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Cimarron Campground is located in the scenic Valle Vidal within Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, at an elevation of 9,300 feet. The sites are tucked among spruce, aspen and fir trees, and the camp offers an open range feel.
Visitors have opportunities to enjoy a variety of recreational activities in a picturesque setting. Viewing wildlife and simply relaxing in the mountain air are popular activities.
Anglers can fish for Rio Grande cutthroat trout in Comanche Creek and the Rio Pueblo. Nearby Shuree Ponds offers excellent fishing. The smaller pond is a fishing hole for kids 12 and under. The main pond is stocked with rainbow trout and is also popular for float tubing.
The area around the campground is open to horseback riding, and there are few maintained trails. Elk and deer hunting is excellent.
The campground contains 36 overnight campsites, which includes nine horse sites, two double sites and 25 single-family sites. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.
Sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings with grills. Horse corrals and water troughs are available in the campground. A host is on-site.
Some of the finest mountain scenery in the Southwest is found in the 1.5 million acres within the Carson National Forest. Elevations range from 6,000 feet to 13,161 feet at Wheeler Peak, the highest in New Mexico.
Big game animals roam the Carson, including mule deer, elk, antelope, black bear, mountain lion and bighorn sheep. Many species of smaller animals and songbirds can also been found in the forest.
Cimarron Campground is located within the beautiful Valle Vidal, a Spanish term meaning "Valley of Life," of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Shuree Ponds, Comanche Creek and the Rio Pueblo are all near the campground, offering excellent fishing.
Driving Directions: From Costilla, NM, on State Highway 522, travel east on State Highway 196 past Amalia to the intersection of Forest Service Road 1950. Travel on 1950 (a gravel road) east to the unit boundary. Follow Forest Service Road 1950 to the junction with Forest Service Road 1900. Turn right; you will cross Costilla Creek. Continue on Forest Service Road 1950, 10 miles to the junction with Forest Road 1910. Climb 1 mile up the hill to Cimmarron Campground.
Individual sites at this campground operate on a 6-month rolling basis:
Can be booked through Sun, September 10th 2023. Select dates for availability. On November 26, 2023 at 08:00 am MDT, availability will be released through May 26, 2024.
Pretty nice camp ground. The best part is the toilet... I’m not big on peeing in the woods. They cleaned the bathrooms and replenished the toilet paper so that’s nice too.
Campground worked great as base camp to get some horses worked. Enjoyed our time there.
What a beautiful area. Great campground. Vaults and sites well maintained. Great tasting cold water. Lots of deer meandering right thru campsite. Hikes to Lake Shuree put several trout on the campfires. Mmmm. A super camp host. Beautiful views on both access roads. Great outing.
This is by far one of the nicest campgrounds that I have been to. Plenty of corals for horses with water troughs. Has fire rings and tables. Lots of wildlife. I visited off season but I imagine fishing is good. Lots of fishing restrictions so do your homework before you visit.
