U.S. Forest Service · Carson National Forest · New Mexico

La Sombra Campground

Popular Taos Canyon site near Capulin Campground and Shady Brook. No Drinking Water. No Garbage Service. Adjacent to Rio Fernando for Fishing.

More like this: first-come in New Mexico

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestCarson National Forest
FeesCampsite (includes parking for one vehicle) $12/night. Campsite for Senior or Access pass holders $6/night. Extra vehicle $6/night. Rent the campground (13 single sites, extra vehicle fees apply) $90. Day use parking $6/day

Carson National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near La Sombra Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.67 inches of precipitation, 6.0 inches of snowFebruary: 0.45 inches of precipitation, 3.3 inches of snowMarch: 0.71 inches of precipitation, 4.0 inches of snowApril: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 1.9 inches of snowMay: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.77 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.37 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.34 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowNovember: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 2.8 inches of snowDecember: 1.07 inches of precipitation, 9.0 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.1°F averageFebruary: 32.9°F averageMarch: 40.2°F averageApril: 46.8°F averageMay: 55.0°F averageJune: 65.5°F averageJuly: 69.6°F averageAugust: 67.7°F averageSeptember: 61.4°F averageOctober: 49.7°F averageNovember: 37.8°F averageDecember: 28.0°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 in10 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Taos, 6 miles from the campground at 6,965 feet, station USC00298668 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 28 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

8 miles east of Taos along US Highway 64.

Coordinates36.3701° N, 105.4804° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Comanche Powderhouse Fall Rx

    34 mi from the campground

  • Wildfire
    Frijoles

    38 mi from the campground · 15,956 acres · 90% contained

  • Prescribed
    Martinez Fall Rx

    39 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Stone Angel Fall Rx

    44 mi from the campground

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearTaos Mountain Outfitters ↗5.8 mi
RV sales & serviceSeco Bubble ↗11.3 mi

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

Limited data for this unit

No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.

Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.

Explore

Worth a stop

  • 0.2 mi
    Capulin Ice Caves
    0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    North Boundary ↗
    9.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.5 mi
    Ojitos ↗
    9.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Capulin ↗
    6.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 2.4 mi
    Mondragon Spur
    2.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.4 mi
    Mondragon ↗
    8.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

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 →

Carson National Forest begins about 3.7 miles 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.

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 La Sombra Campground?

No. La Sombra Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at La Sombra Campground?

Campsite (includes parking for one vehicle) $12/night. Campsite for Senior or Access pass holders $6/night. Extra vehicle $6/night.

Source: Forest Service

Is La Sombra Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

What if La Sombra Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Las Petacas Campground (2.4 mi, first-come), Agua Piedra Campground (16.5 mi, partly first-come), and Santa Barbara Campground (20.7 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby