U.S. Forest Service · Cibola National Forest and Grasslands · New Mexico

Red Canyon

This campground in the Manzano Mountains offers a variety of amenity and site types to fit your needs. Tucked into the pines at 7,600 feet of elevation are a mix of horse corrals, single sites, double sites, all with picnic tables and grills, and a group picnic day use area. Explore both the upper loop, with amenities for horses, and the lower loop with lots of sites to find the campsite that fits your needs.

Open nowReservable · Recreation.gov42 sitesPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in New Mexico · pets allowed in New Mexico · group sites in New Mexico

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Campsite in the springInterpretive SignageGroup Picnic AreaRed Canyon Trail Signage at Campground
Photos courtesy of Christopher Nichols, Katherine Haveman · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
Lower Kirtland Rx (prescribed burn) · 27 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups28
Equestrian11
group picnic area1
Host/management2
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteShadePeople / vehiclesFires
Group PicnicPartial30 / 15Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 08:00 AM, checkout 10:00 PM.

5 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

All campsites have picnic tables and grills. Many sites also have fire rings. Several sites are "double" sites with multiple sets of amenities. The campgrounds are further equipped with bear safe trash receptacles and vault toilets in shared areas.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonOpen year round to November
ForestCibola National Forest and Grasslands
BookingNo reservations required.
FeesOvernight Use: $10 per campsite. $12 per equestrian campsite. Day Use: Requires a $5 fee or a day-use pass. CASH OR CHECK ONLY at pay station. New Mexico Enchantment Pass. Interagency Passes. Group Day Use: $15/day for groups of up to 30 people
RulesNo water available. RVs LONGER THAN 22 FEET - PLEASE NOTE: Recreational Vehicles (RV's) longer than 22 feet are not allowed in this campground. Vehicles of this size may only park at Ox Canyon Trailhead, approximately 1.5 miles South of Red Canyon Campground.

Cibola National Forest and Grasslands recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Red Canyon30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.78 inches of precipitation, 7.1 inches of snowFebruary: 0.67 inches of precipitation, 6.1 inches of snowMarch: 1.12 inches of precipitation, 2.6 inches of snowApril: 1.02 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowMay: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 1.1 inches of snowJune: 1.19 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.84 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 2.62 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.05 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.40 inches of precipitation, 1.8 inches of snowNovember: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 2.9 inches of snowDecember: 1.23 inches of precipitation, 13.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 31.9°F averageFebruary: 36.6°F averageMarch: 42.5°F averageApril: 49.1°F averageMay: 58.4°F averageJune: 68.4°F averageJuly: 71.2°F averageAugust: 68.9°F averageSeptember: 62.3°F averageOctober: 51.8°F averageNovember: 40.1°F averageDecember: 32.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Mountainair 8Nw, 5 miles from the campground at 6,672 feet, station USC00295968 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 37 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates34.6170° N, 106.4027° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Lower Kirtland Rx

    27 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗2.6 mi
Outdoor gearOutdoor Recreation and Supply ↗31.1 mi
RV sales & serviceRV sales & service ↗31.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Red Canyon Campground | Dixie National Forest ✅

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.6 mi
    Box Canyon
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 0.6 mi
    Spruce Spring
    3.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.8 mi
    Red Canyon
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Ox Canyon
    3.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.3 mi
    Cottonwood
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Kayser Mill
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Manzano Mountain Wilderness begins about 1 mile away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Natural features

Many sites are partial shade due to the tall tree cover across the campground.

Recreation

Communal areas are available at this campground. The lower loop has a communal fire ring and the upper loop has a large day use area as well as access to trailheads. Horse riding and hiking are popular in this area.

Guidebooks for New Mexico

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Red Canyon?

Sites at Red Canyon are reservable on Recreation.gov. No reservations required. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Red Canyon?

Overnight Use: $10 per campsite. $12 per equestrian campsite. Day Use: Requires a $5 fee or a day-use pass.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Red Canyon?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Red Canyon open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Open year round to November.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Red Canyon have?

42 sites, including 28 standard sites without power, 11 equestrian sites, and 1 group picnic area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Red Canyon?

Yes, pets are allowed at Red Canyon. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Red Canyon?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. No water available.

Source: Fire nearby

What is there to do at Red Canyon?

Communal areas are available at this campground. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Red Canyon is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Capilla Peak (5.7 mi, partly first-come), Bosque Campground (10.1 mi, first-come), and Fourth Of July Campground (12.2 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby