Free camping near Ranchos de Taos, NM
Within 25 straight-line miles of Ranchos de Taos, NM there are 34 camps: 12 free, 9 fee, 13 unpriced. The closest is Las Petacas Campground, 4.7 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is John Dunn Bridge Dispersed Campground, 14 miles out.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service; 9 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Petacas Campground | 4.7 | Unpriced | Rio Fernando de Taos (stream) | 2.4 mi to Cañon | — |
| La Sombra Campground | 6.8 | Unpriced | Rio Fernando de Taos (stream) | 0.7 mi to Shady Brook | — |
| Capulin Campground | 7.1 | Unpriced | Rio Fernando de Taos (stream) | 0.3 mi to Shady Brook | — |
| Orilla Verde Recreation Area | 7.5 | Fee | — | 7.5 mi to Ranchos de Taos | — |
| Amole Group Shelter | 12 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Vadito | — |
| Lower Hondo Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Rio Hondo (stream) | 2.3 mi to Valdez | — |
| John Dunn Bridge Dispersed Campground | 14 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 1.3 mi to Antoine Leroux Grant | — |
| John Dunn Bridge Dispersed Campground | 14 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 1.4 mi to Antoine Leroux Grant | — |
| Comales | 14 | Fee | — | 5.5 mi to Vadito | — |
| BLM dispersed camp — Taos County, NM | 14 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 1.7 mi to Antoine Leroux Grant | — |
| John Dunn Bridge Dispersed Campground | 14 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 1.7 mi to Antoine Leroux Grant | — |
| Llanito Frio Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Rio del Pueblo (river) | 1.5 mi to Las Mochas | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #2 — Taos County, NM | 14 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 1.8 mi to Antoine Leroux Grant | — |
| Comales Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Rio del Pueblo (river) | 1.1 mi to Las Mochas | — |
| Cuchillo Del Medio Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Rio Hondo (stream) | 3.4 mi to Valdez | — |
| Cuchilla Campground | 15 | Unpriced | Rio Hondo (stream) | 4.1 mi to Taos Ski Valley | — |
| Agua Piedra Campground | 16 | Unpriced | Indian Lake (water) | 0.8 mi to Tres Ritos | — |
| Agua Piedra Group Area | 16 | Fee | — | 9.2 mi to Vadito | — |
| Agua Piedra Cg | 16 | Fee | — | 9.3 mi to Vadito | — |
| Twining Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Williams Lake (water) | 2.5 mi to Taos Ski Valley | — |
| Upper La Junta Campground | 17 | Unpriced | — | 0.5 mi to Policarpo Canyon | — |
| Duran Canyon | 17 | Free | — | 1.2 mi to Policarpo Canyon | — |
| Hodges Dispersed Recreation Area | 17 | Free | Rio Santa Barbara (river) | 2.1 mi to Llano Largo | — |
| La Junta Canyon | 17 | Free | Knob Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Tres Ritos | — |
| Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail | 17 | Unpriced | — | 3.0 mi to Dixon | — |
| Twining | 18 | Free | — | 0.7 mi to Taos Ski Valley | — |
| Santa Barbara | 19 | Free | Rio Santa Barbara (river) | 4.5 mi to Llano Largo | — |
| Cebolla Mesa | 20 | Free | Rio Grande (river) | 2.6 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| La Junta Lower | 21 | Free | Red River (stream) | 3.5 mi to Cedar Springs | — |
| Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument | 22 | Fee | Red River (stream) | 3.4 mi to Lama | — |
| Columbine | 22 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Questa | — |
| Goat Hill | 23 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Questa | — |
| Goat Hill Campground | 23 | Fee | Red River (stream) | 2.7 mi to Moly | — |
| La Bobita Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Red River (stream) | 0.8 mi to Moly | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Ranchos de Taos, NM, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.