Best Equestrian Camping near Santa Fe National Forest

Santa Fe National Forest is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Discover great camping spots near Santa Fe National Forest, reviewed by campers like you.

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Best Equestrian Sites Near Santa Fe National Forest (13)

    1. Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    16 Reviews
    Jemez Springs, NM
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 829-3630

    $15 - $90 / night

    "I’ve been coming to Fenton Lake for camping with family since I was little and we’ve always loved it. It’s beautiful and well taken care of."

    "We typically come up to Fenton Lake once a year and last year was fantastic however this year the park rangers aren’t that friendly (or that helpful)."

    2. Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site

    37 Reviews
    Placitas, NM
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 761-8700

    "Top of New Mexico" near Albuquerque is a fantastic camping spot if you love open spaces and beautiful desert views."

    "This campground offered amazing views of the Sandia mountains and the surrounding area."

    3. RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe

    1 Review
    Santa Fe, NM
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 474-0999

    $55 / night

    "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."

    4. Borrego Mesa Campground

    6 Reviews
    Truchas, NM
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 753-7331

    "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."

    5. Iron Gate Campground

    8 Reviews
    Tererro, NM
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 757-6121

    "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.."

    6. Rio Chama Campground

    14 Reviews
    Gallina, NM
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 638-5526

    "Rio Chama RV park in Chama, New Mexico, is at the intersection of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the upper Rio Chama. A nice place to stay May 1 thru mid October."

    "It's an easy dirt road drive down the river and you will pass many dispersed site and a couple of defined camping grounds."

    7. Jacks Creek Horse Camp

    3 Reviews
    Tererro, NM
    31 miles
    Website

    "The sites on the outside of the loops are decently wooded, smaller and not well suited to RVs. The sites on the inside of the loops have longer, RV sized pull in and little trees."

    "Great overnight spot to use as a "home base" with lots of trail access. Multiple units of corrals and plenty of parking and turnaround space for large trailers."

    8. Ghost Ranch

    6 Reviews
    Cañones, NM
    34 miles
    Website

    "The whole ranch has been turned into a top notch facility with campgrounds and motel rooms, horses for rent, classes, and great hiking. The campground is large with several interconnecting loops."

    "Recommend arriving not too late to see if you can get a good spot, we didn’t have shade so had to go find a nice shady bench away from our site for eating lunch / relaxing after our hike."

    9. Santa Barbara Campground

    8 Reviews
    Llano, NM
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $22 - $70 / night

    "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."

    10. Agua Piedra Campground

    10 Reviews
    Llano, NM
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 245-6521

    $24 - $150 / night

    "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."

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 13 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Santa Fe National Forest

8 Photos of 13 Santa Fe National Forest Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Santa Fe National Forest

110 Reviews of 13 Santa Fe National Forest Campgrounds


  • marycatmathis  ..The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 29, 2020

    Oak Point Campground

    Lovely, Beachy, Scenic

    These coordinates are a rough estimate, but this entire forrest road is filled with amazing campsites you can simply pull off and camp in. currently there’s a fire ban, so it makes it hard to stay warm at night, but the stars are amazing. it’s quiet. it’s lovely. there’s canyon walls for miles. it’s really amazing. some of these pics are from the nearby canyon that’s a bit of a walk up the road, but most are from our campground. loved our first experience camping in New Mexico!

  • Junaid A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 22, 2024

    Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site

    My True Review about Top of the New Mexico

    Top of New Mexico" near Albuquerque is a fantastic camping spot if you love open spaces and beautiful desert views. The sunsets here are breathtaking, and you might even spot wild horses roaming around. There's plenty of space for tents or RVs, and it's quiet and well-maintained, making it a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature. It can get a little windy, but that just adds to the experience. The road to get there winds through some houses, but once you arrive, you're surrounded by pure nature. also the food is so good, there are many food brands like subway menu who offers quality fast food services.

  • Karen  N.
    Aug. 21, 2023

    Santa 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

  • Beth B.
    Aug. 16, 2018

    Rio Chama Campground

    Great place to watch the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Train

    Rio Chama RV park in Chama, New Mexico, is at the intersection of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the upper Rio Chama. A nice place to stay May 1 thru mid October. The train passing by twice a day is an exciting event and it's a short walk to the train yard.

    Pull through sites have great shade and full hookups with 30 or 50 amp electrical service. Spacious tent sites with full service restrooms nearby. Pet friendly with dog park and free wifi. A great place for fishing, train watching and relaxing.

  • marycatmathis  ..The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 17, 2020

    Oak Point Campground

    yet another amazing site at Oak Point

    I've stayed here twice now since being in New Mexico. This site is right on the water, overlooks the canyon, and is close to a hike to the right side of the canyon through a dried up riverbed. I *love* staying here. It's so peaceful, quiet, enough trees to keep you shaded from the harsh sun here. The road is runner friendly, so you can go on a jog if you like. Its definitely a campsite for people looking to strictly hang out. 

    views and sunsets are EPIC. Stay here instead of the packed Rio Chama campground if you're a casual camper who doesn't need amenities. And pick up your toilet paper so this place stays nice!

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 28, 2025

    Iron 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.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2020

    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.

  • Alexander D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2023

    Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site

    Epic, accessbile, and open campsite with good views

    This campground offered amazing views of the Sandia mountains and the surrounding area. We found a fire ring and plenty of level areas to set up camp in addition to large bushes to take shelter behind. Also plenty of wild horses roaming around, though we didn't ever see any at near our campsite.

  • Tina M.
    May. 21, 2022

    RavenHouse RV Spot and Horse Hotel

    Majestic skies + Decent Amenities

    We had the perfect 5 night stay. It was easy to get around to the sites we had planned on visiting. The hosts were super nice and accomodating when we had a wifi issues, they got us up and running again quickly. We used the grill area and even hosted friends visiting one night with their horse trailer and 2 horses. We stayed one night in the TeePee which was just magical and cozy, a mini vacay inside of our otherwise rustic van camping trip! The bathroom is located inside an enclosed out building with the shower located in an outdoor but private/roofed adjacent area. All and all, thumbs up for communication, comfort, basic amenities and ambience!


Guide to Santa Fe National Forest

Horse camping near Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a perfect getaway for horse enthusiasts.

Equestrian campgrounds include essential amenities

  • The RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe provides electric hookups and sanitary dump facilities, ensuring a comfortable stay for both horses and riders.
  • At Jacks Creek Horse Camp, you'll find well-maintained vault toilets and ample parking space for trailers, making it convenient for equestrian campers.
  • Iron Gate Campground features picnic tables and trash disposal, creating a tidy environment for your camping experience.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy scenic trail rides in the Pecos Wilderness, easily accessible from Jacks Creek Horse Camp, which serves as a great base for exploring the area.
  • The RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe is just a short drive from downtown Santa Fe, allowing for a mix of urban exploration and outdoor adventure.
  • Horseback riding opportunities abound near Iron Gate Campground, where you can enjoy the tranquility of nature while riding through picturesque landscapes.

Tips for equestrian camping near Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico

  • Always check for availability and make reservations in advance, especially during peak seasons at popular spots like Jacks Creek Horse Camp.
  • Be prepared for varying weather conditions; the elevation at Iron Gate Campground can lead to cooler temperatures, so pack accordingly.
  • Keep your campsite clean and dispose of waste properly to maintain the natural beauty of areas like the RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe and ensure a pleasant experience for all campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Santa Fe National Forest?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Santa Fe National Forest is Fenton Lake State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Santa Fe National Forest?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Santa Fe National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.