Best Glamping near Quemado, NM

This is a pretty sweet spot. Great little meadows between camp areas under Ponderosa pines. There is a vault toilet and big camp fire rings but no picnic tables. I'm not sure if it's the lack of picnic tables or the distance from the lake but there were very few people here on a beautiful weekend in mid May. We hiked towards the lake right from camp and it was gorgeous - a little creek meandering through trees and meadows. Skip the developed campgrounds near the lake a stay here for a bit more peace.

El Casi CG in Rec Area: Past the lake with large campsites. This is the only campground open in the rec area during our April visit.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 for large sites. However, our site was trashy . Toilets are only moderately clean. Warnings are posted that no OHV allowed . A large group has camped at one end of the campground using Senegal sites. . Looks like it works out well. Price 2023: Free Security: None Usage during visit: 1/4 full Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Large sites, well spaced. Pad surface: dirt SITE CLEANLINESS: most sites I noticed were trashy. We needed to pick up trash at our site upon arrival. Reservations: First come first serve Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: Gravel access road along side of the campground. Some sites near this access road may get a little dusty, I suppose, during dryer times of the year Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: no Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: At Pynon campground, which is not open until May. Charge for dog thing is going up for five dollars to $15 in. Potable Water Available: not at the campground. Generators: yes Bathroom: pit toilets. Not as clean as they should be. Supplied. Showers: no Pull Throughs: yes Cell Service (AT&T): no Setting: under scattered trees. Recent Weather: very cool nights Solar: yes Insects: no Host: no Rig Size: any size Sites: sites are not numbered

South Narrows Picnic Area: This day use area is set just off of NM Highway 117 and tucked against the sandstone cliffs among piñon and juniper trees. There are six covered picnic tables with fire grills available. The area also has two vault toilets. No overnight camping is allowed in the area.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/el-malpais-nca

We stayed here in March 2017. It was a good price for hookups, plus your only feet away from the water. The spot we stayed at had Ramada’s. The sites were very close together. Weather was nice, but super windy. Ranger store on site with gas. Ranger was very nice. Bathrooms were clean wIth nice showers and flush toilets. Fishing was pretty bad, not one bite in 3 days. Scenery was mostly desert, which I’m not a big fan of. We went with some friends who got a spot right next to us. It wasn’t busy at all, we reserved spots online but it wasn’t necessary. We live in Phoenix, so it’s about 4 hours away. Not worth the drive, but we were dying to go camping and our forest spots weren’t open for the season yet. Most likely won’t be back.

Well maintained trail system that offers amazing views of the sandstone rock formations and petroglyphs. There is a rock squeeze in the trail too.

Clean, quiet, open campground, tents, trailers and cabins. Very happy with the week we spent here

The park was practically empty. The views are always amazing, and the weather was perfect. The wind picked up in the evenings to about 10 mph, but then was calm around 9pm. In the morning the lake was very calm, and taking the kayak out was so peaceful. I spoke with the ranger and ahead said next summer a vendor will have boat and jet ski rentals. Good and bad, but maybe that will help keep camping rates low. Highly recommend a trip here when you have a long weekend.

We pulled in after hours and a ranger kindly helped us find our spot. She recommended a cool hiking trail to check out the next morning. Bathrooms and showers are super clean and well maintained. There is only one designated bathhouse building so if you park far, you’ll be walking a ways. Did I mention the views are gorgeous? The views alone are worth staying here.

Really liked this campground. The roads were all paved, bathrooms & showers were very clean. We road in on motorcycles & the camp spots were really great. It gets a little windy in the afternoon and evening but dies down to have a little camp fire. We did not take advantage of the lake(fishing, swimming or boating) but it looked nice. I would definitely stay here again. It was inexpensive for the camp spot which was a bonus.

My family stayed here for 3 nights. We originally booked a site with no hookups but asked during check in and one was available. The grounds were clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Bathrooms and showers are on site and several dumpsters are nearby to get rid of trash. The on site store sold firewood, bait, fishing and boating gear, snacks and souvenirs. The fishing was decent for catfish but you have to compete with the strong winds. Very few boaters when we were there. The petroglyphs were awesome with some nice hiking trails.

Stayed at Elk Cabin fir 2 nights. Cabins are vey nice and clean. Campground is very well maintained and the staff is very friendly. There are multiple trails to explore and have a great time.

We only stayed a night but we liked it a lot. No internet service and poor phone reception (T-Mobile) which was a little issue for us as we are traveling cross country and we need to confirm some of our upcoming RV stops. We wished would have stayed longer to be able to enjoy the park but definitely coming back for a long stay visit.

We stayed here for two days. There are some short trails with wonderful views of the lake and surrounding area, and there are petroglyphs to explore. Decent fishing, although the lake was flooded and murky while we were there, and we didn’t give it the best shot. It likely could be a really good fishing spot under ideal conditions. T-mobile service was awful, and the staff were super helpful and friendly. I’m sure we’ll be back.

Great lake view from all sites. Cabins and rv sites have easy access and parking. Nice bathrooms.

Spots are close to the lake which is really nice. The overall campground is nice and the spots were spaced out nicely.

Clean and peaceful area. Camped here as a jump point to the Petrified Forest Park the next morning.

Quiet and secluded with a huge lake!

Once again we are the only ones here! It got a little cold this morning, down to 15 but the sunrise was awesome. Lots of nice spots, you can get everything from a small cabin to a dry spot down by the beach. Some of the bathrooms are closed for the winter but there are a couple still open. 30 and 50 amp power. Water at the pull through sites but you need to disconnect at night to avoid freezing.

Nice campground out of the way. Very polite rangers. Sad the lake is so low ... climate change, but enjoyable 2 days. Petroglyphs were cool! Tip: best campsite would be #17 - trust me ;) Hottest, highest pressure (ie: exfoliating showers) I've ever had in a campground!

Awesome cabins and the lake was great! The hiking and rock art was a cool addition !!

FHU available Spacious sites Wind does come up Lake is down and good fishing Clean restrooms and showers Has store well stocked (no tobacco or alcohol) Fish cleaning station Nice viewing of stars at night
Quiet, cabins, tent sites, FHU available, beach camping. Rangers on site along with hosts Black top roads Blacktop to park your rig. Some pull thru site Mostly back ins Large sites