Best Tent Camping near Shiprock, NM
Dispersed tent camping near Shiprock, New Mexico offers several primitive options across northwestern New Mexico and neighboring Colorado. Forest Road 316 Roadside Camp, approximately 45 miles north in Colorado, provides accessible tent sites with established fire rings but no facilities. Cannonball Mesa offers remote tent camping on Bureau of Land Management land with excellent night sky visibility and quiet surroundings.
Most tent sites near Shiprock require self-sufficiency as amenities are minimal to nonexistent. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing many locations, particularly Canyons of the Ancients and Cherry Creek Gravel Lot where road conditions can be challenging. A visitor commented, "The road is ROUGH. Driving a Nissan Rogue we only wanted to go to the first spot on the road." Campers must pack in water and pack out waste, as toilet facilities are absent at dispersed sites. Fire restrictions frequently apply during summer months, and seasonal closures affect some areas through March.
Tent camping in this region provides solitude and natural scenery, with many sites offering expansive views. Camping at Canyons of the Ancients places tent campers near ancient Pueblo ruins and hiking trails. A recent review noted, "There were lots of spots and not very many people. Good hammock in areas, lots of fire pits." Primitive tent sites at Cannonball Mesa require traveling about one mile on dirt roads beyond a gate on private land to reach public BLM property. Wind can be significant in exposed areas, so tucking tents back into protected areas among piñon pines is advisable. Though highway noise affects some locations like Cherry Creek Gravel Lot, more secluded tent sites can be found by traveling farther along access roads where terrain permits.
