Cabin rentals are a great way to see Vallecitos without the hassle of setting up a tent. The Dyrt can help you find the best cabin camping destinations for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect cabin for your New Mexico cabin camping excursion.
Riana Campground is located on a 150 ft. bluff overlooking the scenic Abiquiu Lake in northern New Mexico, just one hour northwest of charming Santa Fe. The lake sits at an elevation of 6,400 feet on the Rio Chama, a tributary of the legendary Rio Grande.
Abiquiu Lake offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation. The fishing here is some of the finest in northern New Mexico. Visitors enjoy boating, water skiing, and hiking. Lake shore access for boat launching is 1 mile from the campground.
Fragrant Pinion pine, juniper, and sage cover the campsite, providing a distinct smell of northern New Mexico, but offering limited shade. Colorful rock formations surround the park. Visitors are awarded a panoramic view of the narrow mesa, Cerro Pedernal, locally known as "Pedernal." Famous American painter, Georgia O'Keefe, had her ashes scattered over its top.
For facility specific information, please call (505) 685-4561.
Northern New Mexico is full of beauty and history. The educational and historical Ghost Ranch is about 10 minutes from the park. The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, San Pedro Wilderness, Cumbres Toltec Railroad, Chaco Canyon, and Bandelier National Monument are all nearby. The ski-town of Taos is just over an hour away, and colorful Santa Fe is an hour southeast, both with restaurants, shops, and museums.
$10 - $80 / night
$40 - $60 / night
Ah, this campground is a desert oasis at the end of a busy day. The patio is a delightful resting spot in the shade, where you can watch hummingbirds whiz by. This is your home base as, day by day, you visit the Santa Fe Plaza, San Miguel Mission, Palace of the Governors, Loretto Chapel or Canyon Road, where you'll find many galleries and artists to observe. Summer brings an abundance of festivals to enjoy. And don't forget the wonderful local cuisine! Many restaurants are small family-run establishments, and the recipes handed down through the ages keep getting better. Relax at the campground and plan your next day's activities. Will it be the Rio Grande Gorge or a day touring Native American ruins? Whatever you decide, it will enrich your life. Max pull thru: 65 feet. Your hosts: Larry and Phyllis Pasekoff.
Quiet, wooded camping only minutes from Old Town Santa Fe. Rancheros de Santa Fe is known to visitors from all over the world for its scenic, natural setting. Located on Historic Route 66, adjacent to the Santa Fe Trail, Rancheros de Santa Fe offers a beautiful destination for your visit.
Founded in 1610, La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís is the oldest capital city in the United States. Most people simply know it Santa Fe, New Mexico. Resting at an elevation of 7,200 feet, in a wide valley between two mountain ranges, Santa Fe is known as “The City Different” for its unique culture and historical atmosphere. The biggest draw to Santa Fe is its historic downtown area, where much of its original architecture and character has been preserved. Visitors are invited to dine at sidewalk cafes, roam arts and crafts galleries, and shop in local boutiques. There’s also plenty to explore just outside of the city, including hiking and skiing in the Santa Fe Mountains, ancient pueblos at Pecos National Historic Park, and the former ghost town Madrid, and its variety of eclectic shops, galleries and eateries. Located just a few miles southwest of the historic downtown area, the Los Sueños de Santa Fe RV Park & Campground offers nearly 100 drive-in and pull-through RV campsites. Sites can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 70 feet, and provide full or partial hookups. A selection of campsites are available for small vehicles and tent campers. Resort amenities include restrooms, shower and laundry facilities, picnic pavilion, barbecue area, playground, swimming pool, and free Wifi service; a dump station is available onsite. Restaurants, groceries and a movie theater are within just a few minutes’ walking distance, and visitors can use the Santa Fe trail system to walk or ride all the way to the historic downtown area. Pets are welcome, with restrictions. Campsite rates are $36–$54/night.
$43 - $65 / night
Agua Piedra, located in the Carson National Forest, is nestled near the Rio Pueblo and Agua Piedra Creek. The campground contains many shaded areas to camp, relax, and enjoy the outdoors.
Visitors to the Agua Piedra campground and group shelters can also enjoy fishing in the Rio Pueblo River, which is a tributary of the mighty Rio Grande. The river is stocked with rainbow trout and there is a small pier in the day use area.Hiking to Serpent Lake and Cordova Canyon, which are both within seven miles of the campground and group shelters, are also favorite activities for visitors. Also popular is further exploration of points of interest in the Pecos Wilderness, as well as within the Sangre De Cristos Mountains, the southernmost Rocky Mountain range.
Agua Piedra campground and group shelters are located in a mixed forest of spruce, fir and aspen trees, which provide some shade throughout the day. At an altitude of 8,100 feet, temperatures can cool off during the summer nights.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.
Sipapu Ski Resort, the town of Vadito, and the town of Penasco is within 3 - 17 miles from the campground and group shelter. Most services are available in Taos, NM, 25 miles north of the campground or Espanola, NM, 45 miles southwest.
$40 / night
Ranger
I stayed at a camping cabin. I’d been car camping for a month and had stayed at a camping cabin at las cruces Koa and loved it. This cabin has a heater that was not able to keep the cabin warm - it was really cold maybe 15 at night and I could not get rid of a chill all night even though I was bundled up. Then in the morning I went to close the door and the door handle broke locking me out. Luckily I had my dog and car keys but no one was in office yet and it was bitter cold. They let me cancel my next night and did offer a free night but didn’t refund the money I spent. Loved Santa Fe tho the food and coffee are Amazing!!!
Legend
We stayed at this site on the way back to Texas from our Colorado trip this summer. This is a great National Forest Campground south of Taos in the Carson Forest. The campground is just off the highway and situated in a beautiful mountain pine forest and next to a great trout stream. You have great shade during the hotter summer months. It’s far enough away from the highway that you don’t hear the traffic. It has a huge meadow and group camp site which look fantastic. The individual sites have some privacy between the sites and come equipped with fire pits and picnic tables. We made a reservation but the camp had a number of open sites in the peak summer season. The highlight here is the proximity of great hiking to nearby lakes and fishing in the trout stream. They had great facilities including clean pit toilets and some historic log cabins. They have a camp host and the sites accommodate tents and smaller vans and campers. I would give this another visit on our next trip to NM.
Ranger
This is an artist paradise. So many beautiful land formations and gorgeous sunsets. The campground includes a bath house with laundry room and electric hookups if needed. $30 to tent camp (no electric). Lodging, yurts and cabins, are also available.
LegendStopped by this KOA to see what it offered for possible future stays. It's a compact campground that provides pull through sites as well as back-in and tent sites. They offer everything from 50 amp electric to cable TV. Sites are clean and neat. There's a dog park for your pets. Bathrooms are clean with hot showers. They have cabins available as well.
Great location for exploring Sandra Fe, Bandelier, and other national monuments.
Guide
The campgrounds is nicely laid out and decent. There isn't much for shade or privacy. The camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. There are nice trails that you can hike or mountain bike. Some are near cliff edges and not for the beginners. The lake is nice for New Mexico and sees a lot of use. Didn't get a chance to fish or get to the waters edge this trip. The area is near where Georgia O'Keefe lived and did some of her work.
TravelerGreat spot for group camping of 20-40 campers. Nice shaded/wooded area for primitive tent camping with plenty of space to spread out. Gorgeous open meadow at base of camp area perfect for group games, sports. 1930s cabin with tables for meals and cooking under shelter. Campfire ring and outdoor table. Vault toilet. Beautiful views of Sangre de Cristos and Carson National Forest. Trail to Indian Lake is an easy hike of 2.5 Miles each way and perfect for families or hikers with the need for low-impact trails. There is an awesome swimming hole just a few miles west on Hwy 518 past Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort—worth the short drive!
Only a few cons—water onsite is listed as potable but smells and tastes so strongly of sulphur that it cannot be tolerated for drinking or cooking. Make sure to haul in water. Also tent camping area in woods is not level so there will be some incline. Important for those with circulatory issues.
Legend
We were very excited on our first night to settle into our campsite after a long day of adventuring. Just a short drive to the outskirts of Santa Fe in mountain country we found our campground, Rancheros de Santa Fe.
Upon entry the staff was very friendly and welcoming and we felt like this would be a great place to call home away from home.
The campsites were laid out well with room between campers and because it was the end of a weekend, they were not entirely at capacity which made for a pleasant sense of space in the great outdoors.
Our campsite was positioned in the "high road" tent site area which is a primitive campsite without additional amenities. Each campsite has a fire ring and also a picnic table for campers to utilize and a pad site for tents slightly raises from ground level.
It made for a beautiful night sleep under the chilly New Mexico skies.
By morning we ventured up to the public showers and restrooms which were clean and had amazon water pressure and hot water to set the morning in motion perfectly.
The facility also offers a pool and theater room during summer months so while we didn't get to take advantage we were excited to know upon return we would have these features available.
🐰🐰🐰🐰⚪️
Overall we give this campground a 4 of 5 Bunniea! The only things we noticed which kept it from a 5 were the lack of wifi reach in the back sections of the campground, wouldn't have been a big deal but cell service in the off grid location was also patchy so the wifi would have been handy. And the pad site was not designed for a tent quite our size. Our tent is a 12x8 and had a little side hang on on the 12 foot end.
Legend
Stayed for 3 nights. Awesome experience. Campground is rustic. Water and electric only. They do have a dump station but it is an extra cost. Sites were small and some hookups are in strange places. Our site #2 was shaded but hookups were at front of site and on wrong side so make sure you have enough power cord and hose. Campground does have a small bathroom and vintage rental trailers. You still have to pay for entry to springs but you get a discount for being in campground. The hot springs are amazing and you can leave and come back. Open till 10 pm which was great and we showered in the great locker rooms at the springs area before going back to camp. There is a great restaurant on site as well as beer and wine.
GuideWe stayed here two nights in July, 2020. We're from Albuquerque, so this was just a quick"local" getaway. This is a pretty sprawling campground, with all kinds of sites(tent only, large sites with only 30 amp service, some sites with full hook up, others with just water& electric and a few water only. Shop carefully! We got a full hook up 50amp site. There is a row of these in the southwest end of the park. These are VERY narrow sites. We snugged right up against the hookups, and still didn't have room on the other side to put out our rug. There are low bushes between the sites, so the awning worked, but very little room for chairs and such. Also, the water pressure was quite low. Weakest shower I've had in our rig. Not sure if this changes with the number of campers, though, since it is well water. Our area was VERY busy and full of some big rigs(most from Texas). Oh, and wifi is spotty. Our site literally had a repeater stuck in the ground right next to our rig, and we got a strong signal, but pretty weak internet. I had better luck just using my Verizon iphone's hot spot. But it was still nice. It's got a rustic feel, but didn't necessarily feel run down. BRIEF interactions with the staff were friendly enough.
We also enjoyed the on-site hiking trail. It is only.5 miles, but making the circle a couple of times was nice on our last morning. I can certainly see us staying here again. It IS pricey(our two nights, with Good Sam Discount plus tax, came to $102), but that's Santa Fe for you!
GuideGreat views of the lake in which you can swim (and boat). Not a lot of shade, unless you snuggle in with a Piñon tree, but we spend our days on the lake or hiking Ghost Ranch, which is a few minutes away.
GuideThis is one of the nicest Army Corp of Engineer campgrounds I’ve stayed in. Sites are spacious, all with a view, and with options from horse camping to full hook up. While it’s “lakefront” getting down to the water is a 20 minute hike.
Bonus Tip/ visit Ghost Ranch to learn about the vibrant history of the area.
GuideBeautiful surroundings. Mornings chilly. Nice showers!
Travelerthis campground is a gem. We stayed 1 night in a non electric site then 4 nights in a site with electricity and water. The views were awesome. It was peaceful and quiet. Good hiking opportunities. The two camp hosts were great! Restrooms and showers were good.
LegendGreat campground sitting up from the lake with awesome views. Free showers, several loops, tents separate from RVs- what more could you ask for! There is lake access nearby and some nice hiking trails, but to be honest, the main attraction is Abiqueu and Goergia O’Keefe country. Tons of great hiking to places she hiked to and painted. The campground is just a few miles from the town of Abiqueu, which was O’Keefe’s main home. Be sure to stop in and visit with the librarian, she’s a great resource for information about the area. And the gas station at the bottom of the hill has a pretty good restaurant! Sites don’t have any trees, but the sage provides a bit of protection from the winds. Be sure to stake your tent well as it gets very breezy in the daytime (winds die down with the sun set). One of the nicest amenities (besides the free showers) were the lantern hooks/posts. You just don’t see those very often. Camper beware, the tent only loop is next to the group campsites, so expect some noise.
GuideThe campground is open April 15-Oct 15
RangerAfter a drive up to Abuquiu Lake NM from Albuquerque we checked out some possible boondocking campsites down river from the lake. We only found a couple of possible sites to get my 34ft 5th wheel into. Very peaceful area, beautiful views and decent Verizon cell service.
LegendWe stayed in site # #9 for 5 nights with the National park pass it was $40.00 with water & electric & a view of the lake. The best site is #1. There is NO alcohol allowed in the park so don't get caught with any they will pour it out. 2 Older men were having a beer in their site & they made them pour out 2 cases of beer. Be smart put it in a cup & hide the cans. The camp host were great people suggested a place to eat called El Farolitos (bring your own booze they don't sell it but let you drink), a little drive to get there & nothing near it but a Mars polar landing sculpture.
Beautiful view of the Flat top Mountains nice cool lake to take a dip or kayak. We found a lot of fishing lures wrapped around small bushes that were underwater before the lake dropped 20 some feet.
The fishing was good from the kayak lots of crappie.
The ghost ranch is not far & worth checking out it's got a great museum of paleontology, Dinosaurs and Indians. There is an echo theater close by neat little walk to it the sound carry's & echos.
TravelerSpot is well maintained. Usually lots of others around so not super “off grid” but it’s nice and you can view the lake! Beautiful to drive around too. Pueblo land, be respectful!
GuideMy wife and I spent 3 days here in late May. Because we planned out trip a little late, we actually stayed the first night in Spot 16 (no hookups) and then the last 2 at Spot 14 (electric and water). Spot 16 was in the "Chama Loop" and I have to say, this loop is really not for our rig (a 30' Class A). We had a pull in spot, and fit okay, but the spots here are all on the smaller side and we mostly saw tents and some truck campers and a couple of Class Bs. We could NOT get level on our site without some serious efforts and more blocks than I really like. We never got level enough to feel comfortable putting out our slides. When we moved the next day to Spot 14 (in the Pedernal Loop, where the only electric/water sites are), it was much better. Leveling was easy as can be. The hookups were very conveniently located and we had no complaints here. Very spacious lot. Picnic tables under cover, a grill and a fire pit.
Spaces between spots are fairly generous. Not huge, but far better than most commercial sites. We felt very much "alone" here.
Some great things: the camp hosts Al and Cindy were INCREDIBLY helpful and friendly. Best hosts we've ever had! The playground is excellent (we don't have little kids, but we actually enjoyed the swings and such ourselves one evening!). The views of the lake are very good (you can't get down to the lake from here, but the extra height made for great views), and the walking trail from the visitor center to the boat launch goes right through the park, so you can join it easily if you wish. Dump station has two dump spots, which was nice. There are lots of picnic areas, and the tent sites looked very nice too.
Not the greatest: other than the aforementioned levelness issues, I was amused to see how steep the road down to the little "front gate" is. Not ideal for RVs! You come down off a Mesa to the much lower campground on a fairly steep grade, and 2/3 of the way down, you have to stop to check in. Just seemed weird. The dump station has NO hose hookup for the non-potable water (just a weird contraption that sprays water everywhere), so no easy way to flush the black tank, which I don't love.
Connectivity: no wi-fi. And the cell signal is spotty. We were able to use my iphone to create a Verizon hot spot, and actually, after a struggle, could watch some Netflix. But then surfing sometimes went from slow but okay to non-existent. My one word review would be: inconsistent. And now, we don't spent our time surfing the internet, but for doing research, checking email, etc., it was not ideal. Workable, but not the best.
We'd stay here again in a second. We've already talked about what we'll do next time we stay here.
ScoutOur family stayed here for four days (late June 2021) at Sites 21 and 25. The first thing you will notice hear is how friendly the camp hosts (Al & Cyndy) are. By being so involved with everyone that stays here I think that most guests behave themselves. We had one "problem neighbor" (blaring music, loud generator, barking dog) but this was addressed quickly by the camp hosts. Area is beautiful - I mean really beautiful. Campsites are well spaced out with lots of extra parking. New playground was a huge hit for our grandkids. Facilities were kept clean. Lots of things to do in the surrounding area (Plaza Blanca hike, Echo Amphitheater, Ghost Ranch) and the store in the town Abiquiu (Bode's) is very well stocked. With the lake level so low there weren't a lot of boats on the water. The Swim Beach is not really a beach with the water so low but the area around the marina is nice enough for kids to play in and around the water. All in all a great place to camp and recreate. We will certainly come back again.
RangerWe have come to enjoy COE campgrounds as they are usually well laid out and kept in very good condition, The first loop is all that but the other two loops are not large rig friendly. The Pedemal Loop is big rig friendly with the site mostly level and paved with electric and water. Chama loop is for smaller trailers and many of the sites are not very level although we did get our short 5th wheel into one with some creative use of leveling blocks. The Puerco loop is really only for very small trailers and tents.
The location is fantastic. The views from the campground are wonderful and there is much to do in the area. The Ghost Ranch is just down the road with great hiking and of course the home and studio of Georgia O'Keefe is in Abiquiu. We intend to go back when we have more time. It also didn't hurt that Verizon had great service.
RangerWe enjoyed this place. Perfect for some sightseeing, hiking, and close enough to Santa Fe/Taos if you want to visit those cities (about an hour drive to either). Lots of stars & quiet at night.
LegendCamped 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.
GuideReally enjoyed camping here. Great sites for our 17' camp trailer. Awesome view of Abiquiu Lake with amazing sunsets nightly. Hot showers, clean pit toilets, BBQs, tent pads, picnic tables & friendly camp hosts. Senior Passes work here for half price discount. Quiet time from 10pm-6am is enforced & enjoyed. Occasional loud boats & partying on the lake below on weekend nights so be aware. Wind gusts are common so tie down the tumbleweeds or they'll escape!
LegendGeneral: 54-site campground in four loops; the Pedernal Loop has water and electric hookups, the Chama and Puerco Loops do not and there is a walk-in tent site loop. There is also overflow camping.
Site Quality: Sites appeared to be mostly level (at least in the Pedernal loop); most were paved but a few were gravel. Most were back in, but some were pull-through. There are two ADA-accessible sites in the Pedernal Loop. Many have reservoir views. Site 14 has a generous-sized paved driveway. Completing the site is a lantern hook, BBQ, and covered picnic table. Too bad it was so darn windy that we could not enjoy these amenities. There was also a garbage can at the end of each site but no recycling that I saw. If you do not need hookups, sites 34 and 39 (in the Puerco loop) provide excellent water views.
Bath/Shower House: Basic with two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. Very clean. There are also very clean vault toilets located throughout the campground. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it works.
Activities: The Abiquiu Lake Vista Trail is a 4-mile hike and bike stacked-looped trail (so you can add or duplicate interconnected loops). Boating access is one mile away. Fishing is also popular. There is also a volleyball net and a very nice modern playground. We were there at the end of April, so it was very quiet (which is the way we like it). Shout out to great camp hosts – we were greeted upon arrival and they made sure we didn’t have any questions or concerns. For $16, this is affordable but with the senior pass, $8 is a bonafide bargain!
GuideWe have stayed on the Pedernal loop multiple times and it has always been great. The sites are well laid out, with plenty of room between neighbors. Access to the campground is restricted (closed 10pm-6am), so it is always quiet, with just those camping driving around. Rangers and sheriff patrolled a few times. Camp hosts were very friendly and helpful. All the grounds are clean and well maintained, trash cans at every site. The electrical pillar for our site was new and worked perfectly. Water also worked with no issues. Shower house is clean and well maintained. Access to a few trails, but water access requires a bit of a drive. Amazing views.
ScoutIt's a lovely location, and the camp is hosted by the Army Corps. They do a good job, the facilities and grounds are very well maintained. Drinking and marijuana consumption is strictly prohibited, with the hosts making regular rounds. The sites are so close together it may as well be one big group camp; I could hear everything going on in the sites around me at all hours of the night. Even when folks were in their tents and campers. Forget trying to enjoy a quiet evening stargazing. Was surrounded by large family groups who were having a great time, which I'm glad about, but it is not my cup of tea for camping.
Cabin camping near Vallecitos, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and cozy accommodations, perfect for those looking to escape into nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Vallecitos, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Vallecitos, NM is Riana - Abiquiu Lake with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Vallecitos, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 cabin camping locations near Vallecitos, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
