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Where can you camp in the Jemez right now?
Three of the closest campgrounds in the Jemez National Recreation Area of the Santa Fe National Forest are closed, but locations for dispersed camping are open now that winter restrictions on most roads have been lifted.
Jemez Falls, Redondo and San Antonio campgrounds are closed now for construction and powerline work, according to recreation.gov, but are expected to open later this summer, according to the National Forest Service. Access to the Jemez Falls trailhead is blocked as well.
The riverside Vista Linda campground, just about 40 miles from Albuquerque, is open with 13 sites for $10, some first-come, first-served. It does not have drinking water. Fenton Lake State Park is also taking reservations. It has some full hookup sites.
Dispersed camping is allowed in the Santa Fe National Forest — but not everywhere. For adventurers ready to rough it, some of the more popular options are three forest roads less than two hours from Albuquerque including Forest Road 376, Forest Road 144 and Forest Road 10.
Forest Road 376 opened for the season on April 15. You can reach it from the north from N.M. 126, about six miles past Amanda’s Jemez Mountain Country Store in La Cueva. N.M. 376 through the Gilman Tunnels is closed until at least later this year to clear a rock slide, according to the Forest Service.
What is dispersed camping and what is leave no trace?
Here are the most important rules:
No trash pickup means pack it in, pack it out. Don’t leave piles of trash or any waste in the forest.
Set up camp within 100 yards of the road in allowed areas. You can find preferred places in the Santa Fe National Forest by downloading the motor vehicle use maps.
Try to camp in places that have been used by other adventurers. You can usually spot those places in flat areas with fire rings.
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It is possible to reach or exit the Rio Cebolla watershed and Forest Road 376 canyon from west via Forest Road 534, the bumpy, narrow route, has fewer people. Especially in bad weather, a high-clearance vehicle and patience are a plus. Since the Gilman Tunnels are closed, the amount of traffic — at least this past weekend — dropped as you make your way south.
The Paliza Family Campground just past Ponderosa on Forest Road 10 is scheduled to open May 10.
NOTE: The Santa Fe National Forest website is in the process of being redone and lacks some information, including trail maps. Staffing issues have limited hours at ranger stations, but rangers are patrolling the forests. Stage one fire restrictions take effect Sunday, May 4.
FOR THE RECORD:
"Jemez Falls Campground is currently closed as we complete a pavement preservation project, but is scheduled to open July 30, 2025, according to an email from Brookshire, Claudia Brookshire of the Santa Fe National Forest.
The email clarified: Redondo and San Antonio Campgrounds are scheduled to open May 9, 2025. But Redondo Campground will close after the Jemez Falls Campground construction is completed. There is not a set date for that yet, but if the project stays on schedule the closure will occur around end of July or early August.
Vista Linda may also close this summer to complete a pavement preservation project, the email said.
