Best Tent Camping near Santa Clara, NM

We parked our cargo van in the tent camping spot since we dont need water or electric hookups. The tent sites are up in the rocks and they are very cool. The bath house is new (located at the visitors center) and has clean showers and toilets. We really enjoyed staying here for the night.

This campground is right off the highway, but not too much traffic. The small creek bed has nice water depending on the time of year. Too hot in the summer. Gets cold I. The winter, but it is a nice place when the weather is too cold to go further up the mountains to other campgrounds in the Gila. Vault toilet is clean. Only a couple of camp spots. We tent camp, but I think you'd be able to park a small camper or trailer.

The Gila cliff dwellings are awesome. Well worth the 1.5 hour drive in from Silver City. The Upper Scorpion campground is really a parking lot with nearby tent sites. Campers park in the lot. With that said I was the only occupant of the campground. It was very quiet with a spectacular night sky. The Lower Scorpion campground is the same. The host was very friendly and helpful. No services except pit toilets.

This trail requires 4x4 and high clearance. It is a bumpy road for all 3+ miles into the mountainside. But it is far worth the drive for the seclusion. There are plenty of spaces to camp before the creek. But we kept going for about 3 miles, hit a road gate, and started traveling into the valley. It will eventually open up and you will see meadow creek. Spots to the left and right of the fork, we settled at the bottom. No service in the valley. Extremely magical, and serene. Leave it better than you left it please! If you want a camp spot off the beaten path, this is it. Perfect for tent camping/car camping.

We tent camped at Cherry Creek campground in late July 2023. We arrived about 4pm on a Saturday and there were like 2 sites available. First come, first serve, no fee, but a ranger told me that could change soon. Lots of nice tall pines. The creek was dry. Very scenic valley. There’s a short, informal trail at the north end of the campground past the bathroom. The trail goes about 0.25 miles out; so 0.5 mile round trip. A nice evening or morning stroll or both. But…there was a big group next to us that partied loud and late—with a generator that lit up their site, and ours. Oh well! At least they were enjoying the outdoors like we were, I think.

This is an awesome park. The RV sites all have full hookups and are extra long and wide. Because the rv sites are situated around the perimeter of the very large greenspace and dog park, all sites have expansive views in all directions. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets! There are tent sites in the central green area with picnic table, firepit and shade trees. There is a great hiking trail, about 1/2 mile, that makes a loop. It is comfortably wide so you and your dog can see the trail and won't accidentally run into cactus. The park is a straight-shot easy 15 minute drive into Silver City and is convenient to Gila NF trails, several Continental Divide trailheads, the Catwalk and lots of other natural areas. Rosie and Bill, the owners are a wealth of info about the local sites and trails. The campground has a bathhouse, laundry, gym, communal library with books, games and puzzles.

We pulled right into our campsite with hot and cold water at our site. I believe they pull it from the natural hot springs that run beneath the mountain. What a treat! Even if you're not glam camping with a fancy RV it's perfect! How many times have you had to wash your dishes in cold water st a campground. I pull a 37ft gooseneck horse trailer that is now used for camping. No amenities but next best thing to camping in a tent. There is a short walk to the natural hot springs down by the river which is really rustic and relaxing. Especially after climbing the step to the cave/cliff dwellings which are approximately 4 mi further up the road. The restrooms are flush toilets, hot water and a heated floor. Super clean! You can pay a small fee to utilize the "hot tub" which is more modern but the best part is that there's no ceiling! That means as you sit in the hot tub you're privy to the unobstructed view of the Milky Way! Bring a pair of binoculars! We saw several shooting stars and we blown away by the majesty of the heavens which were out "ceiling"!
You can get out of the hot tub, go directly into the restroom/shower. There's a code to enter the two shower/hot tub complex. Great because it keeps unexpected/uninvited guests from entering. We parked at site #08 close to the restrooms. There are hookups for more luxurious RVs. We ran out of propane and were easily accommodated with a fire ring and wood for a small fee. Well worth it! Mornings were in the 30's. It warms up quickly so layering worked for us. The camp host were very accommodating and friendly. I loved watching them round up their herd of horses that roam freely through the campground from time to time. At sunset we watched deer in the pasture grazing happily. Then watched them hop right over the fence one by one! How fun is that! Sunrise and sunsets there cast the most beautiful hues on the rock formations surrounding the area. While walking down to the natural hot springs we were delighted to see sheep who had given birth to a couple sets of black & white faced twins! Too cute for words... Bring a lunch as there are picnic tables next to the creek. Great after soaking in the three separate soaking areas. I was told you could arrange pack trips on horses and explore any of the back country areas. This is love to return and take advantage of! As amazing as it is on foot and in the car it Hass to be mine blowing on the back of a horse! I was also told that they do trail rides for those less experienced riders. 

I spent two weeks here at three different sites, and while I was ready to get back to civilization (the park is fairly remote), I genuinely had a relaxing time.

The bathrooms/comfort station are clean and fairly new—the only downsides are they’re only open from 7am-5pm to conserve water and it’s a bit of a trek by foot if you’re at one of the far campsites. I also had strong enough reception with T-Mobile to work remotely, and good service through Verizon as well.

Site 25 (Crab): a truly iconic site within a park where nearly every site is a gem. Downside: very little privacy and no shade from the afternoon sun. Upside: Site is level, great sunset views and a quick walk to the pit toilets.

Site 24 (Hercules): Connects to site 25 via a the rock formations, but more private as it’s not directly on the main loop. Again, close to the pit bathroom. There’s a fun and semi private climb up into the rocks to the left of the picnic table that will give you a stellar sunset view. Site is level and protected from the worst of the south/SW winds. I also saw the most wildlife from this site (marmot, roadrunner, jack rabbit, and more). Downside: the site curves rather drastically and is best suited for vans, tent camping, or very small RVs; little shade as the tree that used to offer shade was removed.

Site 30 (Triangulum): hands down, the best site in the park IMO. Lots of shade and privacy as it’s set far back from the main road; it almost feels like you have the park to yourself. Pit toilets are conveniently at the end of the drive. Downside: people climbing through the rocks occasionally end up near your site, but no one ever wandered too far; the windmill does makes some noise but it’s really not too bad; this site has FULL shade, which is ideal unless you run on solar panels. For a few hours a day I had to back my van into the sun, which put it at a fairly severe angle as the drive slopes once you back out of the sweet spot by the picnic table; very little protection from the wind, but there is some.

Don't go to the Gila Lower Box looking for formal campsites and places to hook up an rv. This is primitive camping at one of New Mexico's truest oases. 

Why? Because in 1990, cattle were prohibited from grazing this stretch of the Gila River. 

The result? One of the lushest, most verdant riparian environments left in the desert southwest.
For those with a 4wd or very high clearance, you can camp down along the cliffs right at the edge of the river corridor. Being a birders paradise, it's a very unique experience to sit on the edge of the cliffs, 20-30 feet above the tops of the cottonwoods and watch all the bird activity below. 

You can also watch bands of coatimundis grazing through the bosque. Watch out for rattlesnakes and Gila monsters during the warmer months though. 

I rate this as one of New Mexico's best outdoor experiences. (A note: I camp to the west of the location shown on the map.)

Beautiful campground in Santa Fe New Mexico. We came to stay one night to go to Meow Wolf and ended up staying 3 nights I liked it so much. Would be 5 stars but the water spigot only worked intermittently, and it was difficult to get a site due to online reservations, some of which weren't even used but sites were still considered occupied due to reservation. I dislike National Park Campgrounds utilizing online reservations, it makes it hard for those of us who wish to ramble aimlessly.

The birds are abundant here. I wore a red winter hat and had at least 10 hummingbirds buzz my head in one day. I could hear their wings and feel the breeze from them they came so close. Tons of shade here, and nice cool days with chilly nights in May. We had a night of sleet after a rainstorm with hail but the next two days were gorgeous. Conveniently located to Santa Fe amenities. I highly recommend this campground. Pit toilets were minimally smelly and relatively clean.

Last week I visited Faywood, New Mexico which is located about halfway in between Silver City and Deming, and I came across a unique terrain with structures of Boulder rocks that are “formed of volcanic ash and sculpted by wind and water into rows of monolithic blocks”, according to stateparks.com; I had never seen anything like it.

This unique and tucked-away gem has all the perfect essentials for a State Park including a Visitor Center, hot showers and clean restrooms, dry camping, picnicking and a Botanical Garden .

I absolutely enjoy being in a place that is preserved in its authenticity and City of Rocks State Park is all of that and a bag of organic chips. It is not just another “area of attraction”, but it is a place for healing, stillness, discipline and community. The miles of hiking and biking trails through rolling grasslands gives you an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, walking into the fields to sit in stillness and listen to the migration of the numerous bird species disciplines your senses, and for those of you who enjoy making new connections you will quickly find yourself in conversations with humans alike or vastly different in ways that allow you see yourself, and others, in the form of how God sees us all — in love and in truth.

Clean, well run park with many nice sites tucked in the rocks. Best for small rigs and tents, though there is an electric section also. Wander through the rocks or take a longer hike up a nearby butte.