3.8749 reviews
Price
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
4 campsites
Season
The campground is op...
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Check Policy
Price
Free
Booking
First-Come
Sites
4 campsites
Season
The campground is op...
Cell
Has Service
Pets
Check Policy
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184 State Highway 38, Questa, NM 87556
Hikers targeting Wheeler Peak or the Bull of the Woods Trailhead who want to wake up at the trailhead, pack their own water, and don't mind sleeping close to strangers. Fall, when the aspens go gold and daytime temps hit 40-60°F, is the clear window.
Anyone who needs a toilet, running water, or a private site will be disappointed fast. Four sites are jammed together near a busy parking lot, signage is bad enough that one reviewer could only find three of the four, and arriving after dark makes finding your spot a real problem
Reference information about Twining Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<figure style="margin: 10px 0 0 0; text-align: center;"><img alt="Blue tent below towering trees and yellow leaves." src="https://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fseprd1064010.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /><figcaption style="font-style: italic; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">Twining Campground in the fall. USDA Forest Service photo by Zach Behrens.</figcaption></figure><p>Tucked in an aspen grove just aside Taos Ski Valley’s lower parking lot, this four-site campground for tents makes for quick access to the Bull of the Woods Trailhead right across Twining Road. The campground is unique for its location: You trade solitude for walkable access to the resort village. Nonetheless, many find the spot just perfect for their needs, whether it’s acclimating at 9,500 feet or enjoying the best of a ski village while camping under the stars.</p><p><strong>Nearby Recreation</strong></p><ul><li><b>Trails</b>: The <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/recarea/?recid=44404&actid=104">Wheeler Peak Trail</a> starts at the Bull of the Woods Trailhead, just a couple hundred feet away. The trail leads to the eponymous peak, first connecting to the <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/recarea/?recid=44388&actid=91">Long Canyon</a> and <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=44414&actid=50">Gold Hill</a> trails in the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in its first few miles. Closer to the peak, it connects to <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/recarea/?recid=44406&actid=91">Lost Lake Trail</a>, providing access to the other side of the ridge. Other nearby trails include the <a href="/recarea/carson/recarea/?recid=44350">Williams Lake Trail</a>, its trailhead about two road miles through the community of Taos Ski Valley, and the four popular canyon trails back down the mountain along Highway 150: <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=44360&actid=50">Gavilan</a>, <a href="/recarea/carson/recarea/?recid=44368">Italianos</a>, <a href="/recarea/carson/recreation/recarea/?recid=44202&actid=104">Manzanita Canyon</a> and <a href="v/recarea/carson/recreation/recarea/?recid=44386&actid=104">Yerba Canyon</a>.</li><li><strong>Fishing</strong>: The campground is located along the Rio Hondo, a popular river for fishing. Stream access is available upstream along the Wheeler Peak Trail or downstream along Highway 150 (please be cognizant of private property in some areas).</li><li><strong>Fall Color</strong>: Taos Ski Valley is an excellent leaf peeping area due to numerous aspen groves found throughout the valley, on trails and along the Rio Hondo. Peak color usually to occurs between late September and early October.</li></ul><!--<p>Open May to October. Four sites for tents or trailers by Taos Ski Valley provide trailheads to high country, including 13,161' Mount Wheeler Facilities: 4 campsites for trailers (RV's under 16'), tables, grills, and toilets. Water available from stream; not recommended for drinking. Attractions: Camping/picnicking, fishing access for Rio Hondo Hiking Trails, trailheads for Wheeler Peak Wilderness and Columbine Hondo Wilderness Study Area, Wheeler Peak Trail #90, Williams Lake Trail #62, Bull of the woods pasture road Trail #90, Long Canyon Trail #63, Goose Lake Trail #64, and Gold Hill Trail #63-64.</p>-->
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Fall brings the best conditions: aspens turn brilliant gold at 9,500 feet, daytime highs reach 40–60°F, and nights drop into the 20s and 30s. Trails are quieter after summer crowds, though early snow can arrive at this elevation. Summer offers warm days and cool nights with predictable afternoon thunderstorms. Winter buries the area in deep snow, with temperatures well below freezing. Spring delivers crisp, dry days for early-season hiking.
Late Sep–Oct is peak leaf‑peeping; aspens turn brilliant gold and it's listed as peak season.
Potable water is not available at this site.
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