Aldo Leopold House
On February 2, 1912, Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) wrote to his fiancée, Estella Bergère, in Santa Fe that the Forest Service had appropriated $650 to build a new supervisor’s quarters he had designed at Tres Piedras, New Mexico, northwest of Taos. At the time, Leopold was about to become the new Forest Supervisor of the Carson National Forest in Tres Piedras. Later that year, he built the house, which The Aldo Leopold House offers exceptional three-season access and opportunities in this historic home only ½ hr. west of Taos, New Mexico. The home is a Craftsman Style Bungalow and was restored by Historicorps and the Carson NF in 2005.
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Cabins with electric | 1 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Entry | Fits, ft | Surface | Shade | Power | Water / sewer | People / vehicles | Fires | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leopold House | Pull-through | 500 | Gravel | Partial | 15 amp | No / No | 8 / 8 | No | Prime |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Amenities & rules
| Hookups | Electric |
| Max vehicle length | 36 ft |
The Leopold house is approximately 1300 Sq. Ft. There is a dining room with a large table and chairs. The home has four bedrooms with beds for up to 8 people. The house has a fully equipped kitchen, and a large covered front porch, and a back porch with a picnic table. There is a gas range, oven, microwave, fully equipped kitchen, indoor plumbing, flush toilet, and claw foot bathtub/shower. There is only one bathroom in the home and is on the first floor. Parking is available on site and can accommodate approximately 8 vehicles. No RVs or tent camping is allowed. Guests will need to provide sleeping bags/linens, towels, toilet paper, paper towels, coffee, hand soap, and dish soap, etc. This is a non-smoking facility. Grills, campfires, and any outdoor cooking are NOT allowed on the back and front porches, nor within the area surrounding the house. Fire danger is always a concern in the Southwest.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
| Nearest town | Tres Piedras, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 36.6529° N, 105.9696° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- The fireplace is not for use.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedMartinez Fall Rx
6 mi from the campground
- PrescribedStone Angel Fall Rx
25 mi from the campground
- PrescribedMesa Juan Domingo Fall Rx
30 mi from the campground
- PrescribedComanche Powderhouse Fall Rx
41 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| RV sales & service | Seco Bubble ↗ | 24.1 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Taos Mountain Outfitters ↗ | 27.7 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 38 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Trails nearby
- 3.1 miTusas Loop ↗12 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
This campground sits inside Carson National Forest.
- inCarson National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 1,592,477 acres
- 1.2 miRío Grande del Norte National Monument ↗National Monument · Bureau of Land Management · 311,107 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Tres Piedras Railroad Water TowerStructure · Tres Piedras · 0.4 mi
Natural features
The cabin was built in the shadow of one the “TP Rocks” and the front porch faces eastward across the great sage plain and the Rio Grande Gorge toward Wheeler Peak (New Mexico’s highest) and the Sangre de Christo Range.
Recreation
The cabin is adjacent to one of the Tres Piedras (three rocks, aka the TP Rocks), which are composed of “excellent granite” and offer great non-technical hiking and scrambling opportunities as well as difficult technical climbing routes. One can access the Carson NF directly behind the house. The Aldo Leopold Trail can be accessed proximate the Tres Piedras RD just to the north off Hwy 64. Surrounded by pine trees, a stay at the Aldo Leopold House will take you back to a simpler time.
Nearby
The Leopold House is located on the Tres Piedras Ranger District office compound. From the house visitors have access to a variety of activities on the forest. Hopewell Lake campground and day use area is approximately 30 miles from the house (north on Hwy 64) and offers opportunities for fishing, hiking on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, or exploring many roads in the San Juan Mountains. The Cruces Basin wilderness is approximately 25 miles west of the house and has amazing opportunities for solitude. The town of Taos is 30 miles to the east. Taos Pueblo National Heritage site is located a few miles north of the Town of Taos. Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs is located 60 miles south of the house. Between the house and the Town of Taos lies the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. There are opportunities to ride the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, riders can board the train in Chama NM or Antonito CO.
Guidebooks for New Mexico
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Aldo Leopold House?
Sites at Aldo Leopold House are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
What time is check-in at Aldo Leopold House?
Check-in 3:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Aldo Leopold House have?
1 site, including 1 cabin with power.
Source: Recreation.gov
Will my RV fit at Aldo Leopold House?
The longest site here provides 36 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.
Source: Will my RV fit
Does Aldo Leopold House have hookups?
Yes, electric hookups at some sites.
Source: Recreation.gov
Are there showers or a dump station at Aldo Leopold House?
There is a gas range, oven, microwave, fully equipped kitchen, indoor plumbing, flush toilet, and claw foot bathtub/shower.
Source: Recreation.gov
Is there cell service at Aldo Leopold House?
FCC coverage maps show AT&T 5G and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is there to do at Aldo Leopold House?
The cabin is adjacent to one of the Tres Piedras (three rocks, aka the TP Rocks), which are composed of “excellent granite” and offer great non-technical hiking and scrambling opportunities as well as difficult technical climbing routes. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Aldo Leopold House?
Tres Piedras, New Mexico. The Leopold House is located on the Tres Piedras Ranger District office compound.
Source: Getting there
What if Aldo Leopold House is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Hopewell Lake Campground (15.2 mi, partly first-come), Canjilon Lakes Campground (21.2 mi, first-come), and Columbine Campground (25.3 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby