Best Tent Camping near White Rock, NM

Recent Tent Reviews in White Rock

637 Reviews of 21 White Rock Campgrounds

• 

  Luke M.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 14, 2024

  Big Tesuque Campground

  Stunning, Running Water, and Clean Restrooms

  I will start with the only downside of this site: it is very active with hikers, families, dogs, and photographers. You can expect dozens upwards of a hundred faces a day hiking up here which can be extremely annoying and the car traffic can drive you nuts. That said, for the ease of access, for the beautiful trails, and for the clean amenities I think it is worth it. In the winter right before the ski area opens is your best bet for quiet camping. But in the summer, spring, fall, and during ski season you will have a lot of friendly faces. Again, not bad, but I know some folks are very interested in getting "away" from people while camping. To those I recommend this site for hiking and not staying. Highly recommend for folks who are less physically abled; I developed a heart condition which limits my abilities most days and the ease of access to these sites and close parking is great for someone who wants to be in touch with nature while enduring limiting conditions.

• 

  Ryan S.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 6, 2024

  Jemez Falls Campground

  Nice, clean, and comfortable

  Stayed here 2 nights and had a great time. This campsite is in a great location to see the falls, and has a good layout. The pit toilets were clean, and well maintained. The camp hosts were very friendly and helpful when we had questions. I’ll definitely be back at some point!

• J

  Josh M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 27, 2024

  FR376 Dispersed

  Amazing !

  There was a decent amount of snow but the road was easy enough to navigate. I came in from Las Alamos and went in about 7-8 miles. The site I found was amazing. There was a site available right as you pulled in and about 3-4 more half developed sites (fire rings) within a quarter mile walk in. It looks like there’s a bit of an OHV trail leading up the mountain, halfway. From there if you want to reach a peak you do have to bushwhack a bit. This was easily by top 10 dispersed campsites I’ve even been to and will definitely be coming back. Little to no service, roughly an hour 45 minutes from Albuquerque stayed 2 nights.

• 

  Mark D.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 25, 2024

  FR376 Dispersed

  Temporary Closure

  After a long drive I found this site to be posted and closed. I’m a newbie so I could be incorrect but check USFS closures.

  https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/santafe/alerts-notices/?aid=88339

• W

  William C.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 11, 2024

  Juniper Family Campground — Bandelier National Monument

  Up in the Pines

  Campground is nestled in a bug group of dense pines and only a 15-20 minute drive from Los Alamos. Quite a few hiking trails in the areas to explore the high desert mesas and escape the heat of Albuquerque.

• 

  James W.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 5, 2024

  Trailer Ranch RV Resort

  Policy does not client

  The place was clean. Our issues were two.

  1. The strong smell of marijuana is due to their neighborhood store that makes and sells the stuff.
  2. Only pay for 2 days at a time or know your time period. We had bad weather approaching and they did not seem to care about our safety but only their policy. The people next to us had the same issue. WiFi is weak but cell was ok not great.
• 

  James W.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 4, 2024

  Santa Fe KOA

  No cell and WiFi weak

  We paid $75 for one night and the WiFi was weak and we had no cell service. The place was lovely and the bathrooms were clean and easy to use. It’s located 12 miles out of the city. There is a grocery store near by with a good selection of food and alcohol.

• 

  Julie K.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Forest Road 558

  Good enough for an overnight

  We parked a little further off 285 than most people so the road noise was minimal. A car drove past us on the dirt road in the morning which was surprising but nothing more. There was a rotting animal smell once in a while but we didn’t smell once inside the van. No toilet. Someone left a small fire ring. The road was rutted, don’t go if it’s wet. Fine for overnight lodging but I wouldn’t hang out there.

• J

  Joel E.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 19, 2024

  Camp May

  Very steep climb

  Unwisely, we decided to go here in a large RV. DON’T!

• 

  David T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Hidden Valley RV park

  Definitely NOT as advertised. I do not recommend.

  Run down park, not very well maintained at all. The pictures used on their website are very misleading. Their "Recreation Hall" was disgusting. Dirty carpets, paint cans in the sink, just filthy dirty! The bathrooms were very clean at the bath house. The dog park was disgusting with the trash can there overflowing. Very disappointed and will not be staying at this dump again!

• U

  UT801

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Black Canyon Campground

  Good option for Santa Fe (ski area at the top of canyon)

  Stayed in #21. Sites 13 and 30 a!so good but avoid campsites downwind of toilets. No water while we were there. Very nice & helpful host. Several 1st come/1st serve sites but seems to fill up fast. Bathrooms cleanish & well used. Several convenient to back of campground. Trees. Good spot for screen tent.

• R

  Rhys R.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  Partial closure and absolute dump

  This place sufficed due to the need to have somewhere for the night, if we had the chance we’d have gone somewhere else. Massive piles of trash everywhere, sites strewn with people’s leftover garbage from camping there.

  Due to its close proximity to the landfill, it was extremely loud during the morning from around 7am onwards.

  There was a partial closure banning camping in a section of the landfill, which was incredibly difficult to figure out where we could camp, as the map is not clear at all,

  Coyotes at night were really cool.

  Overall disappointing but glad we managed somewhere to sleep for the night

• W

  Wendy L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Coronado Campground

  Love the area, some live-ins need to go

  Excellent location and views, just need some lo g term resident clean up or eviction at entrance. We stayed for one night. Great set up and next to a brewery/restaurant in wish we would have visited. Clean bathrooms and nice sites.

• 

  Wade G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 6, 2024

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  Spacious, free, always room…

  We loved it. Very spacious. Fire pits here and there.

• 

  A S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 3, 2024

  Riana - Abiquiu Lake

  Incredibly cramped, no booze allowed

  It'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.

• C

  Christine Z.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Hyde Memorial State Park Campground

  Stunning location

  We loved the location. The hiking trails were awesome. We booked a reservable with hydro for one night and decided to extend our stay with the first come first serve system. The self pay stations are at each of the teo campground loops. The 2nd and 3rd night didn’t have hydro however the size of the site and view more than made up for it.

  To use the dump station, you have to go to the Rangers Station and ask them to unlock the gate. The access is a bit tight and we were not able to fill our fresh water tank due to the State Park having to bring their water up by truck. All in all, it was worth it.

• A

  AC L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 13, 2024

  Vista Linda Campground — Santa Fe National Forest

  Great Campground!

  We just happened upon this 1st come 1st serve campground & so glad we did! The camp host "Brad" was so very nice & helpful. He gave us info on all the things to do and see in the Jamez area (which is alot)  Our campsite #12 was really nice. It has a large covered pavilion (not all sites have the covered pavilions) with oversized picnic table & a short path down to a private area at the Jamez River (which is really more like a creek) from our site. We left our chairs down there & frequently enjoyed relaxing there. The area is scenic & campground was very clean. There are water pumps outside the bathrooms. The cost for us was $5 per night using our America the Beautiful Senior Pass. This is a great home base for visiting the area. Would defiantly visit again!

• 

  Timothy N.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 9, 2024

  Borrego Mesa Campground

  Quiet and small campground

  Very 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.

• K

  Kayla D.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Forest Road 558

  Dispersed Sites FSR558

  A good amount of dispersed sites off of FSR558. I just pulled off to one of the closer sites but looked like tons of other sites were further in on the road. Really quiet even with the highway close by. Great stars at night, decently clean (the sites that I saw). You could probably make it in a 2WD vehicle for the first few sites but it gets a bit more rugged as you continue in.

• 

  Valeri P.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 4, 2024

  Holy Ghost Campground

  Awesome campground

  Yes, it can get packed but be prepared to go early enough to find a good spot. I prefer camp sites 7 through 10, even the very first site when you first come in since they are right near the river. If you really want to experience the haunt of the campground I prefer the campsites in the back 11 through 16. 

  I have not experienced the haunts until I camped at spot 15, this past Labor Day weekend on Friday night August 30, 2024. I went to bed and about 12 am I heard a voice say Hello to me. Then the last night my friend and I were by the fire we did not have any more neighbors as they left that Sunday, we had our trash bag hanging from my friends canopy there was no wind and that trash bag was swaying back and forth rapidly. Was definitely an experience. 

  The hikes are the best especially if you have time to go to the lake which you  want to get an early start, just follow the trail in the back past the reservation spot to get to the trail and follow up get to the fork in the trail and hang a left to the lake. I love the camp site always clean restrooms and fun experience for the paranormal.

• 

  Cameron L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  Good in a pinch

  Plenty of spots and easy to get to. The only catch is you will need to find a spot away from the multiple large piles of trash.

  The surrounding area was pretty and sunset was great!

• M

  Mark P.

  Traveler

  

  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,

• 

  Patrick J.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 23, 2024

  Santa Fe Skies RV Park

  Great location and RV Park

  The location is close to stores and restaurants that are about 10 minutes away...that we needed after discovering a damaged tire. The front desk recommended a tire store that was just north of the park. Thank you...The park has been set up nicely. The sites are a bit tight from the adjoining sites. Site were level and all the hook ups worked without issue. The location made for an hour's drive to Los Alamos and Bandelier national monument. Both great visits if you haven't been there before.

• f

  frank F.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Cuba Fairgrounds

  Great stop over

  Pulled in on Sunday afternoon and there was no staff. Parked and paid $20 Monday morning. They have power and water. Dump station. I did not ask about WiFi.

• C

  C.J. L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 12, 2024

  Big Tesuque Campground

  Tight spot, Gorgeous Sunset

  Pros:

  • In a National Forest, so beautiful, remote.
  • Nice babbling brook alongside campsites, fun for kids to play in (COLD, but shallow), and makes for great white noise.
  • Convenient to Santa Fe (20-25 min from downtown)
  • drive up the mountain 4 minutes for a gorgeous vista and sunset view
  • nice trails in the area, but we didn’t use them (one night stopover)
  • pit toilets (smelly, but they exist)

  Cons

  • essential hike in, uphill, have to carry your gear. The further in your campsite, the more hiking you will do (we chose one close to the parking lot, but sacrificed privacy)
  • limited spots, and high traffic (people came in in the middle of the night, hiked in with dogs, cyclists, potential regulars (?)
  • campsite tent pads are small/limited. Our family of 6 usually would use 3 small tents, but had to limit ourselves to 2, so everyone was squeezed together.

  Chilly, even in July, just FYI, come prepared.
  Picnic table, fire ring provided

• 

  Josh K.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Road 378, Fenton Lake - Dispersed

  Secluded clearings with plenty of room

  This campsite is beautiful and right next to the lake. Perfect for some chill camping. There are multiple clearing along this road. Each one is big enough for several cars and even a couple groups. The clearings are far enough apart that you can make some noise without bothering the other campers. You need a bit of clearance to be able to drive the road but not much as my Crosstrek did it great. Even on July 4th this site wasn’t busy. We only saw one other camper since most people choose to pay for a campground right on the lake

• E

  Eve M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Hidden Valley RV park

  Mismanaged & Poorly Maintained Dump

  I feel bad for anyone who gets tricked into staying here - the website says it’s a beautiful resort with amenities you would find at a retreat, but in reality the place is a ghetto rv park for longtermers that is falling apart. It’s gross & trashy, with most of the “amenities” broken and dirty and the basic utilities malfunctioning. 

  Most sites are extremely narrow, short & unlevel, with barely enough room to pull in and definitely not enough for awnings, slides, steps or your car. Most of the larger sites are occupied by people who live there or are double occupancy so you can't pull-thru. There are no fire rings or picnic tables- if you want to sit outside you have to put your chairs in the road, very close to neighbors.

  There are very few 50 amp sites and many electric boxes exhibit signs of fire & melting. Breakers blow with a minimal load and some areas of the park have repeat blackouts. Sewage hookups and water spigots are on opposite sides, shared with neighbors and water pressure is very low. 

  There are frequent water leaks under the ground, making it's drinkability questionable. It also gets shut off for long periods of time without warning. There are septic tanks randomly scattered all over the property that are very smelly and some sites have sewage leaking out onto the ground. 

  Most signage is faded or completely missing so good luck finding your site or even the campground. The road in and to upper lot are very steep and narrow - there's giant broken speedbumps and throughout the park there is no gravel so it's muddy with lots of potholes and deep ruts. The campground isn't visible from the interstate but you can still hear all the traffic.

  There are tons of signs that say that the speed limit is 5 mph and say Wrong Way, but people still speed without getting into trouble. When the road is dry it kicks up lots of dust, and with the limited space inside sites it seems dangerous to be outside with children and pets because there is no where to hang out but in the road.

  The grass was all dead and uncut with lots of very tall weeds everywhere. There are very pokey seedheads and goat heads that stick in your feet and get tracked into your RV. Pets walking there are in constant pain due to these pokeys sticking in their paws. Many trees were dead or dying, so be careful where you park because overhead branches could come tumbling down on your RV. Shade is hit or miss.

  There is very little to do at this RV park. There was a small basketball court with busted and dirt covered concrete, a tetherball pole with no ball, and a couple of broken picnic tables scattered about. The playground had a small swing set that is not anchored to the ground so the smallest amount of swinging can make it tip over. A short hiking trail that runs the length of the park has low hanging branches and big rocks that make walking it difficult.

  The swimming pool is bright green and closed, the clubhouse appeared to be empty other than belongings from a very smelly & messy homeless family that seemed to be living in it. It was extremely hot, as were all other indoor areas other than the office. All the bathrooms and showers are absolutely filthy, obviously not cleaned regularly, and smell like backed up sewage. The trashcans were overflowing and garbage blowing in the wind with trash lining the woods around the whole park.

  The dog park is covered in poop with no baggie dispenser and a trashcan piled high with bags of feces. The laundry room was dirty - all of the machines were old & several out of order. The only place in the RV park that was clean and not crumbling was the inside (outside looks rough) of the office, but it's basically empty and not a place to hang out.

  There are a couple of tent sites that are level but very close together - they have power, water and a picnic table but campfires are not permitted anywhere in the park. There are no tent or RV sites that are dry camping even though they advertise that there are. 

  All of the lights throughout the park are burnt out, so it's pitch black at night. With the large amount of ditches, holes, dirt piles, scattered rocks and trash debris everywhere it's dangerous to traverse at night. There are also lots of coyotes and snakes, so keep your kids and pets indoors at night. 

  All of the people employed (I'd say working but there is obviously NO work being done) there appear to be on meth. They act paranoid and sketchy, talking fast while grinding their teeth and unable to make eye contact. There were lots of people who looked homeless & high coming and going in broken down vehicles and hanging out with the managers, so it seemed like they were selling drugs out of the RV office.

  The office hours constantly change depending on when the druggie managers feel like opening it. Some mornings it's closed when it's supposed to be open, some nights they are in there until really late. The two of them do weird stuff at all hours, outside being loud in the middle of night and sound asleep in the middle of the day when they are supposed to be working. They are incredibly irresponsible and lazy, and seem to lack any skills or knowledge about RVs or park maintenance.

  This RV park was recently purchased by an investment company out of Texas and have nobody on the grounds making sure that things are running smoothly. They have not invested any money into repairs or improvements; previous owners allowed the property to decay, refusing to spend money on fixing anything or paying for decent help.

  Many visitors complain that the cost to stay ends up being MUCH higher than is advertised. All kinds of additional fees and taxes are tacked on so expect to pay 25-50% more than you were quoted when checking in. Discounts for being in various clubs may not be honored, changing all the time. 

  Crime and theft in the RV park were rare until the methhead managers took over and have attracted bad apples to the area. Now people associated with that lifestyle have free reign, taking over community spaces, sleeping in cars, being allowed to camp for free, and hanging out at the office, eyeballing your stuff.

  They smell awful and make nasty messes everywhere they go. You can see them digging through the trash in search of metals and spreading all of their broken belongings out. So I wouldn't leave your site unoccupied or anything of worth outside nowadays.  

  I really cannot recommend that anyone stay at this RV park, but especially if you are looking for a vacation spot because you will be extremely disappointed. Photos on the website must have been taken a long time ago during better days, and amenities advertised are now so broken down that they are no longer usable.

  It's really unfortunate that this RV park has fallen into disrepair and isn't being managed by capable people, because otherwise it's a great location surrounded by forest. It's close enough to Albuquerque and Edgewood for groceries, restaurants and entertainment, but far enough away to escape the hussle and bussle. The local mountain towns don't have much to offer but are quaint, and the campground is near to Sandia mountain and outdoor recreation like hiking.