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Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. It means no services; such as trash removal, and little or no facilities; such as tables, fire pits and toilets are provided. There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It is your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers. The Tres Piedras Ranger District is managed for many multi-use purposes; hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, snowmobiling, camping and personal firewood cutting are among the activities.
Please LNT when dispersed camping
Campfires & pets permitted. Toilet, showers and picnic tables. Rv & Tents welcome. Electric and non-electric sites available.
Guide
We parked a little further off 285 than most people so the road noise was minimal. A car drove past us on the dirt road in the morning which was surprising but nothing more. There was a rotting animal smell once in a while but we didn’t smell once inside. No toilet. Someone left a small fire ring. The road was rutted, don’t go if it’s wet. Fine for overnight lodging but I wouldn’t hang out there.
TravelerA good amount of dispersed sites off of FSR558. I just pulled off to one of the closer sites but looked like tons of other sites were further in on the road. Really quiet even with the highway close by. Great stars at night, decently clean (the sites that I saw). You could probably make it in a 2WD vehicle for the first few sites but it gets a bit more rugged as you continue in.
Traveler
There are 20+ campsites along FR667. Some can accommodate RVs, some only tents. We parked a popup at the 1st campsite past the bridge near the trailhead. 2 waterfalls are close, Pagosa Springs is 30ish mins away. Our kids tubed down the creek. Lots of ATV traffic, some bikes, but overall quiet.
Guide
We spent a few nights in the dispersed area near Hopewell . We rolled in at 5 and had plenty of sites to choose from. We chose one of the lower areas, with one large open space surrounded by smaller sites. There were many more up the road, and there was constant traffic headed uphill until about 9PM. Once the traffic stopped it was very quiet, only the cattle calling through the trees. It rained for several hours and our spot stayed solid. Some offshoot roads were rutted out. The main road had minimal rocks and holes, didn't get very muddy. TMobile\Google mobile service worked well enough. Verizon did not work.
Guide
Grate spot on the river No cell service Someone has left trash
Scout
Incredible spot, river is incredibly cold even in August. Most sites have river access: Wildlife is abundant. Air is cool. One of the most beautiful spots I’ve ever camped at. The only downside? The F’n ATVS. Disrespectful to other campers and stir up SO much dust, also just out right dangerous? Because of this the road is full of washboards. Folks out here apparently also do not care to pick up their trash or have any common curtesy of how to leave a campsite. Very unfortunate:( PSA: clean up your trash and pack out your used toilet paper…. 🤢 We stayed at 3 different sites. Sites get better the further along you go, road is rough but nothing a standard 4x4 vehicle can’t handle. (We have a Toyota Tacoma) There are hiking trails/ ATV trails too. We will definitely be back. Great spot during the week when there’s less traffic!
ScoutThis dispersed area is close to Hopewell Lake and Campground where there is fishing and vaulted toilets. The Continental Divide Trail goes right through this location.
Guide
There only seemed to be about 2 camping spots. However there is area to just pull off and park. I stayed here 1 night no issues. There is no Verizon phone signal. Stayed at the first large pull off with a stone circle fireplace. It was nice and quite, not a busy road.
GuideWaterfalls, atv trails for miles some novice some very experienced trails, hiking, creeks, fishing. Hands down my favorite CO spot. With kids or wanting some beauty this is hands down the best! We did camp passed the east fork campgrounds. All the way down to the beginning of the ranch road way you have plenty of dispersed tent areas and rv areas (no electric).
Scouteasy to get to right on the river. got the last spot late on memorial weekend. a lot of 4 wheelers but sidnt bother us! we stayed an extra couple days it was such a great spot!
Guide
We found this place randomly. Seen all the road exits of the Carson National Forest on our way to Taos we said “let’s give it a try!” And we found apparently a fairly popular place. It may be due to available internet connection (which we greatly enjoyed it after weeks!) or just a lower altitude spot that may help with physical activity and weather temps. At any rate, easy and short access to the camp sites via gravel sandy road, some with fire rings and camp tables, leveled grounds for trailers and lots of pine trees for privacy. There are signs for trailheads and pretty rock formations that will need to be explored next time. We stayed a night and enjoyed it to the fullest. Highly recommended, especially as nights get nice and chill (vs. hot day temps) for good sleep.
Scout
This place can get busy during peak season. Roads are rough, go slow. Beautiful views. Pack in and pack out, no running water, and no bathrooms. One of our favorite places to stay.
ScoutExcellent official dispersed camping area in the Conejos river valley. Entrance is marked with a USFS sign. Very large area for camping spread across multiple meadows. Access is a dirt road in poor condition, high clearance recommended but 4WD is only necessary in wet conditions. Fantastic views of the river valley and surrounding mountains. The area itself is perched on a dry hill well above the river, do not plan to walk or drive down to the river at this location. Very clean and trash-free, help keep it that way!
Scout
One thing is that you MUST approach from the west, you can’t get here coming from the east over John dun bridge. Dirt road but we did it with no problem with our 24ft trailer. Make sure you go all the way to the coordinates as there are a ton of great spots off to the left of the road, plenty of room to spread out and some solidly flat spots. Made a quick walk down to the springs in the evening and watched the stars come out. Awesome!!
Guide
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!
Traveler
We got there on a Friday and had our pick of sites. We picked one right on the river. No electricity. No water. No picnic tables. No trash receptacle. Vault toilets. Camp spaces are spread out. Some of the roads on the campground had deep ruts and pools of mud water but not all. You can see every star on a clear night. The road to the campground is about 6 miles of curvy dirt and gravel single lane. But a woman managed it in a Jaguar so not too bad just go slow. Rustic and relaxing.
GuideThis camping spot is awesome but can be busy at times. One down side being close to the river is the bugs, literally thousands of them can make it unpleasant. Outside of that the spot on the river is fantastic for viewing pleasure. You can certainly find valuable relaxation here.
TravelerWide open dispersed desert camping. FS-558 runs for several miles south of HWY-285. We stayed closer to the highway which is safer without 4WD. Higher clearance is helpful due to ruts in the road. There's a fair amount of trash, but plenty of spots without. Bummer that locals use public land as their private dumping area. The nights were quiet, other than occasionally coyote calls, which add to the ambiance. We had a few thousand acres all to ourselves for four nights while climbing on nearby El Rito walls.
RangerAs you can see in the pictures, camping is not allowed here. The icon of the tent with a red line going through it indicates that they would prefer if you do not camp in this place. The other signage indicates that this area is for launching your white water rafting craft if you have the necessary equipment and skills. This entry in the database was not vetted very carefully.
ScoutThe location on Dyrt maps is wrong, forest service is NW of 285 & 64. Beautiful dispersed camping spots plentiful. Park ranger Melissa was the top notch. Couldn’t have been more helpful and friendly. Definitely stay there again.
TravelerA nice secluded little forest road. RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet.
AWD/4WD needed on the rutted rocky road.
Stayed one night and saw no one else.
Multiple pulloffs for unmarked campsites, but the one I picked was right off the road.
Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway. I sporadically received some messages at my camp site but not reliably.
GuideThis has about 3-5 spots depending on how others park. It is low ground so if it is raining a lot, be prepared to dig a trench around your tent. The back spot is the best but you would not fit a trailer back there.
GuideThere was a storm coming in so I was one of the only fools out here so unsure how busy this place gets. There are several spots on the water with 2 large areas that have multiple fire rings within them. Would be to close for me if all spots were full. The ground holds rain and I had to get a ditch going around my tent. Worth it though as the sounds of raging water put me sound to sleep.
Guide
Stayed here for two nights over the 4th of July weekend. Able to find a spacious spot with a stellar view mid-day Saturday.
Road up to the spots is a bit windy but we were able to get our 17’ TT up no problem.
Area was quiet, except for some guy running his four wheeler at 11:30 PM one night. Guess he wanted to celebrate America’s birthday.
Would definitely stay again. Perfect spot between our home in NM and wanting to visit Pagosa Springs.
GuideGreat place to get off the road. Only saw 3 other campers as I drove up the mountain (it’s a holiday weekend). Decent dirt road for any vehicle. Quiet and relaxing.
LegendWe had no problem getting to these sites with our Chevy camper van. Road is bumpy and rutted but nothing your average passenger car couldn’t get to (IMO). There are about 4-5 sites right at this pin for Del Norte dispersed. Most were filled when we got here on a Tuesday afternoon in May. They were also pretty close together and not too private. We continued on for prob less than a mile and there were LOTS of private, beautiful sites right on the river, starting just after the coal creek trailhead turn off. So so beautiful and peaceful. We camped right after the Coal Creek Trailhead turn off and it was one of the best sites in our opinion. You could continue about another mile beyond that and find lots of sites. You will then come to a “high clearance vehicle” needed sign and the road does get a bit more rough but not considerably and we felt it was still very passable in a car. Another mile beyond the high clearance sign you come to an East Fork Ranch sign denoting private property for the next five miles, so prob best to find your spot before here. River was cold and rushing with snow melt but lovely to camp by! We would for sure come back again.
RangerA good dispersed campground with a few spots. Don’t drive to the John dun bridge from Taos use the longer route instead. The switch back road is blocked off now. If you make it up to the campsite it’s only a mile walk to the hot springs down below where the bridge is. You can go fishing over there as well as rock climbing.
Camping near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors. With a variety of campgrounds and activities, you’re sure to find the perfect spot for your next adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Tierra Amarilla, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Tierra Amarilla, NM is Dispersed Camping Near Hopewell Lake with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Tierra Amarilla, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 dispersed camping locations near Tierra Amarilla, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
