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Old 04-17-2017, 10:14 PM   #1
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Camping in/around Santa Fe

Hello all,

Does anyone have any recommendations for campground(s) in or around Santa Fe? Definitely open to non-official sites as well (ex Bureau of Land Management, forest service roads, etc)

Thanks y'all!
Jeff =)

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Old 04-18-2017, 10:27 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by ibeme1 View Post
Hello all,

Does anyone have any recommendations for campground(s) in or around Santa Fe? Definitely open to non-official sites as well (ex Bureau of Land Management, forest service roads, etc)

Thanks y'all!
Jeff =)
There are 2 (3?) commercial sites off northbound I-25 and 4 areas on the ski basin road: One USFS campground (Black Canyon), a state park next to the USFS site (Hyde Park), a forest service picnic area (Big Tesuque) where you can camp in the parking lot, and the ski area parking lot. The forest service has shut down all the boondocking sites over the last 10 years of so. (There may be some on FR112, the Pacheco Canyon Rd, but it puts you pretty far away from town, etc.)

There's more camping across the Rio Grande in the Jemez Mountains and on the northern end of the Pecos Wilderness near Peñasco or further north around Taos and Red River. Most of the land in northern NM is private, land grant, Native, or wilderness so open country boondocking is comparatively less available. I've often thought about a meet up but always draw a blank as to where I could find enough space for a large number of vehicles. (A fantasy is one of the film sites on a local ranch but that would requires major $s and connections I don't have.)

That doesn't mean the campgrounds aren't fine. Black Canyon has some nice sites. The ski area parking lot is unglamorous & busy during the day and hard to get level but quiet at night and provides ready access to the mountain. It just means if you are coming to Santa Fe your options are somewhat limited.

A thread: http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...eas-17399.html

When are you coming? What are you wanting to do?

Don
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Old 04-18-2017, 04:02 PM   #3
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Thanks rionapo for the intel. I've always wanted check out Diablo Canyon for camping as a few miles of dirt road leading to BLM boondocking is my usual preference. I hear the road is usually a horrific washboard to deal with for just one night. What are your thoughts/experience?

-Eric
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Old 04-18-2017, 09:24 PM   #4
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Thanks rionapo for the intel. I've always wanted check out Diablo Canyon for camping as a few miles of dirt road leading to BLM boondocking is my usual preference. I hear the road is usually a horrific washboard to deal with for just one night. What are your thoughts/experience?

-Eric
Eric,

Do you mean Chaco Canyon? If so, I haven't been there in several years but I imagine the road(s) are still washboard. The northern approach from Nageezi used to be smooth but it had its difficult sections when I went that way about 6 years ago. The two southern routes have always been hard driving. All roads turn ice-slick when wet.

I'm not much help on boondocking either. While I've camped in the general San Juan Basin area, I've never camped along any of the Chaco roads. You need a good map as the area is mixed between Navajo checkerboard reservation sites, old Hispanic communities, BLM and state land. Neither of the first two enjoy visitors. I've never had problems on BLM land; can't say whether I've stayed on state land. As you move north from Chaco there are more roads because you move into the gas fields of the basin. I'm sure someone can chime in with better info. I think several forum members have visited the area recently.

There is a campground at Chaco. It's a nice place to spend the night. Well worth the visit.

Don
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Old 04-18-2017, 10:50 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by ShuttlePilot View Post
Thanks rionapo for the intel. I've always wanted check out Diablo Canyon for camping as a few miles of dirt road leading to BLM boondocking is my usual preference. I hear the road is usually a horrific washboard to deal with for just one night. What are your thoughts/experience?

-Eric
Diablo Canyon - Buckman Road has a few good camping opportunities. Just make sure you don't get on one of the side roads leading to the San Ildefonso Pueblo to the north of Buckman Rd. That road can get pretty slimy in wet weather too. There was a John Wayne movie filmed down on the Rio Grande there back in the day. Also, you can swim across the river and hike Buckman Road up towards White Rock/Los Alamos.

Black Canyon campground is an easier drive from town. That's our go-to for a city trip.
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Old 04-19-2017, 06:37 AM   #6
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Got me on the Diablo Canyon bit. I don't head towards Buckman all that much. Across the river to Jemez if I'm heading west.
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Old 05-08-2017, 09:58 PM   #7
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Thanks Don, truly apologize for not replying/thanking you week's ago...
I owe you beer for my lameness

We went to a visit a friend and to take our new rig camping for the first time 😊, ended up at Rancheros (something like that)...nice place to stay. Black Canyon was closed when we were down there. We will be visiting Santa Fe again and will definitely take your advice.

Thanks again and again I apologize,
Jeff



Quote:
Originally Posted by rionapo View Post
There are 2 (3?) commercial sites off northbound I-25 and 4 areas on the ski basin road: One USFS campground (Black Canyon), a state park next to the USFS site (Hyde Park), a forest service picnic area (Big Tesuque) where you can camp in the parking lot, and the ski area parking lot. The forest service has shut down all the boondocking sites over the last 10 years of so. (There may be some on FR112, the Pacheco Canyon Rd, but it puts you pretty far away from town, etc.)

There's more camping across the Rio Grande in the Jemez Mountains and on the northern end of the Pecos Wilderness near Peñasco or further north around Taos and Red River. Most of the land in northern NM is private, land grant, Native, or wilderness so open country boondocking is comparatively less available. I've often thought about a meet up but always draw a blank as to where I could find enough space for a large number of vehicles. (A fantasy is one of the film sites on a local ranch but that would requires major $s and connections I don't have.)

That doesn't mean the campgrounds aren't fine. Black Canyon has some nice sites. The ski area parking lot is unglamorous & busy during the day and hard to get level but quiet at night and provides ready access to the mountain. It just means if you are coming to Santa Fe your options are somewhat limited.

A thread: http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...eas-17399.html

When are you coming? What are you wanting to do?

Don
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Old 05-16-2017, 09:08 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by ibeme1 View Post
Thanks Don, truly apologize for not replying/thanking you week's ago...
I owe you beer for my lameness

We went to a visit a friend and to take our new rig camping for the first time 😊, ended up at Rancheros (something like that)...nice place to stay. Black Canyon was closed when we were down there. We will be visiting Santa Fe again and will definitely take your advice.

Thanks again and again I apologize,
Jeff
My turn. Just back in Internet land from some time in the Chiricahuas in SE AZ. No problem about responses. Glad to hear you enjoyed our fair city. Come again soon.

Don
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