Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Taos, NM

Truly fantastic view go along with this campsite. The sites are fairly primitive but the location is one of the greatest around. It’s a decent drive up here from Taos but you won’t be disappointed once you get here. The trail down to the confluence of the Red River and the Rio Grand is steep and gravel.

There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango. We mapped Forest Road 578 and it took us to a dirt road with a lot of flat spots you can camp on. We spent the night there and it was very quiet and peaceful. If you keep going to Durango you’ll get to Carson National Forest, which is not too far from the coordinates on The Dyrt. That’s where more people are camping, you can pull off right before the 64H road marker. You’ll keep passing camping spots as you drive to Durango so you can really go almost anywhere!

Cimarron Canton State Park is a wonderful place to stay, right on the Cimarron River. Bring your fishing gear and license for some relaxing fishing. Some of the sites are immediately adjacent to the river. My favorite campground is Tolby, the Westernmost. It has a Ranger/Information Station in the east end of the campground. It has flush toilets and sinks, but no shower. This is my favorite, because I love to hike and backpack. Just south across Highway 64 from the campground entrance is the Tolby Trailhead. The Tolby Trail takes you all the way back to Tolby Meadow on an excellent trail. A good spot for overnight tent camping. Tolby campground is also just minutes from Eagle Nest, NM and within easy range of Angel Fire, Red River, and a little less than an hour from Taos.

There are two other campgrounds for RVs, Maverick and Ponderosa, as well as one more for tent camping. Maverick sits right next to a pair of gravel pit lakes for added Fishing opportunities. Ponderosa is across the street from that, but is more like a parking lot with painted camping slots around its perimeter.

In the town of Cimarron I recommend dining at the Historic St. James hotel (very haunted) or lunch at the Creemee. Stop in at the headquarters of Philmont Scout Ranch for the National Scounting Museum and a Tour of the Villa Philimonte (Waite Phillips’ mansion). Also recommended is the Tooth of Time Traders at Philmont. It’s a camping/hiking store that is like an REI.

If you’re coming via Raton, the Colfax Tavern between Raton and Cimarron at Cold Beer New Mexico is a great place to stop for food and drinks.

We visited here for a week in October and loved this area. The topography is unmatched! The RV sites were so beautiful and ample. We enjoyed the dog park with our furry buds and enjoyed the hikes around AF. So much to do in this area. Some of it was shut down during the pandemic, but this place is top notch!!

We really like this RV Park! The spaces are wide and angled enough to allow for great views! There are no trees, so you will be using your AC and awning when it’s hot out. Sites were quite level and hookups are easy access. There are both full hookup sites and water and electric only sites; there is an RV dump. Laundry, restrooms and convenience store are still closed due to Covid - much of New Mexico is still this way. It is right off Highway 64 which has a minimal amount of road noise, but provides easy access.There’s a Pet Resort across the road where you hear dogs barking in the distance in the mornings. They do need to start working on weed control before the weeds get out of hand. Each of those negatives are so minimal, I still rate this as a five! Wide spaces and good views are always strong points in my reviews!

Not a bad setting. Surrounded by mountains, yet you are really in the city of Taos. Prices are fair, pull through with Electric and Water $43.00. The landscape is really cool, fits the New Mexico motif. A little noisy in the morning with the barking dogs in the surrounding neighborhood. We felt safe with no problems.

If your wanting to get out and play in the snow or explore more in depth the beautiful culture of New Mexico, Taos has a little for everyone

If you have a pet and want to overnight versus stay at the Casitas, it’s just a short walk to the spa and hot springs (20% discount). RV/campsites offer simple flat overnight spaces and picnic benches. On-site showers too.

We stayed here on the way to Taos New Mexico. The canyon is along highway 64 in between Cimarron and Taos. The Cimarron Canyon State Park runs for about 8 miles along the base of the canyon. The park has 4 small roadside campgrounds which have good facilities and camp hosts. The sites aren’t the best but the nightly fee is only $10. We found room at two of the camps during the summer peak season without a reservation. The canyon has suffered from major wildfire events in recent years, especially on the eastern side. The forest is in better shape as you rise in elevation closer to Taos. The elevation is around 7500. So the temps stay fairly moderate even in the summer. The Cimarron River runs through the canyon with great fishing as well.

The National Forest Service campground is located on highway 64 between Angel Fire and Taos New Mexico. The site is just a few feet off the highway next to a small creek. They have about a dozen small campsites along the creek with privacy between the sites. The sites are very basic and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. The location had availability during the summer peak season. The site is self serve pay and does not have a camp host. The location may be a good option for those looking to visit Taos which is about 30 minutes away. I gave this a low rating due to the condition of the sites which needed basic maintenance and cleanup. The site was also far to close to the highway to enjoy a good camping experience. I think this is the type of place you use as a last resort while in transit to Taos or Eagles nest.

This is a great place to stay if you want to explore Taos. Much more vegetation than you would expect from a campground close to town. The staff are friendly. The facilities were clean. The park is older but in an charming New Mexico way. They have funky wooden shade structures at some of the sites.  We felt safe here. We will definitely stay here again.

We are not RV park people but found ourselves in need of showers and laundry. Taos Valley is easy to find and very convenient to Taos. Office was friendly and helpful. The no hook-up area was very quiet. The area is attractive with trees and other landscaping. The park included a ‘natural’ area perfect for walking dogs. We only planned for one day but stayed for two.

This is one of the nicest state parks we have visited. Eagles Nest is about 19 miles west of Taos near the Carson National Forest. The campground is on the west side of a beautiful lake I the town of Eagles Nest. This is one of the most beautiful places in Northern New Mexico and well worth the visit. The campground caters to the RV and boating community. They have first class facilities including two boat launches, group meeting venues, and a huge visitors center. The facilities are well maintained and have been recently upgraded. The sites are spacious but exposed with no tree cover or privacy. The view more than makes up for these negatives. The altitude of the site provides for a nice summer climate and a frozen winter park near top class downhill skiing. You will need to make reservations well in advance to get a spot at this popular venue. They are typically full throughout the weak. They have fresh water taps throughout the site, a dump station, and nice site toilets and showers.

At $55/night I initially was a little skeptical. What is worth $55/night to pitch a tent. The owners here showed me. They really go above and beyond making each campground unique, hospitable, and artsy. There’s solar powered lights that come in at night that give just the right amount of festive touch without overdoing it or being too bright. There’s solitude yet connectedness. The spit we’re at, #3, is perfect for tents. Huge fire pit, great huge log benches, an awesome campfire cooking set, a charcoal grill as well, portapotty, trash can, water, and even a small welcome packet with cards and dish soap. It’s a lovely and thoughtful place. Just a hint of glamping - the perfect amount in my opinion. We’ll be back for sure. Oh the animals! How could I forget!?!?!? My daughter would come back for the pigs, goats, horses, cats, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and assorted other animals as well.
The owners are over the moon wonderful. Can’t say enough. One of the best camp sites I’ve ever been to.

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. It was enchanting enough that we made sure to make it back for an opportunity to take in the scenery and relax during a long weekend. The only issue we ran into was an abundance of mosquitos, but this should be expected during the late Spring/early Summer in northern New Mexico and can be easily addressed with a citronella candle and a bit of bug spray. Our most recent stay was on one of those rare nights where you can pull off the rain fly and not worry about a midnight downpour, which left us with a wonderful view of the stars, and the sites are private enough that, as long as you don't set up next to the table, it's comfortable with an open tent and away from prying eyes.

The campground is nice, very well maintained, and the site host is friendly and helpful. The grounds are a