Best Tent Camping near Santa Clara, NM

A handful of sites located on the other side of Skates Canyon from Sapillo Campground. Close to great hiking around the CDT and fishing in Lake Roberts. Most of the sites sit on the shades of ponderosa and there's plenty of space for group camping.

This is as bare as it gets. No services, no cell signal, no trash disposal, not even a pit toilet. Some sites have rock rings for campfires but that's about it. Please recreate responsibly and leave no trace. Pack out whatever you pack in.

Quiet during the winter, but gets busy during the summer as evidenced by how well worn the dirt paths around the area are.

I was worried that this place wasn’t open due to the fact there were only two reviews and it had been a while since a review. I can happily share that they are open and thriving. I was driving from Gila Cliff Dwellings towards White Sands NP and needed a place to camp. I passed some dispersed camping along the way, but most of the cultivated sites were closed, I’m guessing due to COVID as New Mexico has really cracked down on their camping and I ran into lots of sites that were either closed or only open to residents. Anyway, this place was a STEAL. For only $21 (the typical price of most regular vault toilet and picnic table camp sites), you get heaven on earth. You wouldn’t expect it driving in from either direction, but the sites themselves are extremely shaded and surrounded by trees and as private as possible given the close proximity to neighbors. I stayed at site #47 and even though I was right next to the pools and bathhouse, I couldn’t be seen at all from those places. There’s a potable water tap at EACH campsite, free showers, unlimited 24/7 access to hot springs (clothing required & clothing optional pools), a clubhouse to wash dishes or cook or simply hang out inside in a comfortable chair to read or play games at a table), several bathrooms, phone service (and I didn’t have any driving in or out), peacocks and other wildlife to admire, friendly staff, firewood for sale, labyrinth maze, short scenic trails to watch the sunset and rise, inside facilities, amazing cabins (cheapest one is only $60 and comes with an hour long soak in a private pool which is otherwise $28 for one hour), etc. I could go on and on about this place. The best $21 I have ever spent to spend the night anywhere in my entire life and I am always camping and traveling. A literal oasis. I soaked from 7pm-11pm and had the pools to myself several times on a Sunday evening. Everyone was respectful and there was no sense of party / loud groups as so common is seen at hot springs. Alcohol allowed.

Stayed here with a couple of friends in late December of 2019. Great proximity to Gila National Forest, which is the primary reason we chose this campground. Obviously was very cold during December, but we were comfortable with an all-season tent & sleeping bags.

Camp hosts were super nice and gave us a lighter when we couldn’t find ours, which was a saving grace when it came to be dinner time. Picnic tables were great, especially when you’ve become used to primitive camping without such luxuries. Pit toilets were clean and accessible. Overall, nothing special but a great campground for the location and the helpfulness of the hosts.

After not finding a campsite at the other near one called Cherry Creek. We ended up at McMillan campsite. Super close to the restroom but not close enough where it is unsanitary. Perfect place the camp. There are only 3 sites but they have picnic tables and fire pits. Plenty of space even for large groups. No cell phone service at all! For miles you won’t have service especially coming from Silver City so plan accordingly! The Park ranger came by to clean out the bathrooms. No place to dump trash and no water. During our time here the weather was unpredictable, which is probably expected deep in the mountain. We had a great time!! The only down side was that some random hikers parked at a site and were extremely loud at 8 in the morning however they were not campers.

General: This state park is aptly named; as you approach it, it looks like a pile of rocks was dumped in a field! There is a mix of electric and non-electric sites; however, the electric sites are lined up like a typical RV park with no privacy. The non-electric ones are the gems in this state park. 

Site Quality: Again, the non-electric sites are nestled among the rocks and spaced so far apart that for many of them, you don’t even see your neighbors. Each one is unique due to the rocks, and most are very generous in size. A fire ring, concrete benches, and a metal picnic table complete each of these sites. 

Bathhouse: Vault toilets are spread throughout the campground and are clean. There is a comfort station near the visitor center with flush toilets and showers. 

Activities: There are several short hiking trails throughout the park. We had enough cell (Verizon) to be able to see where they were. The visitor center is open 9-4 and unfortunately, we arrived at 4:30 pm and departed at 8 am the next morning. 

I love the uniqueness of this campground and the privacy between the non-electric sites.