Best Tent Camping near Ute Park, NM

My boyfriend and I took a 13 state journey this summer over the course of 3 weeks and this was one of my favorite campsites we stayed at. The site itself was quaint and very nice to tent camp in. The tent sites had raised platforms to put your tent on and the ground underneath was softer, so it wasn’t that uncomfortable to sleep on👍🏻10/10 would go back🏕 they had bear boxes to keep all your food and odorants in over night. They have wood for sale for fires, there’s showers up the road and bathrooms within walking distance of every site. The camp hosts were very kind and helpful.

This place seems like more of a day use area that has some fire rings and picnic tables. As best we could tell, there weren't any great tent camp sites, so we just pulled up onto a ridge and dragged a table up. Perhaps better for campers & small RV's.

That said, the lake is gorgeous and there's a great hike up the riverbed.

Sugarite Canyon is a Sweet Park to visit!

Campground Review:

Located in NW Raton, New Mexico... Sugarite Canyon State Park ( http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/spd/sugaritecanyonstatepark.html ) borders the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains.

During this two month camping and hiking roadtrip, I chose campgrounds purely based on our traveling trajectory...which landed us in Raton, New Mexico at Sugarite Canyon State Park.

The Sugarite Canyon State Park (pronounced "Sugareet") was easy to locate off I-25 in Raton, (72 to 526 six miles NE straight into the park) just a few miles south of the Colorado border. The only campground area open during our mid April visit was the Lake Alice Campground, roughly 6,664 ft. elevation.

The Lake Alice Campground was perched along 526 inside the state park. Being early spring at elevation, the bare trees and bushes were barely budding, so the other three tent sites were fairly visible (four total tent sites), but nicely spaced out. Water (which, at that time, needed to be filtered or boiled by posted warning) and vault toilets were a 40 yard walk from the tent sites. The shower house was located a short drive down 526 across from the Ranger headquarters...and it had electric, modern plumbing and hot showers (however, check with hours of operation).

Gravel tent pads were raised the height of a 8-10" timber box...and roughly 7'x10' in dimension. Each tent site had a picnic table (which could be moved), a stationary and elevated metal food container, and a fire pit/grill on a cement pad. Because of the tight spaces, I felt the fire pit was located too close to the tent pad for my liking...though the wind blew favorably during our visit, keeping embers off the rainfly.

Lake Alice is a small 3 acre reservoir along the Chicorica Creek that spills from the larger Lake Maloya (120 acres). Fishing and hiking (13 miles within the park) are extremely popular in this state park, drawing daily crowds as well as an annual fishing contest. I was advised around 100,000 visit during each summer. Neighboring Colorado State Wildlife Areas, Lake Dorothey SWA (10 acre lake) and James M. John SWA are a stones throw down the gravel road, offering extended hiking and fishing.

Hiking trails from the Ranger Headquarters offer a history lesson with the remnants of the 1920's coal mining town that prospered in this canyon. Purpose to spend some time in the Ranger headquarters perusing the small dioramas depicting life in Sugarite Canyon during the turn of the 1900's. Rangers Scott and Bob were knowledgeable, helpful and knew the history thoroughly. Artifacts and photos in the Ranger Headquarters offer a tremendous pictorial history of the people and events of that era. A few original stone buildings remain intact and usable...the Post Office, which now houses the Ranger Headquarters and the Mule Barn, now the maintenance facility. Self-guided placqards line a walkway surrounding the Ranger Headquarters.

Trails vary from worn singletrack to wide service roads. Be aware of your surroundings for the wildlife that inhabits this area. Gobblers cackled on and off 24 hours, and the beautiful Towhee mountain bluebird flitted around our campsite providing a photo op.

The rushing Chicorica Creek, across the roadway, offered soothing whitenoise to the Alice Campground. There is also tent overflow on the creekside, across from Alice Campground, but no real definable sites...pretty much pitch 'em where you can.

A fire ripped through this area in 2011 with the effects still visible but plenty of lush vegetation growing up.

A hike around Lake Maloya is possible, offering great views of both the alluring waters and towering mountains. The higher elevation Soda Pocket Campground was closed during our visit. The Ponderosa Ridge/Opportunity Trail begins at the Lake Maloya spillway and offers great views (6 mile). The Little Horse Mesa Trail is a two mile roundtrip but climbs to the highest point in the park, flat and giving long mountain views. Snow was still heavy on the peaks. Elevation ranges from near 7,000 ft above 9,000 ft. with a variation of flat-top mesas to sharp peaks and lava flows.

Sugarite Canyon State Park offers numerous activities throughout the year to draw the avid outdoorsperson. Cross country skiing, rock climbing, hunting, fishing, boating (human and electric power only), hiking and picnicing.

We made the short trek over the Colorado border to Lake Dorothey and walked those trails. I read there is an annual butterfly festival there in the adjacent meadow, and one year yielded a one day count of 637 buterflies of 38 species.

Tent camping is $10 a night, in addition to a $5 park vehicle fee. Note: I would give five stars to the Sugarite Canyon State Park overall...but I dinged them one star in this review because of the Lake Alice Campground proximity to the roadway and limited amount of dedicated tent sites. Though, it won't dissaude me from coming back.

**Nearby National Park System Capulin Volcano is a must visit. Like a lone sentinal it towers alone in the high plains. We were fortunate enough to get a visit on one of the sixteen free days each year. Driving the switchbacks and circling the mountain to the parking lot just short of the peak was breathtaking. Without guardrails it is not for the faint of heart. A paved one mile walkway circles the rim of the volcano mouth...and another trail travels down into the mouth. There are pit latrines at the south end of the upper parking lot.

Gear Review: Leatherman WAVE Multi-tool

As a Dyrt Ranger gear tester, I was offered an opportunity to test the latest version of the Leatherman WAVE Multi-tool ( http://www.leatherman.com/wave-10.html ). I have used an original Leatherman folding multi-tool on my dutyrig since 1991. Before getting in too deep on the WAVE review...the Original mult-tool has undergone rigorous daily use for nearly three decades and it still looks and functions like new...so I was anxious to try the latest version of the WAVE and see if that level of quality still remains. Much has changed since the Original version...which is to be expected...and there are improvements from my son's well used military issue Leatherman WAVE.

Having the option, I chose the matte black over the brushed stainless finish...for subdued tactical reasons and anticipated crossover usage. I have attached a photo of all three of the Leatherman tools mentioned above for a visual comparison.

I had ample opportunity to use the function of each of the tools represented during my testing.

Pros

• Razor sharp knife blades
• Positive/Secure Liner-lock function
• Tight tolerances
• Reversable/Interchangeable driver bits
• Durable finish
• Great Customer Service and Warranty

Cons

• Brushed Stainless easier to clean than Matte Black finish
• Interchangeable driver bits (more to store/lose, etc)

The flat blade, while not a filet knife specifically, worked effectively on Rainbows and Browns. The saw blade made short work of saplings for gigs, tarp poles, and roasting sticks (disclaimer: no live trees were harmed in the testing of this tool). The scissors made intricate work easier and safer when my waistband button jettisoned off my Mountain Khakis (I guess too many trout, beans and s'mores)...for hasty handsewing with braided fishing line without removing said trousers.

I liked the reversable function of the removable driver bits, allowing the selection of the right size tool for the job. Enjoying the reversable function of the driver bits also brings with it a disdain for adding or keeping track of additional driver bits...not a fan of that. I also welcomed the web case and snapping that will permit attachment to any backpack, belt or Molle gear. My old leather case, though still fully usable...is extremely limited to a belt, unless jury-rigged.

As a sidenote: I have owned and used other brand multi-tools. Big box mult-tools have regularly failed and in my opinion not worth removing the wrapper. Popular named mult-tools have similar features, but use a "polymer" slide locking mechanism that I have had break or pop off, resulting in blades and tools that move and have no dependable rigidity (ie. sharp knife blade closing on gripping fingers...not good).

Overall, I believe the Leatherman WAVE mult-tool is a fantastic addition to both my tactical and outdoor adventures...and trust it will fulfill my expectations of longevity and durability as the Original.

The scenery was beautiful, but very windy at times. Also the person that stayed before me left a lot of trash in the fire pit, so we cleaned that up before the campfire. It’s also loud with the 18 wheelers driving down the main road. If you’re camping in a van or camper shell, it’s probably not a big deal. If you roof top tent camp or regular tent camping, it gets loud.

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.

Good small KOA. People are friendly. Gravel tent sites

One of the most beautiful campsites I seen. Two nights tent camping in the valley where two rivers meet. No showers but restrooms were adequate.

Great fishing opportunities, and wonderful hiking all around. Close by to two towns where you can pick up provisions. Campgrounds are great for tent camping, with many right by the river. Even though some sites are close to the road, the traffic is light so we didn’t notice.

Awesome 4 tent campsites tucked away at end of parking lot. A short jaunt from vehicle to campsites so does require carrying your gear. Pretty neat. Highly recommend.

Had a great experience here, stayed 3 nights tent camping with my dog. Bathrooms with showers, laundry room, store, and coffee/tea available in the office. The whole property has a friendly/family culture and the couple who manages the campground is very personable and knowledgeable about the area. Will be back!

This place is cool. Its made up of about 15 1960-70's trailers, all updated and stylish, on the wide open Taos Mess. There's also tent camping available for $10 a night. Showers (indoor and outdoor) and bathrooms are all really nice and clean. The owners and employees are all a joy. 15 minutes to downtown Taos. There is a brewery right across the street with live music and an awesome patio.

This place is so cool. There is a “hotel” made up of old airstreams and other RVs, a solid brewery and a music venue that brings pretty serious acts in.

We paid $10 to park our van essentially. Parked in the gravel lot, had acces to showers and bathrooms. There was also tent camping for $10 a night as wel and that looked really legit with unobstructed views .

10/10 will 100% go back to this spot and support what they are doing

There are 3 different campgrounds within the state park. Each has their own toilet facilities while the bathhouse (aka clean, hot, free showers) is located just across from the park entrance/visitor center. Tent camping was $10/night and super easy for someone passing through - there were 4 sites available as first come first served in the morning. Three were still available at 7pm (on a Tuesday). The visitor center was great, helpful staff and you can buy ice there. There are several hikes to do and the scenery is beautiful.

Tent camped in July and could not get into the water; but did freeze my ankles off. Have nice latrine commode and that is all. There are no specific sites. Just find a place and set up. Longest stay is 2 weeks. 

Photographer had a pop-up trailer, solar cells, (trees everywhere). He said 2X per week he would get a shower in town somewhere.

There is sufficient room for 10-15 families. Remove all trash when leaving.

Obviously, camp in warm weather or you need to have a snow plow since drifts 3-5 ft deep.

Cute campground and they are doing a lot of work to the streets and tent sites. However, as others have said, the electric hookup RV sites are right on top of each other. We were awakened on the middle of the night to our neighbor’s son coughing and crying. They do have electric and water (one spicket shared between 2 sites). The water is very low flow. They have an RV dump area with water in the non electric camping area. There is a cute 1 mile trail to the mountain being the coyote creek.

A remote location and popular with horse campers and hunters.  The campground has sites with horse corrals installed. The campground was quiet and mostly clean. There are pit toilets on site and well maintained. Level spots with good separation. Nice hiking accross some flat lands and a smal creek runs near by. Early one morning we saw a herd of elk down in a valley near a turn out off the road.  Bears frequent the area trying to raid the garbage bins during the night. Makes tent camping a bit unnerving. If you want to explore the area, this is good place to camp.  It takes an hour to get to the campsite on a graveled road off the highway out of Cimerron.  25mph was best speed to go to handle the washboard road to the campsite.

I grew up going to this campsite almost every summer, so this review may be a little biased. The campsites are great, specially for tent camping. There are some big spots for RVs but those get pulled quickly. The campsites are a little close together, but I have never had any problems. The facilities are nice enough as well.

This campsite sits on the edge of a road next to two little ponds that are great for trout fishing. The river runs next to the ponds and you can find a few fish there too. I like to walk up and down the river to find some good spots that are a little quieter. The ponds fill up with quite a few people now.

You will need to bring everything you need. There are not any stores really close by, you will have to go to Cimarron ot Eagle Nest to stock on supplies if you are missing anything and they can be 30 minutes away. There are also no big box stores in these towns so things close down early.

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.