Jacks Creek Horse Camp provides equestrian camping within the Carson National Forest near Taos, New Mexico. Located at the eastern edge of the Pecos Wilderness, this horse-friendly campground features toilet facilities and trash removal. Unlike some campgrounds in the area, Jacks Creek prohibits pets and campfires to maintain a clean environment specifically designed for horses and their owners. Nearby Agua Piedra Campground also accommodates equestrians with access to trails suitable for horses. The camp's Indian Lake Trail is accessible for horses, with riders experiencing approximately 1200 feet of elevation change along the route. Trailheads begin directly at the campground, allowing equestrians to start rides without transporting their horses.
Located 35 miles southeast of Taos, these campgrounds connect to an extensive network of bridle paths through the Pecos Wilderness. Riders can access multiple wilderness trails from Jacks Creek Horse Camp, with routes that wind through pine forests and mountain meadows. The area's 8,900-foot elevation provides cooler temperatures even during summer months, making extended rides comfortable for both horses and riders. Water sources for horses can be limited on some trails, so carrying additional water is recommended. Agua Piedra features a stream running alongside the campground where many fishermen find success, but horse owners should note the water contains sulfur that affects taste and odor. Trailer parking is available at designated areas, though the access roads contain some potholes that may require careful navigation.
"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."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 - $175 / 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."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 - $80 / night
"The location is isolated and you need to bring plenty of water. The advantage is being able to walk into the Gorge, which if you fly fish, is an amazing thing."
"Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store."
"There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango."
"I didn’t see anyone else camping or driving by. The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees. I saw two elk across a swath of sage."
"Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"
"This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful!"
"The park is HUGE and just so beautiful. 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines only one hour away from the town of Taos."
from $30 / night
"Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for."
"There is a walking trail at the back of the campground to get to Surree Ponds."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $22 - $40 / night
"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."
"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.."
"My wife and I have stayed at Hopewell Lake twice now. The first time we stayed here, we stumbled upon this little gem of a site while driving from Durango, CO to Taos, NM."
"No luck fishing but several people around us were catching very nice sized trout. Vault toilets were well stocked and clean."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $125 / night
TravelerAll the campgrounds in the wild rivers area are very well maintained, the sites have sturdy pavilions, picnic tables and grills. Sites are nicely spaced and some have amazing canyon views. Vault-style toilets that are kept clean and stocked. Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store.
TravelerThe campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch. Campground has sites that are gravel and not very level, as others have noted, making it a bit of a challenge (site 16 in particular). Also note that some electric hookups are 20A only, not 30A. Full hookups at front of campground; tent only at rear. Showers were great and heated; laundry and bathrooms clean. Host and staff friendly. Lots of great hiking trails within walking distance of the campground. 2 small museums worth visiting. We paid $50 for electric hookup. Meal plan is now $50.
LegendSome good hikes, corral (horseback rides), museum, pack in pack out, & bring your own water (drought conditions; there is water available but don't rely on their water if for no other reason to support their conservation of it--don't recall any water hookups). Friendly staff. Did not avail ourselves of meal plan. Beautiful night skies. Still in mid to upper 90s in September (hot in afternoon). Beware that winds can gust suddenly & hard, including strong dust devils (a devil came through & tore up some tents & sunshades including mangling aluminum frames of some shades).
ScoutThe view is great. But nothing is level. Lots of trash. OHV's driving everywhere. This is a big OHV area. We were in a campervan. Never could get it level. Not real private. 2 Stars for the view only. We won't be back.
GuideReally enjoyed this campground. Most of the sites are FCFS and the host comes to you for payment.
The pit toilets were very clean, no flies or anything gross. The road is a bit rough but nothing to unusual for a campground up here.
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous with plenty of aspens amounts the pines.
I will definitely visit again.
LegendLet me start by saying I love that this place was once inhabited by the phenomenal artist Georgia O'Keeffe and there are some cool things to do on the ranch.... But....
This was one of the worst campgrounds I've ever stayed in. The sites are uneven, the campground layout makes no sense, the hook-ups are on the wrong side and some of the sites just piled up on each other.
I booked two nights hoping for a nice experience at the Ranch, but was sorely disappointed. I did enjoy walking the labrynith and seeing the library. I didn't have time for a workshop or guided tour.
The camp host was super nice. There were showers. The laundry left my clothes with a weird chemical smell. Would not recommend camping here, but definitely visit the ranch, especially if you are a Georgia O'Keeffe fan.
TravelerThis is what we wanted to find with dispersed camping! Beautiful view! A couple of neighbors but never heard them. Not the easiest piece of ground to get the trailer leveled but we made it work. Very pleased with our 3 nights there.
TravelerIt is now up to $40. $20 bucks for the night and then $20 for the day pass. It is well maintained. The spots are hit or miss. There's some spots close to each other and some dispersed.
ScoutBased 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.
Equestrian camping near Taos, New Mexico offers access to extensive trail networks at elevations ranging from 8,000 to 9,500 feet. The region encompasses three distinct ecosystems: alpine mountains, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and sagebrush plateaus. Summer temperatures average 70-85°F during the day, dropping to 40-50°F at night, with afternoon thunderstorms common in July and August.
Trail riding at Rio Costilla Park: Located about an hour north of Taos, this 10,000-acre park offers extensive riding opportunities with meadow and forest terrain. "The camp sites are spread apart so much that it feels like dispersed camping. Portable toilets are close to all sites, but no running water," notes Terry who visited in 2022.
Fishing at high-elevation lakes: Many campgrounds near Taos provide fishing access at 8,000+ feet elevation. At Agua Piedra Campground, "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," according to Tammy V.
Multi-day wilderness exploration: The Carson National Forest offers overnight backcountry routes for experienced riders. Santa Barbara Campground serves as a gateway to these trails, with one visitor noting, "This campground is the entry point to the NORTHERN end of Pecos wilderness with access to amazing backpacking, high mountain peaks, and literally dozens of groups of backpackers daily going up the trail."
High altitude temperatures: The region's elevation provides relief from summer heat. At Cimarron Campground (8,900 feet), "We stayed July 1st-5th, 2021. Beautiful location in a place I wasn't expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service," reports Jade T.
Solitude on weekdays: Many campgrounds see lower usage mid-week. At Agua Piedra, one camper observed, "Quiet weekdays. Busy weekends. Vault toilets pretty decent. Site quality varies but most look pretty level. Most have some shade. Sites are gravel and well spaced."
Access to water features: Streams and lakes offer both recreation and ambiance. At Hopewell Lake Campground, "The trout fishing is fun and always a success at the lake. We've only stayed at the developed camp ground once, and it was nice especially with the toilets," according to Sara S.
Road conditions vary significantly: Many campgrounds require travel on unpaved roads with challenging sections. For Iron Gate Campground, one reviewer warns, "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."
Cell service limitations: Most areas have minimal or no connectivity. At Mallette Creek North, a camper reported: "Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably."
Weather patterns: Afternoon storms are common during summer months. "It will drizzle regularly and sometimes pours so prepare for that," advises a visitor to Rio Costilla Park, while another notes, "It got cold at night, like 27°F" at a Carson National Forest dispersed site in April.
Stream exploration opportunities: Children often enjoy playing in the shallow waterways. At Santa Barbara Campground, a visitor shared: "Stayed here in a single tent site which was large enough for 6 adults and three kids to hang out comfortably. Went exploring in the river next to the campground and then took a short hike up the river to some amazing river canyon views."
Fishing for beginners: Several stocked lakes provide reliable catches for young anglers. "The smaller [pond at Shuree] was reserved for kids's fishing. Both are classied as 'Green Chile' waters so only flies or artificial lures with a single, barbless hook are allowed. 2 fish limit," notes a Cimarron Campground visitor.
Wildlife viewing potential: The region offers opportunities to spot deer, elk, and other animals. At Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578, a camper reported, "I saw two elk across a swath of sage. I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road."
Water availability challenges: Most campgrounds have limited or sulfur-affected water. At Agua Piedra, "Water on site is listed as potable but smells and tastes so strongly of sulphur that it cannot be tolerated for drinking or cooking. Make sure to haul in water."
Site leveling requirements: The mountainous terrain creates sloped sites at many campgrounds. A visitor to Borrego Mesa Campground noted, "Very small, but quiet and secluded primitive campground. Several sites appear to be overgrown or have too much debris to be usable. There are a couple sites that could fit a small trailer."
Limited hookup options: Almost no sites near Taos offer power or sewer connections. According to one Hopewell Lake camper, "None of the sites have hook ups so you will be boon docking. There are vault toilets and water available. Sign on the water spigot said not to connect a hose though so filling your rv or trailer is not what they were intended for."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Taos, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Taos, NM is Agua Piedra Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 11 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Taos, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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