Carson National Forest provides dispersed camping near Valdez with several options for visitors with horses. Forest Service Road 578 offers secluded camping spots with ample space for horse trailers. The road is accessible but requires AWD/4WD vehicles due to rutted, rocky conditions that make it unsuitable for RVs. Multiple pulloffs create unmarked campsites where horse owners can set up temporary containment systems. The dispersed sites have fire rings but no formal facilities, water sources, or designated horse areas.
Located approximately 5 miles south of Tres Piedras on the west side of Highway 285, this area features a mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees with views of the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo range visible from higher elevations. Riders can access multiple trail options throughout Carson National Forest from these campsites. The nearby Rio Costilla Park, while not offering specific horse corrals, provides additional camping options with more amenities including picnic tables and access to streams where horses can drink. Visitors regularly report seeing wildlife including elk in the meadows surrounding these camping areas. During spring and fall, temperature variations can be significant, often dropping below freezing at night even when days are warm.
"The location is isolated and you need to bring plenty of water. The advantage is being able to walk into the Gorge, which if you fly fish, is an amazing thing."
"Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store."
"Serene surroundings and even and beautiful place to camp during a thunderstorm!"
"This is the first campground I’ve found in New Mexico where I felt like I was camping in Colorado, it was so green and beautiful!"
"The park is HUGE and just so beautiful. 10,000 acres of aspens and ponderosa pines only one hour away from the town of Taos."
from $30 / night
"Many open areas to camp right off the highway. The views of the mountains across the valley are best after the fork in the road. Please pick up extra trash if you use"
"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."
"Beautiful location in a place I wasn’t expecting it to be sooo green! Very relaxing and remote as there is zero service. It was perfect & exactly what we were looking for."
"There is a walking trail at the back of the campground to get to Surree Ponds."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $22 - $40 / night
"There is a trail head with 2 trails, one atv accessible and one hiking/horse that goes up to Indian Lake. Beautiful views and about 1200' elevation change."
"Tent camped at this location in the middle of September (a week before closing). Very beautiful place to watch the leaves change, trailheads close by and picnic tables at each site."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 - $175 / night
"Stay at Santa Barbara Campground in Northern New Mexico. Was a beautiful spot. Road to Campground was well taken care of Beautiful trails throughout area"
"The trails are absolutely wonderful and well worth taking a few hours to walk part of them. Hard core hikers will use the campground as a starting point for a lengthy hikes."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 - $80 / night
"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."
"No luck fishing but several people around us were catching very nice sized trout. Vault toilets were well stocked and clean."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $125 / night
"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."
"About a 15min drive from the highway. Only 5 or 6 sites. Close to the Rio Mario Trail trailhead. Campsite is at elevation over 8,000ft so it can get chilly at night. Worked great for tent camping."
"Campground is a little off the beaten path, about 30m from the High Drive highway. Dirt roads were nothing to worry about, should be fine for any SUV or sedan."
TravelerAll the campgrounds in the wild rivers area are very well maintained, the sites have sturdy pavilions, picnic tables and grills. Sites are nicely spaced and some have amazing canyon views. Vault-style toilets that are kept clean and stocked. Bring your own water, their "well is broken" as of Oct. 2026, so if you run out you're looking at a 20 mile drive round trip to buy a couple gallons at the local grocery store.
ScoutThe view is great. But nothing is level. Lots of trash. OHV's driving everywhere. This is a big OHV area. We were in a campervan. Never could get it level. Not real private. 2 Stars for the view only. We won't be back.
GuideReally enjoyed this campground. Most of the sites are FCFS and the host comes to you for payment.
The pit toilets were very clean, no flies or anything gross. The road is a bit rough but nothing to unusual for a campground up here.
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous with plenty of aspens amounts the pines.
I will definitely visit again.
TravelerThis 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. Very pleased with our 3 nights there.
TravelerIt is now up to $40. $20 bucks for the night and then $20 for the day pass. It is well maintained. The spots are hit or miss. There's some spots close to each other and some dispersed.
ScoutBased on the reviews I thought this place would be a cool oasis up in the trees. Alas, it's not. There's a loop with 14 total sites. Unfortunately, at least half the sites in the inner ring are unusable because of road runoff making it tough to get to them, and we have a Toyota Tacoma. As a result, they do not get used and are, therefore, overgrown with New Mexico ground cover, which is not comparable to soft grass. That immediately bumps it down to about 10 sites. When we arrived, there was one site available that we could access. It was behind the main trailhead parking area and completely shaded. All in all, not bad, just not our ideal choice since it's right there close to any and all foot traffic. Luckily, as we walked the rest of the loop to see if there was anything else, a couple was just finishing packing up so we were able to snag their spot (#13), which we felt was the best one. Score!
Now, let's talk the road to get there. Absolutely do not try to take a camper of any size to this campground unless it's a legit overland type tear or squaredrop, ideally with an articulating hitch. People are not kidding when they say that's not a good idea. We had our Tacoma in 4L and I'm honestly not sure how some 2WD vehicles make it. There are many spots where the incline is pretty good, a number of deep crevices as a result of water runoff, many sections that are absolutely one lane only, and at least 6 spots where there was a small pond of standing water to drive through. Were any of the ponds show stoppers, no, but the water in one dip came up past the bottom of our doors. All in all, the road is no joke. Yes, I get this is a forest road, but the road snakes through multiple pieces of residential property (albeit they are probably summer homes but we saw people at almost every house when we drove past), and there's a hiking trailhead at the campground, so I expected it to be not THAT bad. In my book, it's not officially 'offroading' but it's worse than other forest service roads we've been on. Oh, and the couple residents we passed driving in their vehicles (you can tell by looking at them they are not campers or hikers) made it abundantly clear they weren't happy with us being on their road. All in all, nice campground with great trailheads but there are too many other beautiful places to hike and camp in NM for us to want to go back.
RangerGreat campground right off the road with lots of hikes nearby. Zero cell service. Water was not available. Very peaceful and quiet with lots of great views.
TravelerIt is very well kept and managed. The care takers are nice. It's a little more expensive to stay per night than a state park but the views are well worth it.
GuideVery small, but quiet and secluded primitive campground. Several sites appear to be overgrown or have too much debris to be usable. There are a couple sites that could fit a small trailer. All are suitable for tents or a van. The bathroom is still out of order. Mobile coverage was spotty, worked better if you went up to the nearby trailhead. The road up to the campground is in good shape, 4x4 not required. Overall traffic was very low. There was a little bit of firewood cutting nearby, with a few trucks making multiple trips. A few families were up on Sat for picnics. UTVs were minimal. There are a few dispersed options in the area.
Dispersed camping opportunities for equestrians extend beyond Carson National Forest near Valdez. The region sits at elevations between 7,000-9,000 feet with significant temperature fluctuations typical of northern New Mexico's high desert climate. Several camping areas throughout this region provide accommodations specifically designed for visitors traveling with horses, offering everything from corrals to access to riding trails.
Trail riding access: Multiple campgrounds offer direct access to wilderness trails. At Rio Costilla Park, "Awesome hiking trails for avid fishermen and hikers alike. From the 9 Lakes or Latier lakes however you prefer to call them to the hidden Little Blue Lake. A must visit for nature enthusiasts!" Many equestrians use these same trails for riding.
Fishing opportunities: Most water sources in the area support trout fishing. Hopewell Lake Campground offers "trout fishing is fun and always a success at the lake." The campground provides both developed sites and nearby dispersed camping areas suitable for horse trailers.
Exploring wildlife habitats: The meadows and valleys surrounding Valdez host substantial elk populations. One camper at Cimarron Campground reported: "We watched several herds of Elk down in the valley on one of our hikes. We had deer roam through our campsite, they could care less that we were even there."
Seclusion and quiet: Forest Service roads leading to horse-friendly sites often limit traffic. A camper at Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 noted: "A nice secluded little forest road. RVs will not make it, so it's nice and quiet. Stayed one night and saw no one else."
Natural water features: Creeks and rivers provide water for horses and add to the camping experience. At Agua Piedra Campground, "The creek is very close and accessible, which is probably the highlight. There are plenty of hammock and shade trees."
Diverse terrain: The mix of forest, meadow and mountain environments creates varied riding experiences. "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," reported a visitor at Mallette Creek North.
Limited facilities: Most horse camping areas have minimal infrastructure. At Borrego Mesa Campground, "Sites have a small horse pen but you would need to make a gate on them. Not good for big LQ horse trailers."
Road conditions: Access to prime horse camping spots requires appropriate vehicles. A Carson National Forest camper explained: "AWD/4WD needed on the rutted rocky road... Cell service drops completely pretty soon after leaving the highway."
Weather preparedness: Temperature swings are common at these elevations. One Cimarron Campground visitor advised: "It will also be cold at night, so be prepared. Great spot!"
Kid-friendly water areas: Look for sites with safe creek access for children. A Rio Costilla Park visitor shared: "The camp sites were nicely spaced, so we felt like we were primitive camping, but it was nice to have a picnic table, especially because we have a small child."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Plan morning wildlife observation outings. "We had no issues. It is a long way down a dirt road but well worth the drive to be remote. No cell service at the camp site but a short 5 min drive back to the first cattle guard allowed for service to multiple cell providers."
Elevation considerations: High elevation affects children differently than adults. "A must visit for nature enthusiasts!" noted a Rio Costilla camper, but remember children may need more time to acclimate to elevations above 8,000 feet.
Size limitations: Horse-friendly dispersed sites rarely accommodate large rigs. "The sites didn't have an actual tent pad but we easily found a spot to pitch a tent," reported an Agua Piedra visitor, highlighting the focus on tent and small trailer camping at many equestrian sites.
Water accessibility: Plan to haul water for both people and horses. At Rio Costilla, "There is no running water at this campground, so bring plenty. They have port-o-potties by every camping site and they keep them clean."
Parking configurations: Position vehicles and trailers strategically. "Multiple pulloffs for unmarked campsites" exist throughout the forest roads, but as one Carson National Forest camper noted, some sites are "right off the road" while others require more careful navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Valdez, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Valdez, NM is Big Arsenic Springs Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Valdez, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Valdez, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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