Vista Linda Campground — Santa Fe National Forest

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!

Vista Linda NM : Adjacent to the highway. Don’t be fooled, though. Beautiful, peaceful, clean, and the most helpful host.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 Security: No Usage during visit: the host tells me that usually fills up Site Privacy: good Site Spacing: very good Pad surface: blacktop Reservations: First, come first Campground Noise: Quiet, campground Outside Road Noise: along the highway. Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: no, Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: yes Generators: allowed Bathroom: very clean pit toilets. Showers: no Pull Throughs: yes. Cell Service (AT&T): no bars Setting: beautiful setting. Along in Canyon wall. Would love to stay here Recent Weather: 70s during the day Solar: very good Insects: none during our visit this time of Host: yes sky Rig Size: around 40 feet Sites: many nice sites. See the pictures. Site seven was our favorite site. Very nice. Flowing Creek adjacent to that site.

There are many campgrounds that we simply love, and we can’t come within 50 miles of this place without staying at least one night. Tucked into the Jemez Valley just south of the town of Jemez Springs and the nearby Carson National Forest, Valles Caldera National Preserve, and Bandelier National Monument, this campground offers a great place to camp for a night or stay for a week. 

Some of the sites have the full shade structure over the picnic table and campfire ring area, others offer shade under the trees along the river bank. There’s lots of great sun for solar power in the valley but none of the sites have electricity. It’s still one of the best campsites for $10 a night.  The toilets are clean vault style and are regularly serviced by the nearby park service crews. As the name implies, the scenery is stunning and you can find lots of hiking in the area, including trails that lead to nearby warm and hot springs. 

You can also get a permit to visit the Jemez reservation (Red Canyon) hiking trails here as well -- definitely worth it.  Also check out the locals who prepare food at the stalls across the road, got some good enchiladas there. But probably the best food around is going to be Los Ojos Saloon. Now, we don’t normally single out businesses in these reviews, but this one is special. Definitely get Olgas Chile Rellenos, as they are among the best we’ve had...anywhere!

With 3 hot springs resorts in town, your soaking desires can be serviced locally or within a short drive. Back down the valley at the reservation visitor’s center there’s a small museum and a cafe offering a very respectable spiced mocha and gas station where you can get a pizza.  The suburban sprawl of Bernalillo is just about 30 minutes away in case you need something beyond the convenience store level.

Great place on a Tuesday, hardly anyone there and campsites close to the water. Great for sleeping, I didn't bother pitching my tent and slept out under the shelter. Cool breezes came down the valley in the evening and overnight. It's dark in the canyon in the morning and late afternoon. Water available.

We only stayed for one night but we enjoyed this location! The surrounding views were fantastic. Walking along the Jemez River was a great evening activity. The sites themselves were nice with picnic tables, grills, and fire pits. There was potable water pumps near the restrooms which we used to ferry water and fill up the RV before heading out.

We liked how spread out the sites were, you never felt on top of your neighbor. The evening we were here, it was less than half full during the first week of November.

Of note, was some sites were great for starlink being set back from some of the trees and further from the river and mesa while others were just okay for starlink.

it is a great place great rangers I love the little creek and beautiful view favorite campsite so far 🏕⛺️

Stayed overnight on 1/22/22 and had a great experience. The campground and vault toilets were super clean. The area is gorgeous and makes for breathtaking views from your site.

All the sites had fire pits and picnic tables. Spacing was great; couldn’t see our neighbors from our camper windows.

The creek that runs behind the campground is cathartic. Just down the road is Ponderosa Winery and Jemez Hot Springs is the other way. We’ll be back!

Vista Linda camp ground was an awesome surprise for us . It’s located roughly 40 mins north of ABQ but right in between some amazing spots . It was on first come first serve basis , with restrooms (no showers ) and water . Camped for 3 nights and were able to visit and experience some awesome spots such as Jemez hot springs (a few miles north on HWY 4) and Gilman Tunnels (a few miles south on HWY 4 , then north on another road north some ) . Linda Vista campground had a creek running along itself which made for good hiking and scenery. Over all we really enjoyed our stay and felt like it made our Fall visit one to never forget .

Time of Visit : Mid October Temperatures : 60-70 during day 50-40 during night (buddy heater recommended) Campsite #6 included : shaded picnic area with grill and fire pit , space for tent and drive through parking spot for vehicle.

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We went in fall and omg this was by far the best it was like heaven the trees were so orange and the thick wood right smack in the desert definitely bucket list place

We stayed here for one night and probably would’ve stayed longer had we gotten a campsite that had any shade. Unfortunately it was the last campsite left open. Other sites had some shade and covered structures which was very nice. The kids liked it was close to the stream. Bathrooms were clean and the camp host was very nice.

I wasn't planning on staying here but the Jemez Historic SIte was closed for the day, so I decided to camp out. The restrooms were clean.  Trash was easy to throw away, and I had an easy time backing into my space. I didn't do much there, other than what I just said. But I did spend time in the surrounding area. This is definitely the perfect place to go in the heat of summer, it is much cooler than other areas.

This spot is set between the road to Jemez Springs and Jemez Creek. Some sites are exposed to the road and its noise, although it’s not too bad. About half the sites are tucked in among the cottonwoods alongside the creek. Overall, a very pleasant getaway not far from Albuquerque.

This adorable little campground just 3 miles south of the village of Jemez Springs, NM is situated in the in a wide canyon with expansive views of the mesas to the east and west. Some of the sites have a full shelter over the fire ring and picnic table. Many of the sites can accommodate larger RVs or motorhomes, but do not have water or electricity hook-ups. Potable water is available as well. The vault toilets were very clean, and well maintained. This campground had the best recycling and trash containers we’ve seen in months. We were able to recycle just about everything!

This area is perfect for anyone who loves to do any of the following: hike, bike, climb, snowshoe, ski, view wildlife, fly fish, soak in hot springs, gallery shop, or just hang out at your beautiful campsite. The town is within 30 minutes of Valles Caldera National Preserve and just a few more miles to Bandelier National Monument and Los Alamos Skiing area. The town of Jemez Springs has just a few restaurants, be sure to try Olga's Famous Chile Rellenos at Los Ojos, the quirky and quaint little bar that looks like it came from a movie set.

The campground is open all year round and typically has a camp host. The sites are non-reservable, and are very inexpensive for the beautiful views you get!

Note: Despite how beautiful this place was and how much we enjoyed it, we had a scary incident happen that we reported to both the county sheriff and forest service office. If you want to know more, visit our blog. They told us that they had never had a report like this before, so this could have been a random incident, as we were there when there was no camp host. So, stay alert, especially if you are the only camper in the campground.

Just south of the town of Jemez Springs was this really nice campground wedged between the road and the river. Super nice campsites, some with pavilions over the picnic tables, some with river access. The campground was closed when I got there but the really nice hosts let me in to check it out. I liked the sites at the back that either had river access or pergolas. This campground was super clean; I wish I had camped here the night before as there was water available and the bathrooms were more modern and clean.

My friends and I came here over Memorial Day weekend, I really enjoyed the campground and area. The campground is in a valley nestled between beautiful deep red striped mountains. Each camp site has a grill, a fire pit, and a canopy which was perfect to set up our hammocks in. There is a small stream that runs through the campground, which claims to have fish, mainly trout! There are two tiny cities nearby, one with a wonderful historical site (I highly recommend), and nice neat little shops. There’s two hot springs, two waterfalls, a fishing o lake a few miles away. I would enjoy coming here again anytime!

We found Vista Linda almost by accident as a base for our visit to Valles Caldera. We lucked into a cul de sac site with great privacy, good enough solar, plenty of shade and the creek in our "yard." A delightful experience.

Lovely area of NM! I camped here a few times. There’s great hikes nearby. It’s a curved road getting up there. So be aware..