sink for dumping your dish water.
The campground is ideal for solar power, as is the New Mexico weather. We also had no problem connecting with Starlink, but there was no LTE or phone service to speak of.
Hiking in the park is simply stunning. With the ruins of the Chaco Culture all around, you can pick your adventure or simply drive the park loop road, stopping to wander through the remains of this vibrant place that was once the heart of a vast cultural empire.
Cycling is also a great option -- bike/ hike your way around the park from the campground. The visitor’s center is good, and worth spending some time in. The closest town with services is a long long way away, in any direction, so come prepared with your supplies, food, etc.
There is a convenience store/ gas station about 20 miles out, but the drive back along the rough road will take an hour in an RV.
This park is so worth a visit and the campground makes it easy to stay for as long as you can to soak up the solitude of this simply amazing place!
GuideThis place is such a gem. We arrived late at night with a 39 foot toy hauler. No problem backing up in spot #1. Beautiful stars, complete silence after the last OHV left around 10 pm. All we had to do was filling a permit online and email it to BLM. We woke up to the magnificent high desert. The spots are spacious and clean with a fire pit and a table on a concrete slab. You are not right on your neighbor. The bathrooms are clean and accessible. Spot #10 is ADA compliant and very spacious. It is probably a 3 miles drive on a dirt road. 4 wheel drive not required. Only 3 spot were occupied when we pulled up. There is a trail right out of the campground. Best of all - absolutely FREE.
GuideGallo Campground is the place to stay to visit the Chaco Canyon ruins. It's very small and very difficult to get to given the state of the dirt roads through tribal lands. Unless an RV is designed for this type of environment, it would be better to stay elsewhere and drive in with an AWD vehicle. The location is remote so be sure to bring drinking water and all the food you need. There is very little water in the region, so the facilities are limited. There are bathrooms and a place to wash dishes, but nothing else. The camp hosts are kind and helpful. We were able to view the Milky Way on one night of our stay. The visitor center is nearby, but most of the artifacts have been removed for safe keeping as there are issues with the building. They have an excellent selection of books on Chaco to purchase. The trails are well kept and closely watched by the rangers due to the sacred nature of the fragile structures. It was well worth any inconvenience for the privilege of seeing this amazing, sacred place.
GuideWe trully enjoyed our stay. Close to the sights. The campground is a little rough along the edges but the sites are great. There is a great hiking trail that starts at the campground and goes to the canyon. Howard the owner is very friendly and a wealth of information.
TravelerPaved roads and pads, picnic tables, picnic fire pits, flush bathrooms, water and sewer (1 per loop), all in a beautifully trees setting. Birds singing. Conveniently located near the visitor’s centre and at the halfway point where you choose the north or south scenic drive.
GuideI didn’t realize some sites are for RVs and some are for tents. I sleep in the back of my pick up truck and was stuck in the middle of RVs running their generators. Still loved the area. Great hiking right off the campground. Nice restrooms. 
TravelerWe drove up Hwy 491 from I40 and were surprised there were no sites all the way up to Farmington or Shiprock. We chose this site but got there when it was already dark. Apple Maps to ok us directly to the site. It’s about 3 miles on a long dirt road. The road was dry when we visited so we had no problems. We drove into the tents sites on a Tuesday night and found several vacant.
The site itself was layered with gravel. There’s a covered picnic table and large fire ring in each site. We are tent campers and appreciated not setting the tent in the mid or dirt. The other sites are close but not so close you are forced to make conversation. That’s a choice here!
We didn’t hike while here but you could easily have some fun out there!
TravelerWarning if it is raining or has been raining it WILL be muddy and quickly becomes impassable.
Now that we got that out of the way this site is absolutely gorgeous! Most of the drive to the site is a dirt road a bit bumpy but so worth the amazing peaceful camp area. The grounds are very well-kept
GuideNear the entrance to Canyon de Chelly Nat'l. Monument, it was ablaze with fall colors. Nice toilet facilities and spacious sites fairly far apart. No hook-ups so I couldn't give it 5 stars, but even then it was within walking distance to a restaurant at a quaint lodge.
TravelerWell-spaced sites under gorgeous cottonwood trees in bright yellow fall foliage (beware if allergic!). Basic services as listed, except no internet that we could find. Verizon = 3 bars. Ranger told me he's never seen the campground fill up. Great staging location for both North Rim and South Rim exploration. Private homes surround the park, fairly close. Stray dogs come around but were not aggressive. $20 for camper van.
TravelerThis was our first boondocking experience and we were very pleased. The area was beautiful with lots of OHV trails. We had a few spots to choose from and all were spaced out nicely. There was a clean vault toilet. We camped in our bronco but there was plenty of room for trailers. All sites had a covered picnic table and fire ring.
ScoutRV spot that has tent sites. They gave us an RV site because the tent sites were full. Maybe a little pricey but we were running out of daylight - the staff were really nice and the park is quiet even though it's near a main road. Bathrooms were nice!
LegendBasic campground run by a local with various sized campsite. There's a pit toilet. Nothing around the area and about 10 miles from town.
ScoutWe got our permit at the nearby BLM office. The sand/gravel road to the Campground is decent, but almost got stuck in soft spots in our 21' motor home. Campsites are nice, with mostly level parking spots, and picnic site under hard roof shade--a good thing, as the New Mexico August sun was hot, and the Campground pretty much treeless.
Scout
Already posted
ScoutI stayed there last summer..only a few campsites. No shade.on a plateau over the lake.there is a bathroom. We saw a man on a kayak sucked down into the intake for Farmington water.yes he died. After that came puppy adoptions..wow After 7 days u must leave. Local stores are near. The camping price is not senior attractive. But if u need a place to wish u could camp by a lake.. Don't go here.
Guide
We had the goal of exploring New Mexico back country and Bisti, which we did! The Dyrt directions to the trailhead here are perfect. There were a few folks camping at the parking lot and there is a relatively clean pit toilet there though bring TP. We drove past the lot and got over a ditch no problem with our Tacoma. Past the second lot there is dispersed camping. We picked a great spot on the left. Nearby our spot 100 yards were very cool rock formations. We hiked in the badlands and found some neat formations and petrified wood though nothing like the beautiful photos published online. It was still worth it for the unique experience. We did a 6 mile out/back hike with 2 dogs. Flat but hot and windy at times. Some of the wind got intense at our camp spot. All in all this is a worthwhile experience if you like getting off the beaten path and exploring something different. We drove from here to Alien Throne. GPS was spotty but got us there and we had on/off service in Bisti.
ScoutWe traveled there with a small trailer. Out of the wind with showers was definitely an advantage making the stay enjoyable. We have been back four times and have not hiked the whole park. The star gazing encounter was a plus. A “ must go” destination for kids and adults alike!
TravelerSlightly run down campground with clean bathrooms, flush toilets, no showers, no hookups. Dump station with water fill. The dispersed water fills not working. Close to visitor center but no views from campsite. Good shade trees. No problem getting site around 4:30p on a Thursday in May.
Camping near Newcomb, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking for a quiet spot to unwind or a base for exploring the area's natural wonders, there are plenty of options to consider.
Camping near Newcomb, New Mexico, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Newcomb, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Newcomb, NM is Buffalo Pass Campground with a 1-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Newcomb, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 tent camping locations near Newcomb, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
