Best Dispersed Camping near Ute Park, NM

The Carson National Forest surrounding Ute Park, New Mexico features predominantly dispersed camping options along forest service roads and near water features. Forest Road 5 dispersed sites and Rio Fernando de Taos camping areas offer riverside locations with varying levels of accessibility, while the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument provides more dramatic landscape camping near the gorge. Most sites are primitive with no facilities, though a few areas like Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping include basic amenities such as toilets. The region's camping landscape consists primarily of undeveloped sites on public lands within 30 miles of Ute Park, with options ranging from riverside pull-offs to higher elevation forest clearings.

Road conditions significantly impact accessibility throughout the area, with many campsites requiring high-clearance vehicles or 4WD, especially during spring snowmelt or summer monsoon seasons. As one camper noted, "When we stayed, the ground was still quite damp - I would have stayed longer, but there were 3 days of rain in the forecast, and I felt there was a significant risk of getting stuck." Spring camping often means navigating muddy conditions, while summer brings afternoon thunderstorms. Most dispersed sites operate on a 14-day stay limit under Forest Service regulations. Cell service varies dramatically, with many forest road locations having limited or no connectivity. Winter temperatures frequently drop below freezing, with spring snowmelt creating unique riverside camping conditions.

Wildlife viewing opportunities rank highly among camper experiences, with numerous reports of elk sightings at sites like Rio Fernando de Taos. According to one visitor, "The animals are really coming out though—lots of birds and frogs chirping, ducks were swimming in the ponds, and we even had some elk pass through our camp!" River access is a common highlight, with many campsites positioned along waterways for fishing and ambient sound. Campers consistently mention the solitude and quiet as primary attractions, though some note that sites directly off forest roads offer less privacy. The dramatic views from Rio Grande del Norte National Monument sites receive particular praise, with one reviewer describing it as "the most remote BLM site I've ever been to, right at the edge of the Gorge."

Best Dispersed Sites Near Ute Park, New Mexico (26)

    1. Forest Road 5 - Dispersed campsite

    9 Reviews
    Angel Fire, NM
    16 miles
    Website

    "There are several sites along FR-5, though some might require high clearance or 4wd. "

    "No facilities. Crick 3x bigger now. Early May. So beautiful."

    2. Rio Fernando de Taos - Forest Rd 5

    3 Reviews
    Angel Fire, NM
    15 miles
    Website

    "Just a handful of sites on this short road--one side of the road is fairly open but has the creek/river flowing nearby; the other side of the road is more in the forest and offers some shade and privacy"

    "Fairly accessible. We brought a pop up. Elk everywhere. We had a nice time"

    3. Mallette Creek North

    3 Reviews
    Red River, NM
    21 miles

    "Even with a couple and a new born up the hill I never heard them from our campervan! Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"

    "This 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."

    4. Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping

    8 Reviews
    Valdez, NM
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-6200

    "No amenities except some great river side places. Dispersed camping along the road (though it’s not a busy one, especially not at night so not noisy) right on the river."

    "I car-camped here just before Labor Day weekend and while it wasn’t the most private camping area, I was able to snag a spot along the river and had a nice time."

    5. Greenie Peak

    1 Review
    Red River, NM
    21 miles

    "Quick trip here overnight. lots of spots on the drive up to the peak, so don’t have to make it the whole way."

    6. Forest Road 438 Dispersed

    2 Reviews
    Ranchos de Taos, NM
    29 miles

    "Stumbled on this location by chance when another location nearby was closed. Long forest road with approximately 8-10 dispersed campsites along the road."

    "Numerous spots along the forest road and some are tucked off the road a bit. The spot we found about a 1/2 mile or so past the bridge has a little fire ring and right next to the little creek."

    7. Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

    3 Reviews
    San Cristobal, NM
    33 miles
    Website

    "Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is BLM land so it is all dispersed camping. You will need to make sure you aren't on someone's property or nearby any roads. There are plenty of turn offs. "

    "This is the most remote BLM site I’ve ever been too. Right at the edge of the Gorge, it is primitive—only saw one bathroom about 2 miles back."

    8. Dispersed Camping Near Taos

    4 Reviews
    Arroyo Hondo, NM
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 758-8851

    "Dirt road but we did it with no problem with our 24ft trailer."

    "A 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."

    9. Forest Service 439

    3 Reviews
    Vadito, NM
    33 miles

    "A little stream is near by-- a little shallow and a little mucky on the bottom, but really refreshing. The stars are incredible, also some beautiful views of the mountains from the lower section."

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Dispersed Camping Reviews near Ute Park, NM

53 Reviews of 26 Ute Park Campgrounds


  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 14, 2020

    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

    Quiet beauty

    Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is BLM land so it is all dispersed camping. You will need to make sure you aren't on someone's property or nearby any roads. There are plenty of turn offs. 

    This isn't a "get away" more like a stopover spot. I stopped here on my way back North to Colorado to see the bridge over the Rio Grande and so I wasn't so high up in elevation that I would freeze. 

    But if you can find a quiet place it is a beautiful dispersed spot where there is civilization nearby and toilets at local businesses  and picnic areas that you can use. See map on review. 

    Be careful roaming at night. The drop into the river is quite deep so offroading isn't just ill advised for keeping the flora and fauna safe…but you as well. 

    There are picnic ares around the monument too, just not established camping spots.

  • Jennifer H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 12, 2023

    Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

    Cold and quiet with good views

    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!

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 30, 2024

    Forest Service 439

    Rough

    I pull a small trailer and the road in was rough. I was concerned about being able to turn around. When I got to the spot where there are six or eight camping spots, finding one suitable for a trailer was difficult, but I did it. This is more suitable to car camping.

    There is an open area that would be good for group camping. There are three or more RVs that appear to be permanent  features. That was strange. Looked like fishing camps. I didn't want to drive the steep road down to this area.

    Personally, I wish I had stopped a the forest service campsites up hill from this location, but if you are in a car and want to tent camp here, I don't see a problem,

  • Jacob  W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 21, 2022

    Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

    Primitive dispersed camping

    I tent-camped off of Carson NF Forest Service Road 578 in mid April 2022. FS 578 is south of Tres Piedras about 5 miles on the west side of Hwy 285. There are several dirt road turn offs but FS 578 is clearly marked with a brown NFS sign (see photo) and has no gate but there is a cattle guard/grate. Here is a NFS road use map that shows dispersed camping along FS 578 and many other NFS roads: https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/gis/mvum/Carson/CarsonTresPiedrasCanjilonElRito.pdf (see also screenshot). My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV. There were few clearings suitable for dispersed camping but 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. I carried two black boulders over to serve as a table and chair. 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. I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road. It got cold at night, like 27 F. It was a nice waypoint on my trip between Gunnison CO and El Paso TX but it didn’t look like many people camped there. I had intended to drive to Taos the next day on Hwy 64, but didn’t.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 4, 2025

    Forest Road 5 - Dispersed campsite

    Beautiful area!

    We stayed here for 2 days at the beginning of June 2025.  There are several sites along FR-5, though some might require high clearance or 4wd.  When we stayed, the ground was still quite damp - I would have stayed longer, but there were 3 days of rain in the forecast, and I felt there was a significant risk of getting stuck.

  • Ron G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 9, 2023

    Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

    Tres Piedras area

    The 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.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 1, 2021

    Tres Piedras Dispersed Site

    Great spot for dispersed

    No hookups. Not many people. You can spend 14 days there. Make sure you practice LNT and take some time to enjoy nature.

  • Meghan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 12, 2025

    Rio Fernando de Taos - Forest Rd 5

    Rio Fernando de Taos - Forest Road 5

    Really, really loved this spot--such a beautiful area. Just a handful of sites on this short road--one side of the road is fairly open but has the creek/river flowing nearby; the other side of the road is more in the forest and offers some shade and privacy. The melting snow has the ponds and river overflowing, so many of the sites are flooded and inaccessible at the moment. We had camped towards the end of the road near the turn around spot due to most sites being flooded. The animals are really coming out though--lots of birds and frogs chirping, ducks were swimming in the ponds, and we even had some elk pass through our camp! Cell service is sporadic in this area. Of course, no amenities here so pack out what you bring in.

  • m
    Nov. 11, 2023

    Dispersed Camping Near Taos

    Great spots all with gorge views

    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 to Ute Park

Dispersed camping near Ute Park, New Mexico offers several primitive sites on national forest land with varying levels of accessibility throughout the year. Located in the Sangre de Cristo mountains at elevations between 7,000-9,000 feet, the area experiences wide temperature ranges with overnight lows reaching the mid-40s even in July. Most camping options require navigating unpaved roads that can become challenging after rainfall.

What to do

Fishing in mountain streams: Rio Fernando de Taos camping areas provide access to small streams where camping and fishing can be combined. "My boyfriend was able to fish along the river at our site while I stayed in the hammock- super nice. Even though we were right next to the water, there were less bugs than anticipated," notes one camper at Forest Road 438 Dispersed.

Wildlife observation: Early morning and evening wildlife viewing opportunities abound, particularly for elk sightings. A visitor to Mallette Creek North mentioned: "Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!" This spot offers good wildlife viewing opportunities in a less crowded setting.

Hot springs hiking: Some dispersed camping areas provide access to natural hot springs. "Made a quick walk down to the springs in the evening and watched the stars come out. Awesome!!" reports a camper at Dispersed Camping Near Taos, referring to nearby springs accessible via hiking trails.

What campers like

Mountain views: The elevation around Ute Park provides campers with expansive mountain vistas. A visitor to Mallette Creek North stated: "This is what we wanted to find with dispersed camping! Beautiful view! A couple of neighbors but never heard them."

Water features: Many sites are positioned near creeks that provide ambient sounds and recreation. "There are several sites along FR-5, though some might require high clearance or 4wd," notes one camper at Forest Road 5. Another visitor added: "Numerous spots along the forest road and some are tucked off the road a bit. The spot we found about a 1/2 mile or so past the bridge has a little fire ring and right next to the little creek."

Night sky viewing: The remote nature of camping areas around Ute Park offers excellent stargazing. One camper at Rio Grande del Norte National Monument shared: "This is the most remote BLM site I've ever been too. Right at the edge of the Gorge, it is primitive—only saw one bathroom about 2 miles back."

What you should know

Road conditions: Access to many camping spots requires careful driving and appropriate vehicles. As one Forest Road 5 camper reported: "Each time we make a trip to the area, I look into different dispersed areas, but always come back to this one. The road can be a little bumpy, but there was numerous spots along the way. Decently sized, mostly flat areas to set up for the night. Some spots the entrance is steep, so be wary of small cars if it's muddy."

Weather preparedness: Mountain weather can change rapidly with storms developing quickly. A camper at Forest Road 5 - Dispersed campsite shared: "Early May. Got caught up in a spring snowstorm of several feet. Tent was buried two nights running. The site is worth the wait... No services, running crick throughout."

Limited facilities: Most sites have no amenities, requiring campers to be self-sufficient. A visitor to Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping noted: "Cuchillo Del Medio does have some fire pits, picnic tables, and a bathroom. You do get to camp right on a clear river that is beautiful!"

Tips for camping with families

Accessible water play: Shallow creeks offer safe places for children to explore. "We brought our four dogs and 13 year old. There's so much to do to keep them busy. The dogs love the river and to run through it," shares a reviewer about Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping.

Group-friendly areas: Some sites accommodate larger family gatherings with space to spread out. A camper at Rio Fernando de Taos mentioned: "We met my brother out here. Between us we had 6 kids and 2 dogs. It's not often you find areas like this with decent open spaces that aren't super crowded. Fairly accessible. We brought a pop up. Elk everywhere."

Family wildlife experiences: Camping near meadows increases wildlife viewing opportunities for children. According to one camper at Forest Service 439: "There is an open area that would be good for group camping. A little stream is near by-- a little shallow and a little mucky on the bottom, but really refreshing. The stars are incredible, also some beautiful views of the mountains."

Tips from RVers

RV access limitations: Large rigs face significant challenges on most forest roads. A visitor to Forest Service 439 advised: "I pull a small trailer and the road in was rough. I was concerned about being able to turn around. When I got to the spot where there are six or eight camping spots, finding one suitable for a trailer was difficult, but I did it. This is more suitable to car camping."

Leveling considerations: Uneven terrain makes leveling RVs challenging in many areas. One camper shared: "Solid road, no issue with 25ft travel trailer. There's a gravel cul-de-sac with a couple obvious places to camp. I tried parking so that I was looking out at the clearing, but this made levelling my trailer pretty difficult. Probably would be easier to just keep in on the gravel."

Cell service for remote work: Connectivity varies significantly throughout the region. A visitor noted: "I somehow had 5g reception here on Verizon, and Starlink also worked well," while another reported: "AT&T service was crap, I think one time I got 1 bar of service for a second but I bumped my phone and lost it."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Ute Park, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Ute Park, NM is Forest Road 5 - Dispersed campsite with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Ute Park, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 26 dispersed camping locations near Ute Park, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.