Best Equestrian Camping near Santa Fe, NM

The Sangre de Cristo foothills offer some of the best camping opportunities near Santa Fe, NM. Get supplies in the city before venturing out to campsites. Surrounded by national forests and natural areas, Santa Fe has plenty of campgrounds to offer. Camping in the national forest by the badlands gives outdoor enthusiasts plenty of opportunities for adventure from hiking the trails to riding ATVs. Campers looking for stunning views of these New Mexico foothills and valley will want to make the drive up to Santa Fe Skies Park. It’s RV-friendly and campers won’t complain about the views no matter where their site is located.

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Best Equestrian Sites Near Santa Fe, New Mexico (14)

    1. RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe

    1 Review
    Santa Fe, NM
    8 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."

    2. Top of New Mexico - Dispersed Site

    37 Reviews
    Placitas, NM
    34 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. Iron Gate Campground

    8 Reviews
    Tererro, NM
    24 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.."

    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. Jacks Creek Horse Camp

    3 Reviews
    Tererro, NM
    22 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."

    6. Turquoise Trail Campground

    33 Reviews
    Cibola National Forest and Grasslands, NM
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 281-2005

    "CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Turquoise Trail Campground, Cedar Crest, NM

    Turquoise Trail Campground is a small privately owned campground located five miles north of I-40 off Route 14 (exit 175) just outside"

    "We arrived around 6pm and our info was thumb tacked to the entry board. Call her and she comes right down to show you your spot. It’s located next to a little brewery and pizza place."

    7. Jacks Creek Group Area

    1 Review
    Tererro, NM
    23 miles
    Website

    $100 / night

    "Beautiful drive out, creeks on both sides. Nestled deep in the Pecos Wilderness. Camping overlooks the mountains. Beatty’s trail head is nearby. Made a fire and had electric to charge my phone"

    8. RavenHouse RV Spot and Horse Hotel

    1 Review
    Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM
    23 miles
    +1 (505) 603-5225

    $42 - $75 / night

    "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."

    9. Villanueva State Park Campground

    28 Reviews
    Pinos Altos, NM
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 421-2957

    $15 - $30 / night

    "A little off the beaten path but was worth it. Each campsite had a picnic area some even had shelters over them! The lower campground was right next to the river (very high when we were there)."

    "The drive to this park takes us back in time through the tiny town of Villanueva. Once through the gates I was amazed at the fast flowing Pecos River right next to the tree shaded sites. A gem."

    10. Fenton Lake State Park Campground

    16 Reviews
    Jemez Springs, NM
    43 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)."

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 14 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Santa Fe, NM

8 Photos of 14 Santa Fe Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Santa Fe, NM

172 Reviews of 14 Santa Fe Campgrounds


  • B
    Oct. 10, 2022

    Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey

    Nice place quiet

    Our stay was just 3 nights but it was in the right place at the right time. Many trees and not too far from Santa Fe and Taos and Chimayo.

  • Allyse
    Apr. 21, 2021

    Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey

    Clean, Kozy and Accommodating

    We were hit by a blizzard driving through the I-25 pass from Santa Fe to Denver and had to take refuge in the KOA Las Vegas, NM for 2 nights. They quickly got us a space and allowed us to wait out the snow. Clean restrooms and showers, a shop in the grounds that serves breakfast. Hikes nearby. Very welcoming and friendly hosts.

  • marine J.
    Jun. 14, 2024

    RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe

    Great location close to Santa Fe

    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. I saw a few tent but this is really geared toward RVs. They have discounts if you stay 4 to 6 days it is 10% off and 7 to 14 days it is 15% off. There is really nothing to it but it is so spacious and quiet, great vibe and the staff is super nice and helpful. They offer overnight stabling for horses too.

  • K
    Jul. 1, 2021

    Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey

    Typical KOA

    We were here for overnight stay after not being able to find anything in Santa Fe. We typically don’t book KOA due to close campers and lots of kids. Host -Chris was very nice and helpful. Campsites were nice. Perfect for big rigs. Bathrooms were outdated but clean. It was perfect for what we needed and we appreciated the last minute booking!

  • 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

  • Warren K.
    Aug. 31, 2016

    Las Vegas/New Mexico KOA Journey

    Campground close to a cool little town

    We stopped here for an overnighter and it was not the most aesthetic choice, but the town of Las Vegas is quite charming. The town has a great plaza and historic hotel where we had a pretty good meal. The sunsets and landscape in this part of New Mexico really take your breath away.

  • 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.


Guide to Santa Fe

Horse camping in New Mexico offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and equestrian-friendly facilities, making it a perfect getaway for horse lovers.

Tips for equestrian camping near Santa Fe, New Mexico

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • The Iron Gate Campground is a great starting point for hiking and exploring the Pecos Wilderness, with trails suitable for horseback riding.
  • At Santa Barbara Campground, you can enjoy scenic trails that are perfect for horseback riding, along with the soothing sounds of a nearby stream.
  • The Agua Piedra Campground features trails leading into the Pecos Wilderness, allowing for fantastic equestrian exploration right from your campsite.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like corrals and water access

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Santa Fe, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Santa Fe, NM is RV Park at HIPICO Santa Fe with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Santa Fe, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Santa Fe, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.