Black Canyon Campground

I spent one evening in mid October and was overjoyed with my experience.

20 minutes outside of Santa Fe it feels like could be hours away from civilization.

Be aware I lost all cell service as soon as we started into the mountains so expect to be disconnected during your stay.

There are about 30 campsites of which can only be reserved in person. (At least according to the website) a few sites are designated as first come first serve and can’t be reserved at all. We got to the campground around 3pm and was able to find the one open FCFS site.

Water is currently out at this campground and I heard a few folk mentioning it’s been under repair for some time.

So bring water and firewood and if you use first come first serve you’ll need 10$ cash to leave in the pay box.

Lots of tourists.

This was a beautiful, well-maintained campground that is also nicely developed for convenience of campers. Also, conveniently located if you want to explore the history and culture of beautiful Santa Fe. A couple of issues; campsites are fairly close to each other, lack of sunlight, due to its location in the canyon, and no cell service. Definitely do not mess some of the great hikes nearby, along with the gorgeous high Alpine environment up and around ski Santa Fe.

Loved this campground. Only 20 minutes from Santa Fe (and Trader Joes) but feels much more remote. They're not kidding when they warn about no cell service (there is a payphone if you need it, though!), but Starlink worked like a dream during the days when we needed to logon for work.

We stayed in one of the smaller campsites (site 8) but loved it. The site backed up to a creek that our dogs loved playing in and was relaxing to listen to. There are quite a few people that come up just to hike the Black Canyon trail and you'll see them walk by, but otherwise this was a quiet campground.

When we stayed, the water spigots on the campground were out of service, but we'd been warned about that and came prepared. But other than that, the campground is very well maintained and cared for. I took short videos of the campsites that were vacant the morning we left and am posting those. Would recommend site 12, if it's available. It is large, backs up to the creek, and is close to the vault toilets (which are as good as vault toilets can be!). Will definitely be back!

The campground Was nice. I recommend it unless you really need cell service

This Forest Service Campground is less than ten miles from the Santa Fe Plaza and is, thus, very popular and very busy. It should be noted that about half of this distance is on a somewhat steep, but very good road. Most of the sites are reservable, and are reserved well in advance, but there are some hard-to-get, first-come sites. The campground is smaller and the sites are fairly close together, but the vegetative undercover gives some visual separation, and, during our stay, it was fairly quiet except for the several generators that often make there presence known during the evenings. Generator hours, if there are any, seem to be very generous. It would certainly be nice to have generator-free zones. The campground has very nice tree cover and, because of the elevation, is cool even during mid summer. The campsites are well laid out with a picnic table and fire ring and well-designed tent sites. There are water spigots throughout but none were able to provide water during our stay. It is unclear whether there will be water available in the future, but, during our stay we had to haul in any water that we needed. There is no dump station in the campground, but next door, at the State Park, there is a dump station open at times, for a charge of$10 per use. The dump station has the gates closed, but can be accessed, after paying the fee at the park, by simply sliding open the latches on the gates. There are vault toilets, but you will want a mask to use them, not because of COVID, but because of the gag-producing odor. You will need a strong stomach to frequent these facilities. This is a real shame in an otherwise nice campground. It is not really that hard to keep toilets like these clean and decent smelling. There are camp hosts, but on a busy Friday night when we arrived, they were no where to be seen and were not much of a presence in the campground. They do provide a greeting of a really trashed-up campsite and a beware of dog sign. This is another indictment of the poor Forest Service management and rather sad since this could be such a very nice campground if well managed. There is no cell service with Verizon in the Campground. There is a nice two-mile loop hike that can be accessed directly from the campground and several other hikes that are available in the State Park next door. In addition, there are several nice hikes nearby in the National Forest. Even with the several criticisms noted above, this is a nice campground and well worth a visit. Just plan well in advance with reservations or get very lucky with a first-come site.

Black Canyon is the type of campground I remember visiting as a child in the NW. Heavily wooded, sites tucked in. Not on top of each other directly, but close enough to have a group camp and be distanced. Vault toilets were clean. Some sites weren’t level, so if you’re in a RTT or RV, be sure to have plenty of leveling tools. Only stayed one night and didn’t get to hike or explore. If you aren’t used to elevation, the camp sits up 8400 feet, it’ll take a bit more time to do normal activities. This Florida gal had to learn to slow down. 😉

We stayed one night here in June, 2020. Just wanted to get out of hot Albuquerque and into the mountains for some cooler hiking and cooler air in general. Because of the ongoing pandemic, campgrounds at State Parks were still closed, so the National Forest campgrounds offered the only real option for something close to home. Black Canyon really fit the bill. It took us about 90 minutes to get to our site from our RV storage facility in Albuquerque. It's in the mountains, on the road to the ski area. Not quite as high as the State Park, but still out of the"pinion/juniper" mix you get in the hills of NM and up into Aspen and Pine territory. The sites here have no facilities. There are a couple of vault toilets, which smelled pretty bad when we walked by them. A couple of very primitive looking water areas; no idea if they actually work(I've seen earlier reviews that imply they don't). I never saw anyone using them. And they have non-traditional connects, so if you want to try your luck and get water for your rig here, you'll need a Water Bandit. The campground is well wooded. Campsites come in all shapes and sizes. Our rig is 29 feet, 3 inches, and we were in a spot that maxed out at 32 feet(per description on web site...Site 15). We barely fit. We saw very few sites that could have accommodate much more. I don't think any site would have been able to handle more than 35 feet. Our little Thor Hurricane 27B was the only Class A we saw on site, and the place was pretty packed. Lots of tent camping.(Our pad was narrow enough that back in took more than one try. And there was no space for bringing out the awning. The fire pit area and such were BEHIND the rig.) It was very nice though and in the evening, the temps were fantastic. It was actually chilly enough that my wife had to put on a small wrap while we ate dinner outside.

At the end of the campgrounds is the entrance to the Black Canyon Trail. It's only about 1.3 miles, but for about.4 miles of it, there is considerable steepness. I wouldn't call it a workout, but it's not a totally whimpy trail and it was lovely. We saw lots of plant life and grabbed many nice photos. We went late in the afternoon(around 5:30) and NO ONE else was on the trail. The next morning, we hiked the nearby West Circle Trail on the State Park site, and that's a MUCH tougher trail. You go up 1000' in one mile, and it's an often rocky trail, so careful plodding is recommended. It's a nice trail too! Black Canyon Campground was just what the doctor ordered. Unless, you want/need cell service or wifi. We had read there was no mobile service and they weren't kidding. Over the air TV doesn't come in either, and even radio stations were spotty at best. No problem for us.

(By the way, less than 20 yards from the entrance to the campground, the National Forest ends and the Hyde Memorial State Park begins. And another 50 yards up from there is the State Park RV dump station. Right now, IT IS CLOSED. Don't plan to dump there. In fact, finding a place to dump anywhere in Santa Fe is a tall order.)

Nice campground close to Santa Fe. Very well maintained with a nice hiking trail. Always busy on weekends so make sure to book in advance. There are a few first come, first serve sites.

If you are looking for camping from albuquerque on a Friday after work, this is a great option. The ranger on site was very nice and the sites are well kept. You are close to neighbors and the road driving through the campsite so if you are looking for privacy, try disperse camping further up the mountian off forest road 102. Bathrooms are located throughout the campground and parking is avaliable at each site, we fit 2 cars at our site

Just 15 mins from downtown Sant Fe this beautiful campsite is an easy and great escape and alternative.

For the size of the campground the sites are pretty cramped which is unfortunate but nothing too serious.

Basic campsite with picnic tables, tent mats and pit toilets.

We camped here on a Monday night in late September and had no trouble finding an open site without a reservation. The spots were a little close together, but thick foliage in between provided some nice shade and privacy. There was also a nice stone wall at our site to help with erosion control. Good fire pit too. 

Toilets were clean and stocked. 

The Black Canyon Loop trail at the north end of the campground is a great jaunt up to a view of the Santa Fe watershed and the Pecos Wilderness. It's 1.3 miles long and does a lollipop loop allowing for different views on the way up and back - would highly recommend.

This campground was great! It was 10 bucks a night per vehicle, but the trails, bathrooms and campsites themselves were very well maintained. The campsites are spaced out enough with forest that other campers shouldn't bother you, unless of course they're being loud and obnoxious. It feels more Backcountry than it really is. Highly recommend if you're not looking to go to far from the city.

As nice a campground as you could want and only be 15 minutes from center of town.  The walk to tent camp sites are great, and a short walk.  It was just myself when I stayed, looking for a place to sleep and break up drive from Phoenix to Denver.  I would go back with family, but most weekends seem booked, so reserve when you can!

Close enough to the city to run back and get supplies or something you forgot, but in the mountains to give you some nature. Campsites are fairly close together and can be pretty busy. No water, plenty of shade. Campsites are nice though. Facilities could be better maintained.

Nice camping. No water but pit toilets were clean. Hosts were nice. Seemed private even when full.

Great spot to camp while being close to Santa Fe but not in the city. The drive to the campsite is beautiful and vast. No showers. I would recommend making a reservation online! This place was booked every single night. It isn’t super isolated, so if you’re looking for a more wilderness camp this may not be the spot for you. We could see and hear our neighbors in every direction around us. Overall a nice spot to camp though!

With seasonal access this campground can get pretty crowded during peak season due to its close proximity to Santa Fe as well as the amazing outdoor spaces. Driving out of the city you leave the desolation and low laying vegetation and are transported into an oasis of tall growth trees and mountain living. It is hard to believe that less than 10 miles separates these two spaces because of the dramatic difference in appearance. This place really has the best of both worlds!

Driving into the camp, you have three options: Walk-In Camping, Camping With Parking Access & Limited Access.

The walk-in spaces are directly to your right across a small bridge with flowing stream below. Some of the spaces are close enough to the stream that you can hear the gentle trickle of water to put your to sleep at night. Parking for these sections is limited, so it is not recommended to take advantage of these if you are with a party bringing more than one vehicle.

The units with parking are well spaced. Pavement and landscaping create separation which allows each camper to have their own space without feeling cramped. Throughout this section are staggered water stations with potable water and toilets as well as trash cans which are weighted to keep animals away.

A trailhead can be accessed from the rear of this camping area so during busy season there are hikers which park in one of the two lots creating excessive foot traffic throughout the camp;. My suggestion would be to avoid site 24 or 26 which are the sites positioned on either side of the official trailhead.

Each site in the campground is equipped with a fire ring and grill top, a picnic table and a lantern hook. Though this campground has not showers the potable water is a nice touch for those visiting making it much more convenient than other area limited access camps.

Because the trailhead leaves from the campground, throughout the off season the first restroom, the one by the trailhead parking and the walk-in camping does remain open along with the water access to the potable/drinking water fountain at this point of entry.

TIPS:

• Check the Kiosk when you arrive, this are will provide any information you might need about the area including any potential dangers on trails, closures or maps.

• The pay box is located on the kiosk in the bricks. It is a weird place and isn't the most well marked so rather than looking around for a while and contemplating what to do when you see the broken pay box (previously used) just look down in the middle on the rocks.

• The camp host is available during open season and is located in the first space of the drive in loop, when in doubt always remember they are there to help you find information.

This is a decent Forest Service Campground on Hyde Park Rd. (NM475) near Hyde Memorial State Park. It is a pretty spot (nice trees/shade) and is conveniently reached from Old Santa Fe (which means it can be pretty slammed). There are a few walk-in sites and many more drive-in sites. Get there early so you can grab a spot far from the toilets (smelly!).

This place had options for all: tent sites, camper sites, RV, cabins. Etc. We stayed at the Black Canyon site and the options were plentiful. No showers but clean pit toilets are abundant. There is also a nice playground for those traveling with little ones who may need to burn some steam. Each site had a shelter and a grill as well as fire pit. Many hiking options also from easy to advanced. Plan on spending more than one night and you'll be glad you did

Black Canyon is nestled in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains half way up the mountain to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. The campground is shaded by a a large number of Ponderosa trees, every site has a fire pit, pull in parking area, flat area to pitch your tent and clean bathrooms near by.

A really attractive spot in the mountains, with a creek running along ten or so free campsites under the aspens.

This site has a limited parking. There are about 8 sites and it fills up really fast. The host was a little rude but still helped us. The sites were on the medium side if it was on a 1 to 3 scale. You do have to reserve a site and there are concrete slabs on the campground so you have to find vegetation on the side to put your tent on.

Was able to hike around black canyon with our dog Millie without a care in the world. Always love the ability to hike any where in South Dakota