4.8419 reviews
Price
$6 - $12/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
41 campsites
Season
Open Memorial Day we...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$6 - $12/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
41 campsites
Season
Open Memorial Day we...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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Learn more about alerts →La Junta Canyon
Forest Road 76, off State Highway 518, Carson National Forest, New Mexico
Anglers and stargazers who pack in all their water will get a lot for $12. The spruce-shaded sites along Junta Creek are quiet midweek, summer nights cool into the 30s, and La Cueva Lake Trail nearby handles hikers, mountain bikers, and horses on the same 4.4-mile route.
No potable water on-site is the hard stop, and there's no workaround, so if hauling all your own water is a dealbreaker, this isn't your spot. Wandering cattle through the dispersed sites will also surprise campers who weren't expecting livestock neighbors.
Reference information about La Junta Canyon sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Fishing access. Also popular with motorcylists Facilities: 8 family units, toilets, drinking water, trailer mobility - under 36' Attractions: Adjacent to Rito la Presa Fishing Trailhead to La Cueva Lake Trail #8 and Duran/Policarpio Trail #13. A family unit consists of parking for at least 1 vehicle, a picnic table and a grill.</p>
The elevation is 8,200 ft. The campground stretches 4.5 miles up through the canyon with sites scattered along Junta Creek in grass fields or under spruce. The campground is composed of two sections, one of which is called Upper La Junta where the sites are more formally designated. The other area is along the road (sites numbered 1 through 30) and has a more dispersed camping feel. This section may have cattle wandering among the sites.
Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend - weather dependent
The parking aprons are grass and dirt. The aprons are poorly defined and irregular in shape. Access to some sites is not travel trailer-friendly. Carson National Forest 82 An interesting day trip is a visit to an Indian Pueblo. Check with the New Mexico Department of Tourism for details - www.newmexico.org/
From Penasco, NM, take State Rt. 75 east 4.8 miles to "T" intersection (State Rt. 518). Turn right onto Rt. 518 (unmarked) and go 8.3 miles to La Junta Canyon (Forest Rt. 76) sign. Turn left at sign onto Rt. 76 (dirt and gravel) and go 0.2 miles to campground.
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The campground operates Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Summer days range from mid-60s to low 80s°F, with nights cooling to the 30s and 40s. This is peak season for creek fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Holiday weekends draw crowds, but midweek visits are quiet. Expect the campground to close after Labor Day as temperatures drop below freezing and snow arrives. Winter transforms the canyon into an inaccessible landscape until the following spring thaw.
Open Memorial Day–Labor Day; summer is peak season for fishing, hiking and stargazing.
Potable water is not available at this site.
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