Mike M.
Traveler
TravelerOjo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa
Awesome campground at one of the nicest hot springs you’ll ever visit. Great farm to table restaurant and wine bar. New Mexico at its best.
Tent Camping near Youngsville, NM
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Dispersed tent camping dominates the Youngsville area, with several primitive tent campsites in the nearby Carson and Santa Fe National Forests. Road 378 near Fenton Lake offers secluded tent sites in forested terrain, while Resumidero Camping Area provides more established tent sites with basic amenities like picnic tables and vault toilets. American Springs offers primitive tent camping with mountain views approximately 12 miles southwest of Youngsville in a mixed juniper and pine forest setting.
Access to tent campsites varies significantly with terrain and seasonal conditions. Many dispersed areas require high-clearance vehicles, particularly American Springs, where reviewers note "the road is quite rocky and there's a large washout just past the first site." Most tent-only areas lack drinking water, making it essential to bring adequate supplies. Fire rings are available at Road 378 dispersed sites and Resumidero Camping Area, though seasonal fire restrictions often apply during dry periods. Toilet facilities are minimal, with vault toilets at Resumidero but most other tent camping areas requiring campers to follow backcountry waste disposal practices.
Tent campers will find substantial privacy at most sites near Youngsville, with Road 378 offering particularly spacious clearings. A camper observed that "each clearing 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 other campers." Elevations range from 7,000-9,000 feet, creating cool overnight temperatures even in summer months. At American Springs, tent sites provide views down the canyon with occasional elk sightings. Most tent camping areas near Youngsville remain relatively uncrowded even during peak seasons, though Fenton Lake dispersed sites may see more visitors on holiday weekends. Forested sites provide partial shade, though burn areas from past wildfires have reduced tree cover in some locations.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Youngsville (14)
1. Star Dance
2. Resumidero Camping Area
"We expected a campground that was spread out, fire rings and vault toilets. It was perfect. The camp sites were far apart and you could chose between open meadows or in the trees."
3. Forest Road 76
4. Road 378, Fenton Lake - Dispersed
"The road is a bit rough, but easy access and close enough to the lake that I drove over to kayak after setting up camp."
"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."
5. American Springs
"Just sad to see bullet casings litter ground and these trees that survived the most intense fire in new mexico are being shot up and destroyed. Shame on anyone doing this"
"Any SUV could handle it but being in an extended length van limits where I can go. Very peaceful with a nice view down the canyon. Elk grazing below were the cherry on top."
6. Cuba Hwy Pulloff on Forest Road 88
"It’s a bummer people throw so much trash and glass bottles around. Very pretty site otherwise and nice trails to walk. Many cows wandering about in the area."
"This is a good site for me to stop, but the proximity of traffic sounds (I camp in a converted minivan, so I took a spot relatively close to the road) means it’s not a great place for me to linger."
7. Camp May Road
8. Canjilon Creek Campground
"This park is very primitive. It has no running water, toilets, or amenities. What it has a lot of, is charm. Hardly met anyone while there. It has three lakes filled with trout."
9. Horseshoe Springs Campground
10. Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping
"There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango."
"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."
Drive Time
- 1 hr 11 min from Santa Fe, NM
- 1 hr 56 min from Albuquerque, NM
- 2 hrs 8 min from Farmington, NM
- 4 hrs 8 min from Pueblo, CO
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Youngsville, NM
5 Photos of 14 Youngsville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Youngsville, NM
517 Reviews of 14 Youngsville Campgrounds
- RRoy R.
GuideFree Dispersed Camping
Free Dispersed Camping
This easy to miss spot is a free camping area near the ranger station. The road to get to the sites is probably only a couple hundred meters from the ranger station so slow down if you are going West on 64 and turn around if you reach the station going East on 64.
The actual camping spots are towards the very end of the road where they form a sort of triangle. There are three picnic tables with what look like fire rings. But there is a lot of open space around those three tables if they happen to be taken by any chance. I did notice that most boondockers would just park their vehicles on the side of the road along the way. So basically the entire area seems to be available for boondocking. There are no trash cans, water, more vault toilets. It's packed everything out. There are a couple of vault toilets at the ranger station and you can actually walk from the campsite area because there are trails that lead to the ranger station.
Very pretty area. Very quiet. Few vehicles on the nearby road.
- NNathaniel S.Traveler
Ghost Ranch
Beautiful area; challenging camping
The campground is situated in a beautiful setting and area right at Ghost Ranch. Campground has sites that are gravel and not very level, as others have noted, making it a bit of a challenge (site 16 in particular). Also note that some electric hookups are 20A only, not 30A. Full hookups at front of campground; tent only at rear. Showers were great and heated; laundry and bathrooms clean. Host and staff friendly. Lots of great hiking trails within walking distance of the campground. 2 small museums worth visiting. We paid $50 for electric hookup. Meal plan is now $50.
Jeff V.GuideBlack Canyon Campground
Good but not as good as free camping just a few miles further
Hyde Memorial State Park, like many NM state parks, is more campground than park. There are additional campsites, some with 3 walled shelters at the park, so you're not limited to this particular campground, whose only real advantage is an illegal trailhead to the city reservoir, left by firefighters a couple of decades ago (look for a trail near the top off the campground loop hike).
It's illegal to go to the reservoir, but enough folks do it to keep the use trail well trodden. It's doubtful you'd be cited, but possible.
Personally I'm allergic to paying for camping if I can and still sore about paying $70 a night in Big Sur a decade ago when everything but a private campground was fully booked. So here's my cheap advice:
Drive another 6 miles to Big Tesuque, a free Forest Service campground with picnic tables, vault toilets, fire rings and a stream for water and enjoy the freedom from fees. If Big Tesuque is packed, drive up to the Ski Basin at the top and camp there, it never fills up for some reason, and also has picnic tables, vault toilets and fire rings.
There's also a dirt USFS road off the north side of Artist Road just above Hyde Park and a trailhead at the eastern edge of the stat epark that leads to the stream: this means shelpping your stuff a couple of miles though, downhill on the way in.
Point is, you can pay for camping here, but you need not if your prefer holding onto your cash, by driving just a few miles further.
- Jeff V.Guide
Jemez Falls Campground
It's okay, but...
Look, this is a perfectly fine trailhead campground. There's nothing wrong with it.
That said, it's a quarter miles walk to the falls, and 3 miles to the warm springs, which are barely tepid. Both trails can and are frequently visited by day hikers, some using the same parking lot shared by the campground. It's not tranquil if the weather is good, as both the warm springs and falls are popular.
The real kicker though is the whole area has much better dispersed camping in all directions. If you have to stay on paved roads, go to this campground: any RV can do it. If your vehicle can handle even gravel Forest Service roads drive elsewhere and save $20 a night: it'll buy a tank of gas if you're camping even for a 3 day weekend, and gas being expensive, eliminating additional fees makes sense for many of us.
I'd head up 376, out of Jemez Springs, where one could spend the savings from camping for free on a genuine hot spring, several available in the small town. Or get a meal and a few drinks at the local bar.
Paying for camping when you don't have to has never made any sense to me, but I'm not rich. Plus the dispersed camping gives you privacy you won't get in an official campground where everyone is packed together like so many sardines in a can.
- MMark M.
LegendGhost Ranch
Campground avg but overall lots of things to do
Some good hikes, corral (horseback rides), museum, pack in pack out, & bring your own water (drought conditions; there is water available but don't rely on their water if for no other reason to support their conservation of it--don't recall any water hookups). Friendly staff. Did not avail ourselves of meal plan. Beautiful night skies. Still in mid to upper 90s in September (hot in afternoon). Beware that winds can gust suddenly & hard, including strong dust devils (a devil came through & tore up some tents & sunshades including mangling aluminum frames of some shades).
- NNicola P.Traveler
Black Canyon Campground
Great campground. Peaceful campsites
Such a nice campground. The sites are small due to the terrain but they are well spaced. Although someone mentioned generators, we heard none. Some of the sites are reservable but we found quite a few FCFS sites available. We did not see this campground on the map and had not filtered it out. It’s just before Big Tesuque Campground which is a walk in campground.
Richard H.TravelerEcho Amphitheater Campground — Carson National Forest
Great First-come-first-served Campsites
Level, electric hookup, waterless sites with long vista's below. Clean toilets. Easy walk to the Amphitheater.
- BBrandon C.
ScoutPaliza Family Campground
Paliza campground
Love the quiet non populated group camping spot
Guide to Youngsville
Tent camping options near Youngsville, New Mexico offer solitude at elevations between 7,000-9,000 feet in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Summer temperatures typically range from 45-80°F with afternoon thunderstorms common in July and August. Most camping areas require visitors to carry out all trash and bring sufficient water supplies as natural sources are limited or unreliable.
What to do
Fishing access: At Lower Lagunitas Campground, several small ponds provide trout fishing opportunities. A camper notes, "The area is small but there a few ponds I wouldn't call them lakes full of trout." Access roads can be problematic after rain as they become "washboard and washed out in places."
Wildlife viewing: American Springs offers opportunities to spot local wildlife. One visitor reported, "Very peaceful with a nice view down the canyon. Elk grazing below were the cherry on top." The area sits in burned forest from the 2011 fires but still provides habitat for numerous species.
River activities: Taos Junction Campground provides Rio Grande access for water recreation. A camper mentioned, "The Rio grande was cold but worth the swim. We had a great time and only saw a few other people." Several rafting companies operate within 15 minutes of the campground for guided river trips.
What campers like
Spacious sites: Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 offers multiple dispersed camping options. A camper observed, "Multiple pulloffs for unmarked campsites, but the one I picked was right off the road." The mixture of sage, juniper, and pine creates natural site separation.
Natural features: Resumidero Camping Area balances open and forested camping. A visitor noted, "The camp sites were far apart and you could chose between open meadows or in the trees. Hiking trails from the campground." The varied terrain provides different camping experiences within one area.
Mountain views: High elevation sites provide scenic vistas across valleys. A camper at Forest Service Road 578 reported, "I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road." Most sites above 8,000 feet maintain cooler temperatures even in summer.
What you should know
Road conditions: Many tent camping areas require careful vehicle selection. At Road 378, Fenton Lake, "The road is a bit rough, but easy access and close enough to the lake that I drove over to kayak after setting up camp." Several sites need high-clearance vehicles to access.
Sanitation issues: Human waste management varies across locations. One camper at Road 378 mentioned, "The poop that littered this campsite made this site basically uninhabitable. A bummer but when nature calls, literally, you gotta do what you gotta do." Pack-out waste systems are recommended where facilities are absent.
Weather preparation: Temperatures drop significantly at night due to elevation. A Forest Service Road 578 camper reported, "It got cold at night, like 27 F." Bring appropriate clothing and sleeping gear rated for freezing temperatures even in summer months.
Tips for camping with families
Water recreation: Swimming opportunities exist despite the arid environment. At Taos Junction, a visitor shared, "We had a great time camping here. Very cheap only $6 to camp all ages all year. They have nice grills at the tent sites along with tables." The nearby river provides cooling recreation on hot days.
Site selection: For larger family groups, seek established sites. As one Resumidero visitor noted, "We expected a campground that was spread out, fire rings and vault toilets. It was perfect." Sites with toilets reduce logistics challenges for families with younger children.
Shade access: Afternoon temperatures can reach the 80s in summer months. At Forest Service Road 578, natural cover provides relief as "The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees." Seek partially shaded sites for midday comfort.
Tips from RVers
Size limitations: Most tent camping areas near Youngsville have significant RV access challenges. At American Springs, a camper advised, "Probably not a must have, but I highly recommend a four-wheel-drive high clearance to get back into the camp spots here, but there are a handful of spots."
Alternative locations: For RVs, consider Star Dance which offers cabin and glamping options when RV camping proves difficult. Though a developed campground rather than dispersed camping, visitors find "This campground is beautiful beyond words. It's an enchanting, magical healing place that was very hard to leave."
Dispersed sites: Cuba Highway pulloff on Forest Road 88 accommodates smaller rigs. A visitor reported, "The road in is steep for long rigs. It's a bummer people throw so much trash and glass bottles around. Very pretty site otherwise and nice trails to walk." Access requires careful navigation for anything beyond small trailers.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Youngsville, NM is Star Dance with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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