Rio Chama Campground, nestled within the expansive Santa Fe National Forest's Coyote Ranger District, represents a cherished gem in the Campgrounds & RV Parks category, offering a truly immersive and often free outdoor experience in northern New Mexico. This campground provides a tranquil escape along the scenic Rio Chama Wild and Scenic River, making it a highly sought-after destination for those seeking natural beauty, peaceful recreation, and an authentic connection with the wilderness.
The environment surrounding Rio Chama Campground is its defining characteristic. Situated at an elevation of approximately 6,400 to 6,410 feet, the campground is set along the banks of the Rio Chama, a major tributary of the Rio Grande. This location provides a lush riparian corridor within a predominantly high-desert and mountainous landscape. The campground itself is often described as having good tree coverage, with pinyon pine, juniper, and cottonwood trees providing natural shade and a sense of seclusion. The soothing sounds of the river are a constant presence, contributing to the tranquil atmosphere.
The Rio Chama River flows through a dramatic multi-colored sandstone canyon, with walls rising up to 1,500 feet above the river in some sections. This striking geological feature, part of the Chama River Canyon Wilderness, offers breathtaking scenic views. The area can be particularly stunning in the fall when the foliage transforms into vibrant hues. The blend of rugged mountains, verdant riverside vegetation, and the clear waters of the Chama River creates a unique and picturesque setting for camping and outdoor activities.
Rio Chama Campground is a developed, no-fee campground, which sets it apart from many other facilities in the Campgrounds & RV Parks category that charge nightly rates. This means it offers essential amenities while encouraging a more self-sufficient camping style. Reservations are generally not required, operating on a "first-come, first-served" basis, which adds to its appeal for spontaneous trips but also means it can fill up quickly, especially on weekends and during peak seasons.
Rio Chama Campground serves as an excellent base for a wide variety of outdoor activities, leveraging its prime location along the Wild and Scenic River and within the Santa Fe National Forest.
As a no-fee campground managed by the US Forest Service, promotion for Rio Chama Campground focuses on providing essential information for visitors to have a safe and enjoyable experience, emphasizing responsible recreation.
Rio Chama Campground in the Coyote Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest offers a rewarding and authentic camping experience within the Campgrounds & RV Parks category. Its picturesque riverside setting, basic but well-maintained amenities, and abundant opportunities for fishing, hiking, and river recreation make it an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful and adventurous retreat into the heart of New Mexico's stunning outdoors.
Onsite services
Assistive hearing loop
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Wheelchair accessible seating
Grilling
RV camping
Hiking
Picnic tables
Public restroom
Restroom
Tent sites
Good for kids
Kid-friendly hikes
Free parking lot
On-site parking
Dogs allowed
Awesome campsite. Quiet, by the river, in a stunning place - the Rio chama valley. The road to reach this campsite is a dirt road for 12miles, but totally doable if dry with a regular car, and a load of patience, about 15-20mph, i.e. almost 1h drive since when you leave the paved road. The campsites are not huge, but excellent for a tent, lots of shade, one nice table fire pit per site, even if not all fire pits have the grill on top. Absolutely no cell service around there.
Fairly rough road to the campground. Great, rustic setting next to the river. No fee. First come, first serve. Picnic tables, fire pits, clear spaces. Clean outhouses. Found a few rattlesnakes hanging out next to the women's toilet, so bring a headlamp and pee with your eyes open!
Great little campground with beautiful views on the way in! Our 2WD rental car did fine on the dry road, although wet conditions would probably alter our choices. No water, but the pit toilets and trash receptacles were very well maintained. We lucked out and saw some of the Northern Lights, which was an unexpected bonus.
A no-fee camping area right next to the Rio Chama. Sites are close together by modern standards and half the sites butt up against the river the other half are one row back. Be choosy because the amount of shade you get will vary greatly from site to site. Sites have a picnic table and fire pit. There are pit toilets, but no water available. Access to this is a 12 mile dirt road. There's three cattle grates and a little bit of washboard, but passable by passenger vehicles... unless there has been monsoons in the past days. The upper part of this 12 mi can wash out and or become so full of mud that you will need 4WD and good tires to pass it. Even with heavy rainfall, The road is usually good up to Chavez Boat Launch. After that is where things can get dicey.
Lovely views! The 12 mile gravel road to get to the campsite had some of the most beautiful views we have seen yet in New Mexico! The campsite was very full for Memorial Day weekend. We arrived around 6:30pm on Friday evening and we got the last of the 19 campsites. We noticed the next day that most of the dispersed campsites were full as well. Our campsite was spacious and the pit toilet was very clean. However, our campsite and the path to the bathroom were covered in cow poop. We wish we had brought something to scoop it out of the way. It was quite chilly at night and in the morning, and pretty windy on and off the whole weekend. Some campsites had more trees than others, so the wind might have affected certain areas differently. We would absolutely recommend coming here! Most people seemed to be there to raft down the river. We also hiked a little of the Continental Divide Trail since it was just a few miles down the gravel road from our campsite.