Karen N.
Guide
GuideSanta Barbara Campground
Beautiful weekend
Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area
Equestrian Camping near Ranchos de Taos, NM
15 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Horse camping options near Ranchos de Taos are limited, with no dedicated equestrian facilities appearing in the reviewed campgrounds. The Carson National Forest offers dispersed camping along Forest Service Road 578 where riders can bring horses, though there are no corrals, hitching posts, or equestrian-specific amenities. The dirt road has ruts that might challenge horse trailers, particularly after rain. Visitors camping with horses should be prepared with portable corrals or highlines and bring sufficient water for their animals.
Trails in the Sangre de Cristo mountains provide riding opportunities for equestrians staying at dispersed sites. The Santa Barbara Campground, while not featuring horse corrals, allows access to wilderness trails suitable for riding. Backpackers regularly use this area as an entry point to the northern Pecos Wilderness with connections to high mountain trails. Agua Piedra Campground connects to a trail that is specifically noted as "horse accessible" leading to Indian Lake with about 1,200 feet of elevation change. The campground's large meadow area provides space for group activities, potentially suitable for temporary portable corrals. Riders should carry sufficient water as the on-site water has a strong sulfur taste.
Best Equestrian Campgrounds near Ranchos de Taos (15)
1. 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."
"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."
from $30 - $175 / night
Check Availability2. Santa Barbara Campground
"Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area"
"The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes."
from $30 - $80 / night
Check Availability3. Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping
"Many open areas to camp right off the highway. The views of the mountains across the valley are best after the fork in the road. Please pick up extra trash if you use"
"I didn’t see anyone else camping or driving by. The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees. I saw two elk across a swath of sage."
4. Big Arsenic Springs Campground
"The location is isolated and you need to bring plenty of water. The advantage is being able to walk into the Gorge, which if you fly fish, is an amazing thing."
5. Borrego Mesa Campground
"About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Close to the Rio Mario Trail trailhead. Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Worked great for tent camping."
"Campground is a little off the beaten path, about 30m from the High Drive highway. Dirt roads were nothing to worry about, should be fine for any SUV or sedan."
6. Mallette Creek North
"Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"
7. Rio Costilla Park
"This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful!"
"The park is HUGE and just so beautiful. 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines only one hour away from the town of Taos."
from $30 / night
Check Availability8. Cimarron Campground
"Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for."
"There is a walking trail at the back of the campground to get to Surree Ponds."
from $22 - $40 / night
Check Availability9. Iron Gate Campground
"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.."
10. Hopewell Lake Campground
"My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM."
"No luck fishing but several people around us were catching very nice sized trout. Vault toilets were well stocked and clean."
from $24 - $125 / night
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Drive Time
- 1 hr 13 min from Santa Fe, NM
- 2 hrs 2 min from Albuquerque, NM
- 2 hrs 52 min from Pueblo, CO
- 3 hrs 28 min from Farmington, NM
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Ranchos de Taos, NM
83 Reviews of 15 Ranchos de Taos Campgrounds
Tyler G.GuideHopewell Lake Campground
Wonderful Campground in the scenic Tusas Mountains
My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM. It was enchanting enough that we made sure to make it back for an opportunity to take in the scenery and relax during a long weekend. The only issue we ran into was an abundance of mosquitos, but this should be expected during the late Spring/early Summer in northern New Mexico and can be easily addressed with a citronella candle and a bit of bug spray. Our most recent stay was on one of those rare nights where you can pull off the rain fly and not worry about a midnight downpour, which left us with a wonderful view of the stars, and the sites are private enough that, as long as you don't set up next to the table, it's comfortable with an open tent and away from prying eyes.
The campground is nice, very well maintained, and the site host is friendly and helpful. The grounds are a
- Christa A.
TravelerRio Costilla Park
So spacious!
This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful! The camp sites were nicely spaced, so we felt like we were primitive camping, but it was nice to have a picnic table, especially because we have a small child. Family friendly. We wish we would have brought our 4x4 vehicle because we had initially planned to camp at little blue lake, but my Subaru Impreza was not powerful enough/didn’t have high enough clearance to make it up the road that lead to the lake! We are definitely planning on camping back to check out the lakes. The only negative thing was that we found some trash at our site from the previous campers. Also, some cows woke us up early in the morning, which was cool, but also scared the shit out of us!
- D
Dorrs T.
ScoutIron Gate Campground
Not as great as I thought it would be.
Based on the reviews I thought this place would be a cool oasis up in the trees. Alas, it's not. There's a loop with 14 total sites. Unfortunately, at least half the sites in the inner ring are unusable because of road runoff making it tough to get to them, and we have a Toyota Tacoma. As a result, they do not get used and are, therefore, overgrown with New Mexico ground cover, which is not comparable to soft grass. That immediately bumps it down to about 10 sites. When we arrived, there was one site available that we could access. It was behind the main trailhead parking area and completely shaded. All in all, not bad, just not our ideal choice since it's right there close to any and all foot traffic. Luckily, as we walked the rest of the loop to see if there was anything else, a couple was just finishing packing up so we were able to snag their spot (#13), which we felt was the best one. Score!
Now, let's talk the road to get there. Absolutely do not try to take a camper of any size to this campground unless it's a legit overland type tear or squaredrop, ideally with an articulating hitch. People are not kidding when they say that's not a good idea. We had our Tacoma in 4L and I'm honestly not sure how some 2WD vehicles make it. There are many spots where the incline is pretty good, a number of deep crevices as a result of water runoff, many sections that are absolutely one lane only, and at least 6 spots where there was a small pond of standing water to drive through. Were any of the ponds show stoppers, no, but the water in one dip came up past the bottom of our doors. All in all, the road is no joke. Yes, I get this is a forest road, but the road snakes through multiple pieces of residential property (albeit they are probably summer homes but we saw people at almost every house when we drove past), and there's a hiking trailhead at the campground, so I expected it to be not THAT bad. In my book, it's not officially 'offroading' but it's worse than other forest service roads we've been on. Oh, and the couple residents we passed driving in their vehicles (you can tell by looking at them they are not campers or hikers) made it abundantly clear they weren't happy with us being on their road. All in all, nice campground with great trailheads but there are too many other beautiful places to hike and camp in NM for us to want to go back.
- Jeff K.Guide
Borrego Mesa Campground
Great campsite!!
Good road all the way in. About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Close to the Rio Mario Trail trailhead. Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Worked great for tent camping. Sites have a small horse pen but you would need to make a gate on them. Not good for big LQ horse trailers.
Steve & Ashley G.
LegendAgua 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.
Ken M.TravelerMccrystal Campground
Remote camping with plenty of wildlife to see
A remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters. The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean. There are pit toilets on site and well maintained. Level spots with good separation. Nice hiking accross some flat lands and a smal creek runs near by. Early one morning we saw a herd of elk down in a valley near a turn out off the road. Bears frequent the area trying to raid the garbage bins during the night. Makes tent camping a bit unnerving. If you want to explore the area, this is good place to camp. It takes an hour to get to the campsite on a graveled road off the highway out of Cimerron. 25mph was best speed to go to handle the washboard road to the campsite.
Tammy V.TravelerAgua Piedra Campground
Excellent 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.
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.
Some campsites were more separated and others were close together if you were with a group. River runs along the camp for fishing, and they were catching fish.
James F.GuideSanta Barbara Campground
Beautiful Hiking
This is a great campground if you like to take some hikes through some beautiful national forest with a picturesque river. The Santa Barbara Campground is relatively small and most of the sites can't accommodate large rv's. A small travel trailer or tent works well in most sites. None of the sites have hook ups so you will be boon docking. There are vault toilets and water available. Sign on the water spigot said not to connect a hose though so filling your rv or trailer is not what they were intended for. I guess it was good that I filled before I left home. There are lots of trees for shade and beauty. The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes. There were a few cows that got into the camping area. There can also be horses on the trails so be vigilant.The temperatures were quite moderate as the campsite is at 8900 feet. You can hear the Santa Barbara River as it is very close.
Guide to Ranchos de Taos
Dispersed camping options exist throughout Carson National Forest near Ranchos de Taos, with elevations ranging from 7,000 to 9,000 feet. The area experiences significant temperature shifts with daytime highs in summer reaching the 80s but dropping to the 40s at night. Forest roads often have wash-boarding and ruts that worsen after rainfall, particularly in spring and during summer monsoon season.
What to do
Fishing at higher elevations: Hopewell Lake Campground sits at 9,500 feet and offers trout fishing in a mountain lake setting. According to visitor Sara S., "The trout fishing is fun and always a success at the lake." The campground serves as a good base for both developed and dispersed camping options.
Creek access for cooling off: Agua Piedra Campground features a creek that runs alongside the campsite. As Carrie S. notes, "The creek is very close and accessible, which is probably the highlight. There are plenty of hammock and shade trees." This makes it ideal for summer visits when temperatures rise.
Wilderness trail access: Santa Barbara Campground serves as an entry point to extensive wilderness trails. James F. reports, "This is a great campground if you like to take some hikes through some beautiful national forest with a picturesque river... The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them." Many backpackers use this as a starting point for longer excursions.
What campers like
Seclusion and quiet: For visitors seeking peaceful camping experiences, Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 provides isolated sites. Kala J. shares, "A nice secluded little forest road. RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet. Stayed one night and saw no one else." This road offers multiple unmarked campsites for those wanting privacy.
Stargazing opportunities: Rio Costilla Park offers clear night skies for astronomy enthusiasts. Camper Joel H. noted that "with a clear sky, you get an amazing view of the stars." The campground's location away from major light sources makes it ideal for nighttime star observation.
Seasonal wildflowers: Iron Gate Campground features natural beauty during spring and summer months. According to Cory M., "The trees are beautiful and wild flowers grow around." The campground's elevation provides a cooler retreat during hot summer days while showcasing seasonal flora.
What you should know
Limited phone reception: Cell service is spotty throughout the region. Robin T. notes about Agua Piedra Campground, "It has no cell/wifi service. BUT what it does have is quiet, and peacefulness, and charm, and views views views." Many campgrounds require a drive to higher points or nearby facilities to check messages.
Unpredictable weather: The mountain location means weather can change rapidly. At Cimarron Campground, Drew reported, "We went June 2 and the water was not on yet," indicating seasonal variability in amenities. Summer visitors should prepare for afternoon thunderstorms even during dry periods.
Water considerations: Many campgrounds have limited or seasonal water access. Rebecca A. warns about Agua Piedra, "Water onsite is listed as potable but smells and tastes so strongly of sulphur that it cannot be tolerated for drinking or cooking. Make sure to haul in water."
Tips for camping with families
Kid-friendly fishing: Cimarron Campground connects to Shuree Ponds, which offers dedicated children's fishing opportunities. Stephen K. mentions, "The smaller [pond] was reserved for kids' fishing. Both are classified as 'Green Chile' waters so only flies or artificial lures with a single, barbless hook are allowed. 2 fish limit."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Children can experience wildlife in natural settings. At Cimarron Campground, Terry R. recounts, "We watched several herds of Elk down in the valley on one of our hikes. We had deer roam through our campsite, they could care less that we were even there."
Stream activities: Look for campgrounds with safe water play areas. Donaji R. says about Santa Barbara Campground: "Went exploring in the river next to the campground and then took a short hike up the river to some amazing river canyon views." Just monitor water levels as spring runoff can create dangerous conditions.
Tips from RVers
Road condition alerts: Many forest roads become challenging after rain. Jacob W. says about Forest Service Road 578, "My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV." Before driving any forest road, check recent conditions or ask rangers about accessibility.
Smaller trailers only: Iron Gate Campground accommodates compact camping setups but not large vehicles. Frank and Olga C. warn, "The road to get there is a bit rough... By no means, not a road for a large trailer or 5th wheel." Consider truck campers or teardrop trailers for remote sites.
Equestrian camping considerations: For those seeking equestrian camping near Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, Borrego Mesa Campground provides basic horse facilities. Jeff K. notes, "Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Sites have a small horse pen but you would need to make a gate on them. Not good for big LQ horse trailers."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Ranchos de Taos, NM?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Ranchos de Taos, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Ranchos de Taos, NM is Agua Piedra Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
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equestrian camping near
Ranchos de Taos, NM?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Ranchos de Taos, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Ranchos de Taos, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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