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Best Tent Camping near Tierra Amarilla, NM

360 Reviews

Tent campsites near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico range from established campgrounds to remote primitive sites within Carson National Forest. Upper and Lower Lagunitas Campgrounds provide tent-specific sites with vault toilets and picnic tables, while Los Pinos offers walk-in tent camping along a river. Dispersed backcountry tent camping is available along Forest Service Road 578, approximately 25 miles east of town.

Most tent campgrounds in this region operate seasonally from June to October due to high elevation and snow conditions. Sites typically feature minimal amenities, with vault toilets at established campgrounds and no facilities at dispersed locations. Campers should bring all water supplies as no drinking water is available. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with several areas permitting campfires in designated rings when conditions allow. A recent review noted, "Access is easy at Los Pinos with 4-5 improved campsites with vault toilets, most sites on or very near the river." Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for reaching remote tent sites, particularly after rain when forest roads develop ruts.

Tent camping in this region offers exceptional solitude and natural surroundings. The dispersed sites along Forest Service Road 578 provide particularly secluded experiences with one camper sharing that they "didn't see anyone else camping or driving by" during their stay. Many tent sites sit at elevations around 9,000 feet, offering cooler summer temperatures and expansive views of surrounding mountains. Wildlife sightings are common, with elk and various bird species frequently observed from campsites. Hikers can access numerous trails directly from camping areas, particularly near Upper Lagunitas where reviewers mention "lots of trails, bridge over creek, lakes are nearby by foot." During peak summer weekends, arrive early to secure the limited number of prime tent sites at established campgrounds.

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Best Tent Sites Near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico (28)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Tierra Amarilla, NM

13 Photos of 28 Tierra Amarilla Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Tierra Amarilla, NM

360 Reviews of 28 Tierra Amarilla Campgrounds

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2023

    Riana - Abiquiu Lake

    Great views, great hosts

    Camped 2 nights at site #38 on the Puerco Loop. Reserved thru rec.gov while at the site. Wonderful campground hosts. Site was not quite level for our campervan, but close enough. Good views of lake & surrounding area from site. Vault toilet & drinking water a short walk away. Juniper provided minimal privacy. Site has lantern poll, fire ring, trash can & table. No hookups at this site. $6/night with senior pass. Restroom/shower house within walking distance. Facilities & vault toilets were very clean. Hiking trail in campground. AT&T & T-Mobile service. Overall, quiet & peaceful stay.

  • marycatmathis ..The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 29, 2020

    Oak Point Campground

    Lovely, Beachy, Scenic

    These coordinates are a rough estimate, but this entire forrest road is filled with amazing campsites you can simply pull off and camp in. currently there’s a fire ban, so it makes it hard to stay warm at night, but the stars are amazing. it’s quiet. it’s lovely. there’s canyon walls for miles. it’s really amazing. some of these pics are from the nearby canyon that’s a bit of a walk up the road, but most are from our campground. loved our first experience camping in New Mexico!

  • Tim W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 24, 2023

    Whirlpool Dispersed Camping Area

    Will go again

    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.

  • E
    Jul. 25, 2019

    Island View — Heron Lake State Park

    Unusually Quiet

    I did a fair amount of research online regarding walk-in tent camping at Heron Lake, during the week. See the great maps and detail at https://newmexicostateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/heron-lake/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NM&parkId=430012 . I called the visitor center to confirm that being a walk-in would not be a problem during the week. Once one arrives as a walk-in, look for the campsites with a green tag on them.

    The Heron Lake camp sites shown at the above reserveamerica website all have a fair amount of trees for shade. What the reserveamerica site does not show is a few more Heron Lake campgrounds southwest along Highway 95 (beyond the dam). The southwesterly sites are way more exposed to the sun than the first four campgrounds. Otherwise, the southwesterly campgrounds have fine views of the lake.

    I was at Island View campground, in a loop that was convoluted enough that I do not think a trailer (with its inevitable noisy generator) could get in. I guess that this is the point. As a result, all I heard from time to time were muffled voices and no generators. It's the first tent spring-summer-fall camping I have enjoyed in years that was generator-free. I had at least one empty campsite on either side of me as an additional buffer to noise.

    I walked along the lakeshore. It did not seem that low. I saw large fish jumping in one cove. I hiked the Salmon Run Trail to the dam. The Salmon Run Trail is a beautiful hike, not all level but not too steep for this older person's knees and walking poles. On the lake side of the dam, walking along the highway to get a good look at the dam, I saw several schools of large fish.

    The vault bathrooms and the flush-toilet bathrooms were fine. Not super clean and not super dirty. I did not try the shower but it looked like people were using it.

    This time of year, bring some bug repellent or wear jeans and a light long sleeve shirt at night. New Mexico has had a lot of moisture this season, so I think the bug-giness is higher than usual. Still, I sat outside and read for an hour or so pretty comfortably.

    The camp host was lovely.

  • Michael M.
    Aug. 30, 2017

    Ponderosa Campground

    The River runs through it

    The website listed for this campground is correct Ponderosa campground Antonito, CO.

    Phone 719.376.5857

    This is a very relaxing place to stay and it seems like most of the people there have been there many times before. The drive in is easy on Route 17 and does not require a vehicle with high ground clearance. They do allow campfires, they have clean bathrooms and a shower house. I stayed in a backpacking tent after driving all day arriving on a Friday at about 4:00 PM. The campground is set-up for small campers and has some cabins for rent too. The bathrooms with showers are clean and comfortable. The sites have fire rings with grates and picnic tables. The owner manager is great, providing quality fishing advice, conversation and even a free cup of coffee in the morning. Hiking on the CDT is near the campground and fishing is right in the campground. The steam train is right up the pass and I happened to be there the night before opening day catching a photo when I drove over the pass to Chama New Mexico. The Cumbres and Toltec Train traveling between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico. This is a very nice drive and Chama is a cool place to visit, it is a trail town on the CDT.

    I will visit this campground again for sure.

  • Tyler G.
    Jun. 22, 2016

    Hopewell Lake Campground

    Wonderful Campground in the scenic Tusas Mountains

    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

  • Abigail R.
    Jul. 10, 2021

    Ponderosa Campground

    Secluded and beautiful

    I actually deleted my other review because I thought I had the wrong campsite but I checked and it’s all good. The only amenity we had was a vault toilet with a nearby water pump, a fire pit, picnic table and bear boxes. The vault toilets were probably the nicest I’ve been too. They were clean and didn’t smell at all.

    The view was beautiful and it’s a short hike down to wade in the cool water. I really enjoyed the quiet here. There were only a few other campers and it mostly felt like we had the place to ourselves.

  • Lucy L.
    Jun. 18, 2021

    Alamosa

    Rustic and wooded

    I was here on a Thursday and there were 2 other sites taken by the end of the night. This is off a backroad (dirt) that is somewhat well traveled.  So the campground is petty accessible by any vehicle. But the campground is tucked between the river and the road. There was 0 traffic all night, but a few cars by the morning. There is 1 vault toilet and all sites have a picnic table and fire ring. There is parking for 2 cars at each site, but more space to park close by.  No tent pads but the ground is clear for easy tent placement. It is very quiet at night other than the gurgling river. It is thickly wooded and plenty of shade. This is in a small valley that runs East/West, but the sun doesn't pop over the mountains until late and it sets early. This is a free first-come/first-serve campground.

  • A
    Nov. 14, 2021

    Blanco Campground — Heron Lake State Park

    Peaceful

    Camp spots are nice and roomy. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There is no septic dump at your site, however they do have a dump station on the way out. Love the fact that they have quiet hours.

Guide to Tierra Amarilla

Camping near Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico offers a rugged backcountry experience at elevations typically between 8,000-9,500 feet. The region sits at the northern edge of Carson National Forest where dense pine forests and mountain meadows dominate the landscape. Winter snowpack often restricts tent camping in Tierra Amarilla to the June-September window, with many remote sites requiring high-clearance vehicles.

What to do

Trout fishing access: Both lakes and streams provide fishing opportunities throughout the Carson National Forest area. At Canjilon Creek Campground, campers can fish three stocked lakes. "It has three lakes filled with trout. Lots of areas to explore. Plenty of wood to forage for," reports one visitor.

Wildlife observation: Early mornings and evenings offer prime wildlife viewing times. At Turkey Creek Road dispersed sites, campers regularly spot wildlife in nearby meadows. "I saw two elk across a swath of sage," shares one camper who stayed in the area.

Hiking network: Multiple trail systems connect camping areas to alpine lakes and meadows. "Lots of trails, bridge over creek, lakes are nearby by foot," notes a camper who visited Elk Creek Trail.

What campers like

Seclusion and privacy: Forest Service Road 578 provides particularly isolated camping spots away from crowds. One reviewer noted, "Private and beautiful... Stayed one night and saw no one else. Multiple pulloffs for unmarked campsites."

Accessible water features: Many tent sites are positioned near creeks or small lakes. At Los Pinos, "Most sites were on or very near the river," according to a recent visitor.

Natural campfire settings: Where permitted, established fire rings enhance the primitive camping experience. As one camper at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 described, "I found a nice spot with a small fire circle in a small clearing on the south side of the road just past a fork in the road."

What you should know

Road conditions: Many forest roads develop deep ruts after rainfall. "RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet. AWD/4WD needed on the rutted rocky road," warns a camper about Forest Service Road 578 access.

Limited facilities: Even established campgrounds offer minimal amenities. One camper described Upper Lagunitas Campground as "Very quiet, remote campground with space between sites. Best for tents."

Environmental concerns: Some areas suffer from visitor impacts. At Lower Lagunitas Campground, a visitor observed "Lots of trash in the area... wish the state would enforce laws up in these parts. The roads around and leading to are washboard and washed out in places from the rain."

Temperature variations: High elevation camping means significant day-to-night temperature swings. A camper at Forest Service Road 578 reported, "It got cold at night, like 27°F."

Tips for camping with families

Choose developed sites: Families with young children benefit from campgrounds with basic facilities. At Elk Creek Trail, a visitor notes the area offers "Fire rings, metal and stone. Plenty of room. Two vault toilets were clean plenty of TP."

Consider accessibility needs: Some campgrounds allow easier vehicle access than others. For Los Pinos, a camper advises, "Access is easy. There are 4-5 improved campsites with vault toilets."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Tierra Amarilla, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Tierra Amarilla, NM is Canjilon Creek Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Tierra Amarilla, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 28 tent camping locations near Tierra Amarilla, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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