Best Campgrounds in New Mexico: 2026 Guide

New Mexico is a land of extremes — sun-scorched desert floor at 4,000 feet gives way to cool mountain forests above 9,000 feet, often within the same hour's drive. The state's campgrounds sit at these extremes and everywhere in between: beside ancient Puebloan ruins at Chaco Canyon, in the ponderosa pine forests of the Sacramento Mountains, along the Pecos River in the Sangre de Cristos, and at turquoise desert lakes near Albuquerque. The light here is unlike anywhere else in the country, and the night skies are among the darkest you'll find.

Why New Mexico Stands Out

Elevation is the key to New Mexico camping. While the desert valleys bake in summer, the mountain campgrounds in the Santa Fe, Lincoln, and Cibola National Forests sit between 7,000 and 9,500 feet — cool, pine-scented, and blissfully uncrowded. Chaco Culture National Historical Park offers camping among thousand-year-old ruins with some of the best stargazing in North America (it's an International Dark Sky Park). The cultural depth is unique: you'll camp near living Pueblo communities, along historic trails, and in landscapes that have drawn people for millennia.

Top Campgrounds to Explore

Black Canyon Campground

At 8,475 feet in the Santa Fe National Forest near Santa Fe, newly renovated Black Canyon delivers some of the finest mountain scenery the Southwest has to offer.

Gallo Campground

Within Chaco Culture National Historical Park near Nageezi, tucked among fallen boulders and cliffs of Gallo Wash. Camp beside thousand-year-old Great Houses under pristine dark skies.

Holy Ghost Group Area

In the Santa Fe National Forest on the cusp of the Pecos Wilderness in Holy Ghost Canyon. This high-elevation campground sits where mountain streams and alpine meadows converge near Pecos.

Jacks Creek Group Area

A picturesque high-elevation campground just 50 miles from Santa Fe at approximately 8,000 feet in the Santa Fe National Forest near Pecos — gateway to the Pecos Wilderness.

Aspen Group Area

At nearly 9,000 feet in the Sacramento Mountains near Cloudcroft, with cool mountain breezes and escape from the southern New Mexico heat in the Lincoln National Forest.

Cochiti Campground

On the Cochiti Reservoir near Pena Blanca, offering lake recreation within the boundaries of the Pueblo de Cochiti Indian Reservation — a unique cultural and natural setting.

Coal Mine

In the upper Cibola National Forest near Grants in west-central New Mexico, offering hiking on the Lobo Canyon Trail and high-desert camping among ponderosa pines.

Datil Well Recreation Area

Along the historic Magdalena Livestock Driveway near Socorro, this scenic campground preserves a historic well that once watered cattle drives — now a peaceful desert camping spot.

Planning Tips

Mountain campgrounds (above 7,000 feet) are best from May through October, while desert campgrounds shine from October through April. Summer monsoon season (July-August) brings dramatic afternoon thunderstorms to the mountains — bring rain gear and avoid exposed ridges. The temperature differential between sun and shade (and day and night) is extreme; bring layers. Water is scarce in much of New Mexico — carry more than you think you'll need. Dark sky campgrounds like Chaco require reservations and are worth the extra planning.

Find More

Browse all New Mexico campgrounds on our New Mexico camping page, or explore the full campground directory to plan your next trip.