Best Cabin Camping near Peñasco, NM

Cabin accommodations in the Carson National Forest region provide shelter for visitors exploring the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Peñasco. Agua Piedra Campground offers rustic cabin lodging with basic amenities while maintaining proximity to hiking trails and mountain views. "Beautiful location, in the forest, my new favorite! This campground is a hidden jewel in the mountains on the north end of the Pecos Wilderness," notes one visitor about the overall setting where cabin options are available. Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa features more upscale cabin rentals with access to electricity, comfortable furnishings, and easy access to their hot springs facilities. The cabins at both locations provide refuge from variable mountain weather conditions.

Options range from tiny log cabins to spacious family-sized layouts in the Peñasco area, with varying levels of rustic charm and modern conveniences. Pendaries RV Resort includes cabin rentals with electric hookups and essential furnishings. Several properties operate year-round, while others close during winter months due to heavy snowfall and difficult access. According to visitor feedback, "Most sites were shaded with mature trees. A river runs by the edge of the campground," providing natural ambiance for cabin dwellers. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during summer and fall when aspen viewing draws larger crowds. Most cabin rentals allow pets, though specific restrictions may apply.

Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Cooking facilities vary widely between properties, from basic fire pits at primitive cabin sites to fully equipped kitchenettes at resort-style accommodations. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, cabins at Ojo Caliente offer enhanced comfort with proximity to restaurant facilities: "There's an amazing restaurant on the property." Limited grocery options exist in smaller communities like Tres Ritos, while more extensive supplies can be found in Taos or Española. For rustic cabin rentals, guests should prepare with ample drinking water, as one reviewer noted about a nearby campground, "water onsite is listed as potable but smells and tastes so strongly of sulphur that it cannot be tolerated for drinking or cooking."

Best Cabin Sites Near Peñasco, New Mexico (21)

    1. Agua Piedra Campground

    10 Reviews
    Llano, NM
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $40 / night

    "Tent camped at this location in the middle of September (a week before closing). Very beautiful place to watch the leaves change, trailheads close by and picnic tables at each site."

    "Nice shaded/wooded area for primitive tent camping with plenty of space to spread out."

    2. Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa

    15 Reviews
    Ojo Caliente, NM
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 583-2233

    $40 - $60 / night

    "We wanted spot 17 but it was booked so we got spot 11, which had some privacy as well. As others have mentioned, the hookups are on the opposite side but they will lend you extensions if you need."

    "Campground is rustic. Water and electric only. They do have a dump station but it is an extra cost. Sites were small and some hookups are in strange places."

    3. Pendaries RV Resort

    4 Reviews
    Rociada, NM
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 454-8304

    "The campground is rustic but not trashy.  Very well kept and maintained.  Up in the mountains, cool and picturesque.  Very much worth the cost.  "

    "Wonderful pull through sites with plenty of space!"

    4. Santa Fe KOA

    29 Reviews
    Glorieta, NM
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 466-1419

    "Super clean Polite staff Firewood available Brand new playground 20 min from Santa Fe Showers / bathrooms 30/50 amp Fenced dog parks/fire pit areas fenced for pets Lots of space between units"

    "We did not get a tent spot but opted for a small trailer site with electric and water. Our spot was near the bathhouse but not too close."

    5. Rancheros de Santa Fe

    26 Reviews
    Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 466-3482

    "Just a short drive to the outskirts of Santa Fe in mountain country we found our campground, Rancheros de Santa Fe."

    "This is a pretty sprawling campground, with all kinds of sites(tent only, large sites with only 30 amp service, some sites with full hook up, others with just water& electric and a few water only."

    6. Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    20 Reviews
    Cañones, NM
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 685-4371

    $10 - $80 / night

    "Good views of lake & surrounding area from site. Vault toilet & drinking water a short walk away. Juniper provided minimal privacy. Site has lantern poll, fire ring, trash can & table."

    "Usually lots of others around so not super “off grid” but it’s nice and you can view the lake! Beautiful to drive around too. Pueblo land, be respectful!"

    7. Los Sueños de Santa Fe RV Park & Campground

    13 Reviews
    Santa Fe, NM
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 473-1949

    $43 - $65 / night

    "This was a great location to explore the city and the staff was really nice.  The bathrooms are clean and the laundry facility is nice as well. "

    "Perhaps their roadside sign had recently blown down? It was hard to see, but a fine stay."

    8. Trailer Ranch RV Resort

    11 Reviews
    Santa Fe, NM
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 471-9970

    "I am here to do some work, so privacy was necessary. Laundry room and machines are excellent and CLEAN. Bathrooms too :) Bathrooms are really the most important."

    "Very clean well managed park. Location can’t be beat. Bus stops right in front of entrance for a 15 minute bus ride to downtown historic area. Sites are well spaced. Lots of trees for shade."

    9. Angel Nest RV Retreat

    4 Reviews
    Eagle Nest, NM
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 377-0533

    $25 - $65 / night

    "Minutes from state park, lake access, and Eagle Nest.  Close to Angel Fire as well.
    Owner was super nice and invited me to come to the clubhouse for some chili - which was excellent!"

    "Very large rv park with full hookups, showers, laundry, and community building. Was not busy when we were here, so we did not have anyone next to us, but the sites are very close to each other."

    10. Road Runner RV Resort

    8 Reviews
    Red River, NM
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 754-2286

    "Probably one of the best in New Mexico."

    "Stayed here for a weekend, this place is tucked away and quiet. Spots are well spaced and grass all around. The river runs through the park."

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Cabin Reviews near Peñasco, NM

166 Reviews of 21 Peñasco Campgrounds


  • Steve & Ashley  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2019

    Agua Piedra Campground

    Great Northern New Mexico Camp

    We stayed at this site on the way back to Texas from our Colorado trip this summer. This is a great National Forest Campground south of Taos in the Carson Forest. The campground is just off the highway and situated in a beautiful mountain pine forest and next to a great trout stream. You have great shade during the hotter summer months. It’s far enough away from the highway that you don’t hear the traffic. It has a huge meadow and group camp site which look fantastic. The individual sites have some privacy between the sites and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. We made a reservation but the camp had a number of open sites in the peak summer season. The highlight here is the proximity of great hiking to nearby lakes and fishing in the trout stream. They had great facilities including clean pit toilets and some historic log cabins. They have a camp host and the sites accommodate tents and smaller vans and campers. I would give this another visit on our next trip to NM.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 15, 2018

    Rancheros de Santa Fe

    Short drive to quaint campground from Santa Fe

    We were very excited on our first night to settle into our campsite after a long day of adventuring. Just a short drive to the outskirts of Santa Fe in mountain country we found our campground, Rancheros de Santa Fe.

    Upon entry the staff was very friendly and welcoming and we felt like this would be a great place to call home away from home.

    The campsites were laid out well with room between campers and because it was the end of a weekend, they were not entirely at capacity which made for a pleasant sense of space in the great outdoors.

    Our campsite was positioned in the "high road" tent site area which is a primitive campsite without additional amenities. Each campsite has a fire ring and also a picnic table for campers to utilize and a pad site for tents slightly raises from ground level.

    It made for a beautiful night sleep under the chilly New Mexico skies.

    By morning we ventured up to the public showers and restrooms which were clean and had amazon water pressure and hot water to set the morning in motion perfectly.

    The facility also offers a pool and theater room during summer months so while we didn't get to take advantage we were excited to know upon return we would have these features available.

    🐰🐰🐰🐰⚪️

    Overall we give this campground a 4 of 5 Bunniea! The only things we noticed which kept it from a 5 were the lack of wifi reach in the back sections of the campground, wouldn't have been a big deal but cell service in the off grid location was also patchy so the wifi would have been handy. And the pad site was not designed for a tent quite our size. Our tent is a 12x8 and had a little side hang on on the 12 foot end.

  • cal K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 1, 2023

    Santa Fe KOA

    Little bit of a hard stay

    I stayed at a camping cabin. I’d been car camping for a month and had stayed at a camping cabin at las cruces Koa and loved it. This cabin has a heater that was not able to keep the cabin warm - it was really cold maybe 15 at night and I could not get rid of a chill all night even though I was bundled up. Then in the morning I went to close the door and the door handle broke locking me out. Luckily I had my dog and car keys but no one was in office yet and it was bitter cold. They let me cancel my next night and did offer a free night but didn’t refund the money I spent. Loved Santa Fe tho the food and coffee are Amazing!!!

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2023

    Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    Great views, great hosts

    Camped 2 nights at site #38 on the Puerco Loop. Reserved thru rec.gov while at the site. Wonderful campground hosts. Site was not quite level for our campervan, but close enough. Good views of lake & surrounding area from site. Vault toilet & drinking water a short walk away. Juniper provided minimal privacy. Site has lantern poll, fire ring, trash can & table. No hookups at this site. $6/night with senior pass. Restroom/shower house within walking distance. Facilities & vault toilets were very clean. Hiking trail in campground. AT&T & T-Mobile service. Overall, quiet & peaceful stay.

  • Karen  B.
    Jul. 19, 2020

    Rancheros de Santa Fe

    Good location

    The RV Park is about 20 minutes from the old town shops and restaurants so it’s a good location not far off the highway. Grocery is close and nice. Site was good, could have used leveling and more gravel (some sites better than ours). Privacy was good with trees and bushes between sites. We were thankful for the shade trees and fire pit. Picnic table was a little shabby. Pool was closed probably due to COVID-19? They have a store with a few items that was open 8-12 and 4:00-8:00. Laundry room needed cleaning and updating. The reason I can only give this place three stars is the condition of the bathroom and shower area. Needs a good deep cleaning (I recommend a power washer). It also needs updating and painting but if it was clean that would not matter so much. Bugs and hair on the floor and con webs in the stalls. The fan looked like it had never been cleaned. Walls and door definitely need paint. I would also recommend taking the bars off the windows and cleaning them to make it look more inviting. Wish I could give it a higher rating, it has potential.

  • sThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 17, 2023

    Santa Fe KOA

    Fun KOA - clean & good for kids

    Super clean Polite staff Firewood available Brand new playground 20 min from Santa Fe Showers / bathrooms 30/50 amp Fenced dog parks/fire pit areas fenced for pets Lots of space between units

  • M
    Jan. 14, 2021

    Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    Beautiful lake! Maintained spot

    Spot is well maintained. Usually lots of others around so not super “off grid” but it’s nice and you can view the lake! Beautiful to drive around too. Pueblo land, be respectful!

  • T
    Jan. 23, 2018

    Santa Fe KOA

    Romantic Tent for Two Please

    My husband had the great idea of tent camping just the two of us. Up to this point our tent camping adventures were reserved for grandbaby time. But I said What the hey! Let's do it. I wanted somewhere cooler than home. The Santa Fe area had plenty to keep us busy for the week.

    We did not get a tent spot but opted for a small trailer site with electric and water. Our spot was near the bathhouse but not too close. Each site has native trees and plants, so everyone has privacy. The site had a nice flat spot for the tent, picnic table, fire pit and grill. We had more than enough room to set up our awning for a dining area. We loved our little spot for the week.

    The bathhouse was clean and very nice. New tile and fixtures. It was a little small for the size of the campground.

    They have plenty of activities there for everyone and in the evening it is very quiet.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 27, 2023

    Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    Clean well-laid out CoE campground

    General: 54-site campground in four loops; the Pedernal Loop has water and electric hookups, the Chama and Puerco Loops do not and there is a walk-in tent site loop. There is also overflow camping. 

    Site Quality: Sites appeared to be mostly level (at least in the Pedernal loop); most were paved but a few were gravel. Most were back in, but some were pull-through. There are two ADA-accessible sites in the Pedernal Loop. Many have reservoir views. Site 14 has a generous-sized paved driveway. Completing the site is a lantern hook, BBQ, and covered picnic table. Too bad it was so darn windy that we could not enjoy these amenities. There was also a garbage can at the end of each site but no recycling that I saw. If you do not need hookups, sites 34 and 39 (in the Puerco loop) provide excellent water views. 

    Bath/Shower House: Basic with two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. Very clean. There are also very clean vault toilets located throughout the campground. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it works. 

    Activities: The Abiquiu Lake Vista Trail is a 4-mile hike and bike stacked-looped trail (so you can add or duplicate interconnected loops). Boating access is one mile away. Fishing is also popular. There is also a volleyball net and a very nice modern playground. We were there at the end of April, so it was very quiet (which is the way we like it). Shout out to great camp hosts – we were greeted upon arrival and they made sure we didn’t have any questions or concerns. For $16, this is affordable but with the senior pass, $8 is a bonafide bargain!


Guide to Peñasco

Cabin accommodations near Peñasco, New Mexico provide access to the Carson National Forest at elevations between 7,500-8,500 feet. Summer temperatures typically range from 70-80°F during day and drop to 40-50°F at night, making cabins practical shelters against temperature swings. Winter cabin access often requires four-wheel drive vehicles as snow accumulation can reach 1-2 feet between December and March.

What to do

Trail access from cabins: Several cabin facilities offer direct access to hiking paths. At Agua Piedra Campground, "There is a trail head with 2 trails, one atv accessible and one hiking/horse that goes up to Indian Lake. Beautiful views and about 1200' elevation change," notes one visitor. The trailhead's proximity to cabin sites means guests can hike directly from their accommodation.

Winter activities: Cabin rentals near Sipapu Ski Resort operate year-round. As one camper mentioned, "We woke up to snow one morning," highlighting the winter accessibility that cabins provide compared to tent camping. Many cabin facilities maintain plowed roads to their properties throughout winter, though chains or snow tires are recommended.

Fishing opportunities: Cabins situated along waterways provide fishing access. One visitor to Road Runner RV Resort described, "Spots are well spaced and grass all around. The river runs through the park," making it convenient for fishing without traveling from your lodging. Most accessible fishing spots are stocked with rainbow and brown trout.

What campers like

Hot springs access: Visitors appreciate cabin accommodations with mineral springs nearby. At Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, "The camping area is more of a campground than an RV park, in a positive way. Many of the sites are shaded with mature trees." The proximity to soaking facilities allows for relaxation after hiking or exploring.

Mountain views: Cabin renters consistently mention scenic perspectives as a key benefit. According to feedback on Riana - Abiquiu Lake, "Beautiful surroundings. Mornings chilly," indicating the combination of views and typical mountain weather patterns that cabin walls help mitigate.

Privacy between sites: Unlike crowded campgrounds, many cabin areas offer separation. One visitor noted, "Sites are well spaced, but the property is hilly and treesy affording us some privacy," about their cabin rental experience. This natural screening creates a more secluded experience than standard campgrounds provide.

What you should know

Seasonal closures: Not all cabin facilities operate year-round. A visitor to Riana - Abiquiu Lake pointed out, "The campground is open April 15-Oct 15," which applies to many facilities at higher elevations. Always check operating dates when booking, especially for spring and fall visits.

Varying amenities: Cabin facilities range from primitive to well-equipped. One visitor at Pendaries RV Resort observed, "The campground is rustic but not trashy. Very well kept and maintained." Some cabins have minimal furnishings while others include kitchenettes and heating systems.

Water considerations: Mountain water systems often have distinctive characteristics. One reviewer mentioned, "Potable water available at camp host's location. It has sulfer but the smell cleared after half a day sitting in the sun. We brought our own to drink though." Consider bringing drinking water if sensitive to mineral content.

Tips for camping with families

Educational opportunities: Cabins near historical sites provide learning experiences. A visitor to Riana - Abiquiu Lake mentioned, "The area is near where Georgia O'Keefe lived and did some of her work," offering cultural context for family visits. Several cabin locations include informational displays about local history.

Swimming options: For families seeking water activities, certain cabin locations provide access. One camper noted, "Gorgeous open meadow at base of camp area perfect for group games, sports," and added that "There is an awesome swimming hole just a few miles west on Hwy 518 past Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort—worth the short drive!"

Connectivity limits: Prepare children for reduced technology access. As one visitor observed, "It is near NOTHING. It has no cell/wifi service. BUT what it does have is quiet, and peacefulness." Parents should bring offline activities and games for evening entertainment.

Tips from RVers

Hookup placement: RVers using cabins as base camps should note utility configurations. At Ojo Caliente, a visitor explained, "The hookups are on the opposite side but they will lend you extensions if you need." Bringing extra-length hoses and electrical cords proves useful at many facilities.

Winter considerations: Cabin and RV users face specific challenges in colder months. One visitor shared, "Sometimes campground is snowy," indicating the need for winterization preparations even when staying in cabins part-time. Heated water hoses prevent freezing when temperatures drop below 32°F overnight.

Gate access: Several properties have entrance restrictions. An RVer mentioned, "The gate coming into the park is tight so when the gentleman says make a lazy turn he means a REAL lazy turn." Larger vehicles may need to disconnect towed units before entering some cabin facility grounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Peñasco, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Peñasco, NM is Agua Piedra Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.

What is the best site to find cabin camping near Peñasco, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 21 cabin camping locations near Peñasco, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.