Best Tent Camping near Ponderosa, NM

Recent Tent Reviews in Ponderosa

423 Reviews of 13 Ponderosa Campgrounds

• W

  William C.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 11, 2024

  Kirtland AFB FamCamp

  Solid Campground

  Solid RV-focused campground. Half under trees and half in the open. Two bathhouses, laundry, and a dog park make this a nice, safe place to spend a couple of days.

• 

  James W.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 5, 2024

  Trailer Ranch RV Resort

  Policy does not client

  The place was clean. Our issues were two.

  1. The strong smell of marijuana is due to their neighborhood store that makes and sells the stuff.
  2. Only pay for 2 days at a time or know your time period. We had bad weather approaching and they did not seem to care about our safety but only their policy. The people next to us had the same issue.

  WiFi is weak but cell was ok not great.

• 

  James W.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 4, 2024

  Santa Fe KOA

  No cell and WiFi weak

  We paid $75 for one night and the WiFi was weak and we had no cell service. The place was lovely and the bathrooms were clean and easy to use. It’s located 12 miles out of the city. There is a grocery store near by with a good selection of food and alcohol.

• L

  Luke N.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 31, 2024

  Albuquerque KOA Journey

  Great stay great staff

  Drove in very very late at night and was helped in through staff member. Told us everything we needed to know…great 24 hour service.

• 

  Naoshad Z.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 29, 2024

  Dispersed Camping off FS 542

  Easily accessible with peace and quiet. Decent views as well!

  Road is easily traversed but would be more comfortable in a truck/suv. Some rough rutted areas after rains when I went. There are plenty of spots to pull of to along the side of the road. Designated areas with fire pits are bit difficult/narrow to get to if you are towing anything.

• 

  William B.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 22, 2024

  Albuquerque KOA Journey

  Albuquerque KOA: Great Stay Near Dutch Bros Coffee & Cheddar's

  Albuquerque KOA Journey is a great spot for a camping trip, offering clean facilities, kid-friendly amenities, and easy access to nearby attractions. After a day of exploring, treat yourself to Dutch Bros Coffee for a refreshing pick-me-up. Their diverse Dutch Bros menu with prices offers everything from cold brews to blended drinks. For dinner, head over to Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. Their Cheddar's menu features hearty, home-cooked meals like ribs, steaks, and gluten-free options, perfect for satisfying any craving after a long day outdoors.

• W

  William B.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 20, 2024

  Albuquerque KOA Journey

  Unforgettable Camping Adventures in Albuquerque

  Albuquerque is a fantastic destination for camping enthusiasts. With a wide variety of hiking trails and outdoor activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The numerous campgrounds offer various amenities and site types, making it easy to find the perfect spot for your needs. Plus, the stunning scenery ranging from the Sandia Mountains to the Rio Grande provides a breathtaking backdrop for your adventures. If you are looking for an exciting camping experience, Albuquerque is definitely worth a visit wnjoy Cheddars Food at your adventure.

• 

  David T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Hidden Valley RV park

  Definitely NOT as advertised. I do not recommend.

  Run down park, not very well maintained at all. The pictures used on their website are very misleading. Their "Recreation Hall" was disgusting. Dirty carpets, paint cans in the sink, just filthy dirty! The bathrooms were very clean at the bath house. The dog park was disgusting with the trash can there overflowing. Very disappointed and will not be staying at this dump again!

• A

  Andrew M.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post

  Great in a pinch or any other time

  Well appointed RV park for trailer/RV. Little close to I-40 but sound is not that bad. Picnic table, shade trees, pool, hot tub. Even accept mailing ahead(like Amazon)

  Very friendly staff. Great for the balloon fiesta

• W

  Wendy L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Coronado Campground

  Love the area, some live-ins need to go

  Excellent location and views, just need some lo g term resident clean up or eviction at entrance. We stayed for one night. Great set up and next to a brewery/restaurant in wish we would have visited. Clean bathrooms and nice sites.

• J

  JOHN T.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 6, 2024

  Cuervo Mountain RV Park and Horse Hotel

  Overall Nice CG

  This is an overall nice CG. Gravel roadways and relatively level pull through sites. Good FHUs. When we arrived, the office was closed. We reserved E010 but were told to pick any open space in the "A" row. There were quite a few long-term residents. The conditions were very dry and dusty. No shade trees, but the pines planted will eventually provide. This was a great CG for our overnight stay. We would stay here again.

• 

  James L.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 26, 2024

  Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post

  Enchanted trails rv park

  Cool retro park. Hoist are really nice. Lots of things in the store Lp, full Hook ups available, pool, laundry and really neat old campers on display

• J

  Jessica P.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Cuervo Mountain RV Park and Horse Hotel

  Normal

  Perfect for an overnight stop, quiet, clean, there are several long term residents which is not reflected on the online booking system, most overnighters stay in row A. The playground was nice for our daughter

• J

  Julie G.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 6, 2024

  Manzano Mountains State Park Campground

  Quiet shady camp

  It was hot in the valley so we retreated to the nearest mountains. What a quiet little camp. No huge RV’s or anything. Our 6ft wide, 20ft long trailer seemed too big. Our spot accommodated us well. The trails are fabulous. There’s a Track Trail that just opened and a motorized track wheelchair making this park very accessible. Not very many electric sites but that was ok as the temps were cooler (60’s at night)

• J

  John R.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 27, 2024

  Albuquerque KOA Journey

  Typical KOA.

  Spots are a little tight. All the KOA amenities. Pool,playground, store and cabins.

• 

  Benjamin M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 26, 2024

  Mother Bosque Gardens

  Beautiful garden, great living hosts

  I stayed for four days at Moss Gardens in Albuquerque. My host were really generous, easy-going helpful. The garden is really beautiful, their house is very clean and tidy. I was able to shower and come out when I was sick. I got to rest on the couch for a little while. They offered us their kitchen. Overall, it was really great to stay there. Very affordable. I highly recommend..

• 

  Patrick J.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 23, 2024

  Santa Fe Skies RV Park

  Great location and RV Park

  The location is close to stores and restaurants that are about 10 minutes away...that we needed after discovering a damaged tire. The front desk recommended a tire store that was just north of the park. Thank you...The park has been set up nicely. The sites are a bit tight from the adjoining sites. Site were level and all the hook ups worked without issue. The location made for an hour's drive to Los Alamos and Bandelier national monument. Both great visits if you haven't been there before.

• 

  Joshuah F.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 13, 2024

  New Canyon Campground

  Nice place!

  Overall a nice place to camp. Most beautiful drive into the campsite. Some of the campsites had concrete picnic tables and bear containers. They were up a walkway and some stairs though. The vault toilets were clean. We were approached by a guy letting us know there was a boar and a bear coming down the canyon. He said they were about 700 yards away.

• M

  Michael E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Peace Farms

  Stayed here after a long July 4th weekend in 2024, couldn’t be happier !

  Fay was a great host, amazing spot for rural camping and cheap as heck too! Loved every part of my stay, thanks for running such a top notch operation!

• E

  Eve M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Hidden Valley RV park

  Mismanaged & Poorly Maintained Dump

  I feel bad for anyone who gets tricked into staying here - the website says it’s a beautiful resort with amenities you would find at a retreat, but in reality the place is a ghetto rv park for longtermers that is falling apart. It’s gross & trashy, with most of the “amenities” broken and dirty and the basic utilities malfunctioning. 

  Most sites are extremely narrow, short & unlevel, with barely enough room to pull in and definitely not enough for awnings, slides, steps or your car. Most of the larger sites are occupied by people who live there or are double occupancy so you can't pull-thru. There are no fire rings or picnic tables- if you want to sit outside you have to put your chairs in the road, very close to neighbors.

  There are very few 50 amp sites and many electric boxes exhibit signs of fire & melting. Breakers blow with a minimal load and some areas of the park have repeat blackouts. Sewage hookups and water spigots are on opposite sides, shared with neighbors and water pressure is very low. 

  There are frequent water leaks under the ground, making it's drinkability questionable. It also gets shut off for long periods of time without warning. There are septic tanks randomly scattered all over the property that are very smelly and some sites have sewage leaking out onto the ground. 

  Most signage is faded or completely missing so good luck finding your site or even the campground. The road in and to upper lot are very steep and narrow - there's giant broken speedbumps and throughout the park there is no gravel so it's muddy with lots of potholes and deep ruts. The campground isn't visible from the interstate but you can still hear all the traffic.

  There are tons of signs that say that the speed limit is 5 mph and say Wrong Way, but people still speed without getting into trouble. When the road is dry it kicks up lots of dust, and with the limited space inside sites it seems dangerous to be outside with children and pets because there is no where to hang out but in the road.

  The grass was all dead and uncut with lots of very tall weeds everywhere. There are very pokey seedheads and goat heads that stick in your feet and get tracked into your RV. Pets walking there are in constant pain due to these pokeys sticking in their paws. Many trees were dead or dying, so be careful where you park because overhead branches could come tumbling down on your RV. Shade is hit or miss.

  There is very little to do at this RV park. There was a small basketball court with busted and dirt covered concrete, a tetherball pole with no ball, and a couple of broken picnic tables scattered about. The playground had a small swing set that is not anchored to the ground so the smallest amount of swinging can make it tip over. A short hiking trail that runs the length of the park has low hanging branches and big rocks that make walking it difficult.

  The swimming pool is bright green and closed, the clubhouse appeared to be empty other than belongings from a very smelly & messy homeless family that seemed to be living in it. It was extremely hot, as were all other indoor areas other than the office. All the bathrooms and showers are absolutely filthy, obviously not cleaned regularly, and smell like backed up sewage. The trashcans were overflowing and garbage blowing in the wind with trash lining the woods around the whole park.

  The dog park is covered in poop with no baggie dispenser and a trashcan piled high with bags of feces. The laundry room was dirty - all of the machines were old & several out of order. The only place in the RV park that was clean and not crumbling was the inside (outside looks rough) of the office, but it's basically empty and not a place to hang out.

  There are a couple of tent sites that are level but very close together - they have power, water and a picnic table but campfires are not permitted anywhere in the park. There are no tent or RV sites that are dry camping even though they advertise that there are. 

  All of the lights throughout the park are burnt out, so it's pitch black at night. With the large amount of ditches, holes, dirt piles, scattered rocks and trash debris everywhere it's dangerous to traverse at night. There are also lots of coyotes and snakes, so keep your kids and pets indoors at night. 

  All of the people employed (I'd say working but there is obviously NO work being done) there appear to be on meth. They act paranoid and sketchy, talking fast while grinding their teeth and unable to make eye contact. There were lots of people who looked homeless & high coming and going in broken down vehicles and hanging out with the managers, so it seemed like they were selling drugs out of the RV office.

  The office hours constantly change depending on when the druggie managers feel like opening it. Some mornings it's closed when it's supposed to be open, some nights they are in there until really late. The two of them do weird stuff at all hours, outside being loud in the middle of night and sound asleep in the middle of the day when they are supposed to be working. They are incredibly irresponsible and lazy, and seem to lack any skills or knowledge about RVs or park maintenance.

  This RV park was recently purchased by an investment company out of Texas and have nobody on the grounds making sure that things are running smoothly. They have not invested any money into repairs or improvements; previous owners allowed the property to decay, refusing to spend money on fixing anything or paying for decent help.

  Many visitors complain that the cost to stay ends up being MUCH higher than is advertised. All kinds of additional fees and taxes are tacked on so expect to pay 25-50% more than you were quoted when checking in. Discounts for being in various clubs may not be honored, changing all the time. 

  Crime and theft in the RV park were rare until the methhead managers took over and have attracted bad apples to the area. Now people associated with that lifestyle have free reign, taking over community spaces, sleeping in cars, being allowed to camp for free, and hanging out at the office, eyeballing your stuff.

  They smell awful and make nasty messes everywhere they go. You can see them digging through the trash in search of metals and spreading all of their broken belongings out. So I wouldn't leave your site unoccupied or anything of worth outside nowadays.  

  I really cannot recommend that anyone stay at this RV park, but especially if you are looking for a vacation spot because you will be extremely disappointed. Photos on the website must have been taken a long time ago during better days, and amenities advertised are now so broken down that they are no longer usable.

  It's really unfortunate that this RV park has fallen into disrepair and isn't being managed by capable people, because otherwise it's a great location surrounded by forest. It's close enough to Albuquerque and Edgewood for groceries, restaurants and entertainment, but far enough away to escape the hussle and bussle. The local mountain towns don't have much to offer but are quaint, and the campground is near to Sandia mountain and outdoor recreation like hiking.

• m

  matt M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Dispersed Camping off FS 542

  Roads are a little rough

  Nice place to stop. I was the only one there. There’s a couple spots when you first get in, and then there’s more further up but the roads get worse. There were coyotes around.

• 

  Roger W.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  Cochiti Recreation Area

  Access to Nearby Cities and Monuments

  Cochiti Army Core of Engineer CG: Good location to visit both Albuquerque (50mins) and Santa Fe (35 mins). Bandelier National Monument is 1 1/2 hrs away. El Moro and El Malpias National Monuments could be visited with a full day of driving.
  (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

  (71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

  Overall Rating: 3 (should be a 4 but for poor bathroom cleanliness) Price 2024: $ 6 w interagency pass for non Electric Site Security: Check in stations active on weekends Usage during visit: 1/3 to almost full (weekends) Site Privacy: Open Site Spacing: Pretty good Pad surface: Concrete Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Some sites Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: There are several spigots in each loop.
  Generators: Allowed during specific hours Bathroom: Flush toilets. Only one cleaning and attention during our 7 day stay. Also, repair needs of bathroom fixtures is ignored .
  Showers: Not kept even close to adequately clean.
  Pull Throughs: Not in our loop (Cat Tail) Cell Service (AT&T): 1-2 bars in our loop Setting: Set off of Cochiti Lake which is not particularly attractive. Mountain range to the north is pleasant to look at Recent Weather: Sunny and occasionally windy. Solar: Excellent Insects: None this time of year.
  Host: Yes Rig Size: Large RVs present Sites: Ringtail is overall best loop in my opinion. Sites w a View: 51, 53, 50, (57,58)

  Also liked: 48, 46,45, 45,43

• 

  marine J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe

  Great location close to Santa Fe

  This is a very spacious private campground southwest of Santa Fe with access to public land. Located 20 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. There are probably 50 sites with restrooms and showers. I saw a few tent but this is really geared toward RVs. They have discounts if you stay 4 to 6 days it is 10% off and 7 to 14 days it is 15% off. There is really nothing to it but it is so spacious and quiet, great vibe and the staff is super nice and helpful. They offer overnight stabling for horses too.

• 

  Vinny D.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  Manzanita Rec Zone Dispersed Camping - Sandia District

  Great place

  Have to drive up the forest service road off the pavement. A little rough but I have a lifted outback no issues! Highly recommended.

• R

  Robert

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 6, 2024

  Enchanted Trails RV Park & Trading Post

  Just ok

  Ok for an overnight stop. Just the basics but clean. Terrible internet. Only one restroom.

• 

  Pam R.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 2, 2024

  Albuquerque KOA Journey

  For a City KOA, it was great

  We stayed here twice on our trip. Both were great stays. The site is spotless and the security (urban location) is excellent. The bathrooms/showers were likewise very clean and there was plenty of hot water. We didn't use the pool or the laundry, but they were also well maintained. We would definitely stay here again.

• 

  Donna H.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Route 66 RV Park

  Unsafe. Unclean. Unprofessional. I paid for 2 nights but only stayed 2 mins

  Zero stars. I'm not overly picky about amenities, but this place was in shambles. First, there were 2 young women in the front office smacking gum with their feet on the counter. One handed me a map showing my spot, then told me that the restrooms (I only saw one for the entire facility and it shared the space with the washer/dryer) were closed from 6 to 8am and then from 3 to 5pm for cleaning--prime time for this senior's 70-year-old bladder. The spot I was assigned had a 30-degree drop and 6-foot reach to the utilities...not doable for my 18-foot camper van, so I went back to the office and asked if I could move to another space. They said no. I said that I would have to go somewhere else because I paid for, and required power, water, and bathroom facilities and they said ok, but that they had a no-refund policy since I was cancelling on the day of arrival. I said that I paid for 2 days and asked that one be refunded. They didn't even blink and again declined so I backtracked 22 miles to the Albuquerque (east) KOA, which was lovely.