Best Tent Camping in New Mexico
Searching for a tent campsite in New Mexico? It's easy to find a New Mexico campground for tent camping with the Dyrt. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of New Mexico's most popular destinations.
Best Tent Sites in New Mexico (114)
1. Backcountry Primitive Sites — White Sands National Park
Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico23 Reviews•123 Photos•264 SavesDue to rehabilitation of camping sites, backcountry camping is closed.
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Equestrian
- Market
- Trash
- Drinking Water
2. Dispersed Camping off FS 542
Tijeras, New Mexico23 Reviews•40 Photos•426 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
3. Joe Skeen Campground
San Rafael, New Mexico11 Reviews•12 Photos•31 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- Tents
4. Silver City KOA
Arenas Valley, New Mexico8 Reviews•28 Photos•18 Saves- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
5. Big Tesuque Campground
Tesuque, New Mexico8 Reviews•26 Photos•135 SavesBig Tesuque is a walk in campground not conducive to trailer or RV campoing. There are 10 units, Picnic tables and grills, and Vaulted toilets in the parking lot. There is no potable water and no Campground Host. The entire area is very scenic, and NM 475 is also designated as the Santa Fe Scenic Byway. Because of the large stands of aspen, the area is very busy, especially in the fall aspen viewing season. There are additional recreation opportunities along NM 475, both above and below Big Tesuque Campground, including hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, and in the winter. both nordic and alpine skiing. Tesuque is pronounced "Tess-U-key"
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
6. Enchanted Circle Campground E<< - #1 Campground in NM
Angel Fire, New Mexico7 Reviews•29 Photos•78 SavesPLEASE READ ALL OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH SITE BEFORE YOU BOOK. NOT ALL SITES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO RVs.
PLEASE READ…
Nestled in the Carson National Forest@ 9000ft in the Sangre de Cristo mountains in the southern region of the Colorado Rockies lies Enchanted Circle Campgrounds. E<< is a quiet, exclusive, totally unique, primitive campground that generally has open camping sites during the camping season of May 1st until October 31st.
E<< was Voted #1 Campground in NM for 2020, 2021, and 2022." Number #4 in the Country by Forbes!
There are 7 Private campsites.
Site#1: This is the smallest campsite, but it overlooks the valley and lakes and is most often the favorite. It is not large enough for any camper beside teardrops, popups, and anything smaller than 16 ft. It is best served as a tent site.
Site#2: is located in the middle of the ranch. It is one of the larger of the spots and perfect for campers and trailers. It overlooks the valley and has 2 fire pits and hammocks. A great site for more than one trailer or RV. It is also easily accessible.
Site#3: It is the most remote. It sits on top of a pretty large cliff system that the Ute Indians actually lived in and has some of the best views. It is on top of a cliff though and is not the best fit for groups with small children. TRAILERS CANNOT GET TO SITE 3, due to tight turns.
Spot 4. This spot is great for larger groups. It is the furthest spot from the gate. It is nestled in the middle of a valley full of Aspens. There are Hammocks, giant fire pits, pergolas, Log Benches, and plenty of space to explore.
Spot 5. It is the flattest spot on the entire ranch, and the easiest to access. This spot is our stargazer site, it has the biggest views and is the most open site@ECC. There are trees, but it is mainly the sky. This site was built and intended for Large RVs and Motor Homes larger than 34 ft. But, If it is available, feel free to book it whether or not you are in a tent or RV.
Spot 6 was also built for Larger Rvs Or larger Groups with multiple tents. It is also very accessible to Motorhomes and large units. It is a mix of all of the environments we have here, with Big skies, Big trees, big views, and great privacy.
Spot 7 is Identical to spot 6. Big RVs, Big Skies, Big Views. Easy accessibility.
Spot 8 is only accessible to tents. It is the newest and most remote site. Surrounded by forest it is tucked away and feels the wildest.
At ECC, you are surrounded by trees and wildlife no matter what spot you choose. Each spot usually has a campfire grill, cast iron skillet, dutch oven, coffee pot, grilling utensils, shovel, hatchet, trash can, hammocks, and other small necessities. With Covid 19, we have removed all of the cooking utensils, cast iron, and coffee pots. You will need to bring these items with you. We have also added handwashing stations and Antibacterial hand soap at each site. We are also Sanitizing the entire campsite after each checkout to ensure all of our guest Safety to the best of our abilities. Numerous trails wander their way through the pine forest, with many more hiking opportunities within a short drive. The Ranch has both long and short nature hikes that allow for views of local flora, fauna, and wheeler peak. We have too many to count, primitive and natural mountain bike trails, and many more to discover or trail blaze. We also offer Coleman 49CC mini bikes for rent by the day to explore all over the ranch. They are great fun.
ECC has 7 natural ground(underground) fed springs that run year-round. 3 spring-fed ponds, 2 of which are stocked with rainbow trout as well as native brown trout, and crawfish. The natives are very picky eaters and require more patience than I usually have. Many of our campers seem to have what it takes as they are caught often, but the rainbows bite on a few different things, you just have to find the right one, and then it's game on. We stock the ponds at the beginning of the season each year. You can keep what you catch, up to 2 per person per day. But, you are also more than welcome to catch and release as often as you like. We have just about every terrain here as well, from prairie and marshland to cliffs and mountainous forests. We have a little over 900 feet of elevation change on the ranch. We have numerous species of wildlife that call the ranch home. We have elk, mule deer, turkeys, bobcats, prairie dogs, beavers, bears, and the occasional mountain lion. We also have our horses, goats, pigs, and chickens free-roaming within the fenced ranch. It is really important to leave all objects you find on the land where you found them(bones, things at the sweat lodge, etc) because this is sacred land and we all need to respect that.
Our Ranch can accommodate individuals, families, and both large and small groups. We also love to support Veterans, LEO, and Emergency Services. We will cover one night, for up to 4 campers, for any of those professionals.
The biggest draw to ECC besides ECC itself is its proximity to Angel Fire and the Ski and Mountain Bike Resort. Located just 5 miles from Town. There is plenty of exploring to do both on the ranch and in town. We are also located within 15 minutes of 3 State Parks. Come check it out! It might just be your favorite secret spot.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
$75 / night
7. Fort Stanton Cave Campground
Capitan, New Mexico7 Reviews•18 Photos•77 SavesSeveral shelters, tables and fire rings are located here as well as a vault toilet. All sites are dry and on a first come/first served basis. The access road off of US 380 is graveled. There are no fees for camping in this area.
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Tent Cabin
- Glamping
8. Taos Junction Campground
Carson, New Mexico6 Reviews•7 Photos•122 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Drinking Water
9. Cuchilla Campground
Valdez, New Mexico6 Reviews•34 Photos•202 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Picnic Table
- Toilets
10. Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping
Valdez, New Mexico7 Reviews•19 Photos•479 SavesMany people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. It means no services; such as trash removal, and little or no facilities; such as tables, fire pits and toilets are provided.
There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It is your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
- Toilets
Showing results 1-10 of 114 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews in New Mexico
3192 Reviews of 114 New Mexico Campgrounds
ron R.
Ranger
Alamo Road Camp
Very quiet out of the way and peaceful
I stayed here for the second week of November. It rained a day or two before I got here and the mosquitoes were still a little bad but the weather was great up until my moving Day when I was leaving today November 18th. As long as it doesn't rain hard the ground should be good but if it rains really hard it gets really muddy. The cell phone signal is amazing for T-Mobile it's very quiet at night your neighbors are a couple football fields away if you have any at all. There is a target shooting range on DOD land about 2 mi away so during the day you do hear gunshots from time to time. Everyone shooting there is shooting North so stay south of the zig zag road sign.
- UUT801Ranger
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site
Clean spacious safe at major pertroglyph site
Has one handicap accessible & next to bathroom). There is a group site that has three picnic tables under a shelter and two grills. 2 RV sites have covered picnic tables and grills and water and electric hookups. Five tent sites. One of the tent locations is at the handicap accessible site. CLEAN restrooms with flush toilets and drinking water are available. Pets are allowed in the campground(on leash), but are not allowed on the trails. Petroglyph trails are rocky, but not difficult (keep your eyes peeled, there are petroglyphs everywhere). Hosts were very nice. Campground has well-functioning electronic/pay check-in. Great BLM campground. Other places in area include Malpais lava flows. Sierra Blanca hovers to the east. Sunset was early in Nov. so if hiking trails in late afternoon take a flashlight. Nearby Carrizozo reportedly has a photo gallery or three that we were told were well worth checking out but we did not get chance to do so.
- UUT801Ranger
Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and Campground
Hidden gem
Stayed in #43. Most sites are uneven and short. BLM recommends nothing more than 23' long. Water available at host site near gate before driving about 4 or 5 mi to campsites. Road IS narrow and winding and steep in place but pave and ONE way (don't turn wrong direction). Toilets were clean and mens toilets all had soft-close lids. I am told womens do not. Campground was clean, great 4 mile loop hike, and other much more strenuous/technical options for mountain climbers. Mountain crags remind me of a mix of Tetons, Patagonia and Sawtooth in Idaho. Great views to Sacramento Mountains to the east (Ruidoso/Cloudcroft area--Sierra Blanca covered in snow early Nov.). White Sands nearby along with White Sands Missile Range Museum). Met some BLM peeps who were very nice, helpful and provided great information re: geology of the area and other points of interest. We brought our own 5 gal of water and were fine for 3 nights.
ALSO: shout out to New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors who were doing trail rehab./maintenance work while we were in area, yay!
- GGil W.
Guide
Lake van
Can’t Beat The Price
Although a bit rough around the edges, if you are traveling in SE New Mexico, this location is great for an overnighter. When we arrived, all of the full hook-up sites were taken (looked like long term locals). I called the number at the un-manned office and the gentleman who answered was very friendly and let us know that we could camp anywhere around the lake for $9. The location is close to a nice residential area, so it’s relatively quiet with the exception of the occasional train passing by. There is a scent of cow manure depending on which way the wind is blowing; but it’s not unbearable. Overall, it was a nice place to stop over for the night as we were heading towards the Carlsbad Caverns the following day.
- BBJ S.
Scout
Quail Run — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
EB St Pk is great, More sheltered area
I love the Elephant Butte State Park and have stayed around 4 times. February 2024 I spent a week there in my small travel trailer. It can be quite windy in Feb/Mar so before booking I called the park office ans asked which campground might be more wind sheltered. They suggested Quail Run so that is what I booked. It was more out of the wind and a very nice, less exposed area. /bear in mind, the excellent prices are ending for 2025 and will be considerably more. I plan to spend a few days there in Dec before the prices go up.
Tory W.Scout
Lady Hall/Randolph Rampy Park
Great spot!
Great spot to stop and stay for the night! Four of five spots occupied, including myself. Nice park right next door and extremely generous with no fee and full hookups.
- KKim G.Ranger
Little Vineyard RV Park
Some amenities but dated
We stopped here for an unplanned overnight. It is ok. Friendly staff. Clean but dated bathrooms. Took 5 minutes to get hot water in the women’s shower and the water stream was very small. No space between rigs. Lots of people driving out late and early. Think some folks must live here and be heading off to work. Big clubhouse area with a library. Also indoor pool. Didn’t use these facilities. There is a laundry but we did not check it out. Reasonable price but we wouldn’t choose to stay here again.
Christian M.Ranger
Alamogordo / White Sands KOA
Loved this KOA
Local to everything in Alamogordo. Propane available, laundry, cabins, hot as hell showers, water pressure is really high at around 155 psi. So definitely bring a regulator. Two KOA cats that are friendly so FYI
- ron R.Ranger
Whites City Road Dispersed Camp
Looks like the area is no longer available for camping
I drove up to the area and a long the path they have put a row of rocks and gravel about a foot foot and a half tall to keep people from driving through so you can't access the dirt path to get to the area anymore. Also there was some clearing about two miles before that closer to the highway that had a sign that said area closed road closed no camping no soliciting
- WWilliam C.Guide
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.
- WWilliam C.Guide
Kirtland AFB FamCamp
Solid Campground
Solid RV-focused campground. Half under trees and half in the open. Two bathhouses, laundry, and a dog park make this a nice, safe place to spend a couple of days.
- Jennifer P.Scout
Joe Skeen Campground - El Malpais NCA
Beautiful, dark sky, quiet-not big rig friendly
The wash to get into the campground is steep on both sides. We drug a bit on the way in and a lot on the way out.we have a silverback 37bh that specs say is 39'11". Would not try it again. The campground is awesome though. Quiet with trash receptacles and vault toilets. Amazing dark sky view of the stars. Mostly empty.
- SSteven L.
Traveler
Hackberry Lake OHV Area
Nice but can be noisy
Several level Gravel sites with covered picnic table. Pit toilets. OHV access point so it can be noisy. This time not too bad just a small group of rvs group together. Last time it was empty. 14 day limit
Kara S.GuideAguirre Spring Recreation Area and Campground
Views and hikes
Great sites with close and clean toilets. We found a few level spots that would work for rooftop tents, but most spots seemed a little rocky and uneven for tents. There is a lovely 4 mile hike that loops up in the mountains by the sites.
- Kara S.Guide
Parks Ranch Campground
Beautiful and quiet
We headed past the open campsite, first dirt road on the right then veered left and ended up at a fire ring site. It was quiet and we were far enough from the road that the cars were not a bother. Unfortunately it was extremely windy that night and we had to close up our rooftop tent and sleeping the truck. But overall site was lovely.
- SSteven L.Traveler
Hackberry Lake
Beautiful nothing
Large open area with washed out hills. Access was easy but the road back does have issues because of gully wash. It was lightly raining when I arrived and I did a bit of a walkabout before it got dark. Many flat spots to choose from. Ground is a white flaky soil. But saw no problems with sinking into it. Might be a different story if there is a hard rain.
Tom H.Scout
Mountain Road RV Park
convenient, full hookups, super friendly staff
Rerouted here on my way to the Grand Canyon due to winter storms. Pull thru spots were long enough to leave the truck attached to the camper (17') for the one night that turned into two because of weather.
Wifi was adequate, T-Mobile cell service was good. Dog area was desert-y, pretty muddy in the snowy slushy weather. No official offleash areas.
The whole small park is clean and well maintained, and the heat in the restrooms was great in the 30 degree weather outside. As others mentioned there appeared to be a few rv's here for an extended time. It's not fancy, but the price is good for the full hookups, and the people who run this place take good care of it.
- SShawnGuide
Brantley Lake State Park Campground
Windy but peaceful
Way off the beaten path. It happened to be extra windy the day I was there. Nice desert/lake view. Quiet. No working dump station right now. Ranger was very friendly and helpful.
James W.Traveler
Trailer Ranch RV Resort
Policy does not client
The place was clean. Our issues were two.
- The strong smell of marijuana is due to their neighborhood store that makes and sells the stuff.
- 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
Alamogordo / White Sands KOA
Great place WiFi weak
Everyone was super nice! Place was well kept and clean. Note: there is lots of railroad train coming by throughout the evening WiFi could be better. White Sands National Park is very close.
- James W.Traveler
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.
- 445trdr435Scout
Las Cruces KOA
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Roy G.Traveler
Baylor Canyon Rd Dispersed Site
Convenient
Not bad at all. Not far off the main road. Paved road to it. Gravelled grounds. Pretty level. Quiet. This isn't a huge campground but we had no trouble finding a spot.
- JJames D.Scout
Joe Skeen Campground - El Malpais NCA
Great Views of New Mexico
Great Dispersed Camp Ground less than 20 minutes off of I-40 that will accommodate all types of camping from tents to large trailers. (There is a dip in the gravel road leading up to the camp ground that did scrape my jack but I think if you hit it at an angle it might be OK.)
Within 20 feet of my campsite site I could see for miles of the gorgeous valley.
Each camp site has a fire pit, grill, and picnic tables covered with a roof and has a nice pit toilet and trash within a very short walking distance.
I am here in the beginning of November and it is chilly and about to get downright cold with expected snow tomorrow, down to 16 degrees the next night, even though it looks more like the desert.
I have a very good signal with Verizon, TMobile is low.
Water is available at the Ranger Station up the road, and Walmart Super Center and other stores within 20-30 minutes.
- KKim G.Ranger
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park — Oliver Lee State Park
4-star for the sunsets
Beautiful location for sunsets. Sites are spread out, private, and a bargain at $10 ($14 for electric/water). Clean bathrooms. One very strenuous hike from the campground. We only went up 1/4 mile. The footing was challenging (along with the elevation gain). Good overnight. Quiet at night.
- KKim G.Ranger
Brantley Lake State Park Campground
Well-priced overnight stop
We stayed here before going to Carlsbad Caverns. Pros: only $14 for electric and water site. Sites well spaced and private. Easy to make online reservations. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers. Friendly staff. Cons: ran out of hot water when no one else was showering. Not much to do here if you are not using the lake (which seems low). Pretty far from anything. I’d stay again if needing a spot while passing through, but wouldn’t make a point of coming here just for the campground.
- KKim G.Ranger
Las Cruces KOA
5-star city light view!
We usually opt more for National Forests and Parks, but this was a great stop after a fabulous but more rustic experience camping at Chiricahua National Monument. This place has been updated and has more amenities than I’ve ever seen at an RV park including a dog bath! The bathrooms are updated and clean. Our view site was great and more spacious than the pull through ones. No one was to our right, so our site felt extra spacious. Staff were kind and helpful. Very clean and quiet park. I’d stay here again.
