Columbine Campground, near Questa, New Mexico, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature. Tucked away in Carson National Forest, this campground boasts beautiful sites along the serene Columbine Creek, where the sound of running water adds to the peaceful ambiance.

The campground features spacious sites with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for gathering around the fire after a day of exploring. Many visitors rave about the clean vault toilets and the ample shade provided by tall trees, making it a comfortable place to camp. One camper noted, “The vault bathrooms were extremely clean and even pleasant smelling,” which is always a plus when you’re out in the wild.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there are plenty of hiking trails nearby, with some leading to stunning views and multiple stream crossings. The area is also known for its bird activity, so keep your eyes peeled for feathered friends while you relax. As one happy camper put it, “Sound of Columbine Creek to fall asleep to” captures the essence of this tranquil setting.

While the campground can get busy, especially during peak season, the natural beauty and well-maintained facilities make it a worthwhile destination. Whether you’re tent camping, RVing, or trying out a yurt, Columbine Campground offers a memorable experience in the heart of New Mexico’s stunning landscape.

## Overview

 Columbine Campground is located between Questa and Red River, New Mexico. The Red River flows past the campground and a trailhead leads into the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness area. Columbine Campground sits at 7,900 feet in elevation.
## Recreation

 The Columbine Twining hiking trail can be found at the south end of the campground and gives access to 14 miles of hiking trails, and leads into the Columbin-Hondo Wilderness area. The Red River runs near the campground and can be accessed near the first loop. 
## Natural Features

 The campground is composed of two loops. One small loop at the campground entrance, has all open sites and views of the towering mountains. The other is a long loop up the canyon along the fast-flowing Columbine Creek. The campsites in this loop are tucked in among pine, spruce and some aspen providing ample shade and good privacy between campsites. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Be sure to explore Red River, Questa, and the Enchanted Circle while in the area.

Columbine Campground (NM)

Questa, NM is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your New Mexico camping adventure.

Questa

The Best Camping Near Questa, New Mexico

I love this campsite. It is definitely one of my favorites on the Questa side of the Carson National forest. The views here are breathtaking and the sound of the river drowns out the noise from the road which is fairly close. The sites are are very nice and spacious with a grill pit and a huge circular fire pit.

The bathrooms are simple vault toilets and there is a small wash station. There are plenty of potable water spots and the rangers here are always helpful.

On one side you have the amazing views of the mountains and the other is just beautiful forest with the river running along side. There are a few trailheads towards the back of the campground with awesome trails. Plus this campground is in between the amazing Red River ski resort and Questa. Red River has some great restaurants including a local brewery that is my personal favorite. They also have a small market, or you could head into Questa or Taos for full size grocery stores. 

Beautiful spot inside Carson National Forest!

We went up here for Memorial Day weekend several years ago and stayed at site #26, without reservations. Great shaded site with water flowing behind it, which made for great sleeping. Campground was full by the afternoon with lots of families but it didn’t seem crowded. Vault toilets were incredibly clean and the whole campground was well-maintained. We hiked a little bit of the Columbine Twining hiking trail - can’t wait to go back to be able to hike more! 

Beautiful campground!

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. 

Beautiful valley with two rivers 

All sites sit on a beautifully shaded Creek (Columbine Creek) that feeds the Red River. The vault bathrooms were extremely clean and even pleasant smelling. Pads are well maintained and each site I saw had multiple tent options. Even if your pad does not have shade, each site has ample shade to the back of the site along the Creek. Each site has more than expected space and offset to adjacent sites. Camp Host are doing an excellent job. 

Top 10 Campground

This will be a lengthy review but I need people to know not to book, especially site 11. 

I’ll start by saying I don’t normally stay at developed camp sites so maybe all my issues are typical and I’m just ignorant. That being said, camp site 11 is an unfortunate little piece of land. It is unusably small (maybe 25sq ft of barely usable space)  and bordered by a mountain, the road, spot 10’s driveway, and trees. The picnic table and fire pit are centered in a way that left very little room for our 2 tents on rocky uneven ground. My tent was forced to be less than 3 feet from driveway 10. Our other tent had to be so close to the fire pit that it would have caught fire if the pit was used. It also is a waterway for all the road water and mountain side so a small river formed through our space (hitting both tents) when it rained. All this on top of the fact that every other spot around us was so plentiful (4 to 5 times our size) in space it almost made our spot seem like a cruel joke. It should cost 1/4 of the price of the rest and should be for small RV or day picnics only.

Now the camp area as a whole is well maintained and the vaulted toilets smelled surprising decent the entire 4 day stay. The mountains are beautiful as mountains tend to be. The hiking is great and there is an awesome stream that rolls through the campground in certain areas. There is constant highway noise so be aware of that, though the spots further in or near the stream probably don’t deal with it. A lot of the sites are packed close and  you can easily hear many conversations at normal talking volumes. 

The camp staff guy (Bill?) was friendly at first but that changed rapidly after the first night. There was a no wood fire restriction at the time of our stay despite days of rain and rain every day so we used only our propane stove the entire time. This didn’t stop Bill from calling the fire department on us the first night because he “thought we had a wood fire”. We didn’t. 

Now this second part I’ll admit was on us but was handled poorly. I didn't know there were curfews at that campsite. The bulletin board does show quiet hour times but it’s buried in a novel of information most of which was about a bear sighting so that may have distracted my attention when I first looked at the bulletin. Quiet time is 10-6 and I know that now. So we’re hanging out around the “campfire” and I decide to walk down to the restroom, it’s about 11pm. As I’m walking back, I pass Bill and say hi. He doesn’t acknowledge me (he wouldn’t talk or look my way the rest of our stay either). When I return to the campsite the 2 women and 2 children I was with told me Bill had just ran up on them and was standing over them in a very aggressive fashion pointing his finger in their face and reprimanding them for breaking the quiet hour rules. He left after getting directly in one of the females face and saying “don’t make me come back here” in a very threatening tone. They all, just remained silent throughout the ordeal. C’mon man. We messed up and felt horrible but it was an honest mistake and had he just told us respectfully we would have shut up just the same but instead he created this uneasy tension for three days. And to put a cherry on top, other campsites broke the rule every night and morning (music, laughter, generators) and were not reprimanded. I know because everyone was so close we could see what was going on. Also, we saw Bill greet every camp site every day multiple times a day except ours. We aren’t abrasive people, we try to be generally respectful, courteous, and aware of our actions so the treatment of our camp was unjust. I will say that had he not had it out for us for one reason or another I’m sure things would have been cool. We saw Bill constantly having friendly conversations with everyone so I’m sure he’s nice to most campers.

In short, I know there are better campsites out there. Go find them.

Do Not Book Site 11

This was our 3rd visit and this time we stayed at site #14.  Beautiful forest, nice campground... however, this Red River area has been taken over by groups from Texas and Oklahoma primarily.  Large groups with multiple campers book up the sites and then put up canopies and tables for large parties.  It isn't quite the same as in years past.  I understand their states don't have pretty places like this, but every campground in the area (there are several forest service campgrounds as well as commercial campgrounds) are FULL to overflowing with these large groups.  

If you are looking for quiet and enjoying peace with nature, it isn't at Red River anymore.  It wouldn't bother us so much if there weren't STATE mandated orders about groups and wearing masks, but majority of these people do not follow these New Mexico rules.  Hearing them be abusive to locals and NM residents about it has really soured us on visiting here in the near future.  

It used to be a nice area... love the campground, but the CROWDS,,,, yuck.

Great campground in beautiful forest setting

Small campground with some nice sites along the Columbine Creek prior to its entry into the Red River.  Great creek access making for enjoyable moments sitting creekside.  Beautiful area with the exception of the moly mine which is in process of restoration.  Tall trees, big tables, fresh water, lots of shade, hiking trail, clean, informative host.

Carson National Forest Campground 

Campsite 17 was awesome. Huge, isolated, 1 minute from a very clean vault toilet with **2-PLY TP**!!! Shaded. Tons of bird activity. Sound of Columbine Creek to fall asleep to. 

No bear boxes. Beautiful but heavily used trail out of the back of the campground with multiple stream crossings. Loved it enough that I'll return to the same site.

loved this place

We arrived for a walkup on a Thursday afternoon and found a perfect site in #25. With the creek running through the middle of the campground, we had a great spot for the kids to play plus a wooded spot for our tent. As opposed to other campgrounds near here, we were far enough back from the road to just get some road noise at night but not too much. We would absolutely come back.

Best campsite of the summer

near clear running stream with 100s of small waterfalls. 

Photos of Columbine Campground (NM)

Real photos from real campers