Looking for the best campgrounds near Ocate, NM? Ocate is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Discover great camping spots near Ocate, reviewed by campers like you.
$15 / night
"Some of the sites are immediately adjacent to the river. My favorite campground is Tolby, the Westernmost. It has a Ranger/Information Station in the east end of the campground."
"This campsite sits on the edge of a road next to two little ponds that are great for trout fishing. The river runs next to the ponds and you can find a few fish there too."
"Much more vegetation than you would expect from a campground close to town. The staff are friendly. The facilities were clean. The park is older but in an charming New Mexico way."
"What a wonderful find, just a short distance from the beautiful town of Taos! Plenty of privacy at each site with your own sagebrush garden, picnic table, grill and water pump."
"Can drive up to campsites probably 30 places. Trout fishing but must have license from closest store 20 miles down in Mora. Maybe 8500 ft elevation. Very cool even in July; need blankets."
"Camped for two days bathroom nice and trout fishing was very good. Staff was good."
"Multiple camp sites for primitive camping with flat areas for tents, and each site has a fire pit, sturdy table, and space for parking."
"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."
"We had great rain both evenings and sat under the awning and just relaxed after a long day on the trails.
The location of this park is its best feature, I have to say."
"Spaces are really close to each other.
However, the bathrooms/showers (Qty 3) were always very clean. The camp host/owner and employees were very friendly and accommodating."
$6 - $12 / night
"This was a nice basic spot, close to highway 64 so you get some traffic noise, but that goes away after dark for the most part."
"About 10 first come first serve primitive campsites next to the road and creek. The trees give some privacy in between the campsites and road."
$25 / night
"The trailer was really cute- we had "Jazzy," which had a separate bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/living area. The kitchen was fully stocked with cookware, silverware, and coffee."
"But camping here means you have access to the very clean bathrooms/showers, water, and other services at the "hotel."
Surprise! "
$22 / night
"The spot was mostly level making set up easy. We had access to a fire pit as well as a grill and table. The creek flowed about 75’ from the site. The camp host was great and very friendly."
"The views here are breathtaking and the sound of the river drowns out the noise from the road which is fairly close."
"During rainy seasons, ruts form with deep mud on some spots driving up."
"It's a nice little place tucked away in the woods. The road to get there is a bit rough, hence the title. By no means, Not a road for a large trailer or 5th wheel. Wild life everywhere.."
"Lots of dispersed camping a few fire pits. There’s a 1.25 mile hike down to the river to cool down. Plenty of shade and lots of off road trails for driving/running/biking."
"Pulled in around 4pm on a Saturday and only 1 other camper was here. A few vehicles were parked at the bathroom/trailhead, super friendly."
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.
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.
TravelerWe stayed 3 nights on our first trip with our new rig. The spot was mostly level making set up easy. We had access to a fire pit as well as a grill and table. The creek flowed about 75’ from the site. The camp host was great and very friendly. The bathrooms were clean. Road noise was minimal.
LegendThe National Forest Service campground is located on highway 64 between Angel Fire and Taos New Mexico. The site is just a few feet off the highway next to a small creek. They have about a dozen small campsites along the creek with privacy between the sites. The sites are very basic and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. The location had availability during the summer peak season. The site is self serve pay and does not have a camp host. The location may be a good option for those looking to visit Taos which is about 30 minutes away. I gave this a low rating due to the condition of the sites which needed basic maintenance and cleanup. The site was also far to close to the highway to enjoy a good camping experience. I think this is the type of place you use as a last resort while in transit to Taos or Eagles nest.
ScoutThis will be a lengthy review but I need people to know not to book, especially site 11.
I’ll start by saying I don’t normally stay at developed camp sites so maybe all my issues are typical and I’m just ignorant. That being said, camp site 11 is an unfortunate little piece of land. It is unusably small (maybe 25sq ft of barely usable space) and bordered by a mountain, the road, spot 10’s driveway, and trees. The picnic table and fire pit are centered in a way that left very little room for our 2 tents on rocky uneven ground. My tent was forced to be less than 3 feet from driveway 10. Our other tent had to be so close to the fire pit that it would have caught fire if the pit was used. It also is a waterway for all the road water and mountain side so a small river formed through our space (hitting both tents) when it rained. All this on top of the fact that every other spot around us was so plentiful (4 to 5 times our size) in space it almost made our spot seem like a cruel joke. It should cost 1/4 of the price of the rest and should be for small RV or day picnics only.
Now the camp area as a whole is well maintained and the vaulted toilets smelled surprising decent the entire 4 day stay. The mountains are beautiful as mountains tend to be. The hiking is great and there is an awesome stream that rolls through the campground in certain areas. There is constant highway noise so be aware of that, though the spots further in or near the stream probably don’t deal with it. A lot of the sites are packed close and you can easily hear many conversations at normal talking volumes.
The camp staff guy (Bill?) was friendly at first but that changed rapidly after the first night. There was a no wood fire restriction at the time of our stay despite days of rain and rain every day so we used only our propane stove the entire time. This didn’t stop Bill from calling the fire department on us the first night because he “thought we had a wood fire”. We didn’t.
Now this second part I’ll admit was on us but was handled poorly. I didn't know there were curfews at that campsite. The bulletin board does show quiet hour times but it’s buried in a novel of information most of which was about a bear sighting so that may have distracted my attention when I first looked at the bulletin. Quiet time is 10-6 and I know that now. So we’re hanging out around the “campfire” and I decide to walk down to the restroom, it’s about 11pm. As I’m walking back, I pass Bill and say hi. He doesn’t acknowledge me (he wouldn’t talk or look my way the rest of our stay either). When I return to the campsite the 2 women and 2 children I was with told me Bill had just ran up on them and was standing over them in a very aggressive fashion pointing his finger in their face and reprimanding them for breaking the quiet hour rules. He left after getting directly in one of the females face and saying “don’t make me come back here” in a very threatening tone. They all, just remained silent throughout the ordeal. C’mon man. We messed up and felt horrible but it was an honest mistake and had he just told us respectfully we would have shut up just the same but instead he created this uneasy tension for three days. And to put a cherry on top, other campsites broke the rule every night and morning (music, laughter, generators) and were not reprimanded. I know because everyone was so close we could see what was going on. Also, we saw Bill greet every camp site every day multiple times a day except ours. We aren’t abrasive people, we try to be generally respectful, courteous, and aware of our actions so the treatment of our camp was unjust. I will say that had he not had it out for us for one reason or another I’m sure things would have been cool. We saw Bill constantly having friendly conversations with everyone so I’m sure he’s nice to most campers.
In short, I know there are better campsites out there. Go find them.
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.
LegendMy partner and I spent a night here in December with our dog. The trailer was really cute- we had "Jazzy," which had a separate bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/living area. The kitchen was fully stocked with cookware, silverware, and coffee. The views from the large back window were unbeatable.
There was a heater, but we thought it got a little cold at night. We're not big folks, and we found it a little "cozy" in places- worth considering if you're a taller/larger person.
LegendWe arrived on a Friday in late April around 5 pm without reservations hoping we could secure a site. The office closed at 3 pm but there were instructions on how to register after hours. We chose Site 19 (water and electric) but unfortunately, we could not take advantage of the electricity as our cord would not reach (had we not been instructed to drive in/back out, it might have worked). Had we known we could not access the electric, we would have selected the less expensive dry site. The roads in the RV park are gravel and some driveways are gravel while some have concrete pads. Our 18-foot campervan fit in Site 19 but there was not a lot of room left over. There was a picnic table and BBQ grill on a concrete pad to complete the site. There is some foliage to separate the sites but as would be expected in an RV park, the sites are close together.
The restrooms/showers were clean, and the shower was nice and hot with a good spray. There is a separate code for the men’s and women’s restrooms, however, since we registered after hours, we had to search through all the materials to find the code.
There is a somewhat dated playground and a dump station. This RV Park is located near the main highway but not directly on it; there was some road noise but not too much. We were within walking distance to Guadalajara Grill which had been recommended to us and we were not disappointed. It was a very quiet stay for us even as the park was about ¾ full.
RangerVery beautiful spot. Lots of dispersed camping a few fire pits. There’s a 1.25 mile hike down to the river to cool down. Plenty of shade and lots of off road trails for driving/running/biking. No water. clean bathrooms (with toilet paper!!) only 30 mins or so from Taos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Ocate, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Ocate, NM is Tolby Campground — Cimarron Canyon State Park with a 3.7-star rating from 15 reviews.
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