Carson National Forest Camping
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Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Carson National Forest
Taos () is a town in Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico. Situated between the Rio Grande Gorge is Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it is located roughly 50 miles south of the Colorado border. Taos serves as the county seat of Taos County, of which it is the largest municipality, with an estimated population of 6,567 as of 2021.
The town of Taos was incorporated in 1934, although humans have lived in the adjacent Taos Pueblo—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the town's namesake—for roughly a millennium; the town's name derives from the native Taos language meaning "(place of) red willows". Initially founded by Spanish colonists in 1615 as Don Fernando de Taos, it was only intermittently occupied until the late 18th century, due to recurring conflict between European and indigenous peoples, most notably the Pueblo Revolt.
Taos was formally established as a permanent settlement in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Chacón, serving as a fortified plaza and trading outpost for the neighboring Taos Pueblo and Hispano communities, including Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, and Arroyo Seco. During the Mexican–American War, the region was occupied by the United States, triggering a rebellion among Hispanics and American Indians known as the Taos Revolt.
Following U.S. annexation of Nuevo México, Taos became a stopover for American and European settlers along the vast western frontier. During this period, the town developed its existing reputation as a cultural enclave, with the first artist colony being established in 1898 by painters Ernest Blumenschein and Bert Phillips. Taos has since developed a reputation as a "counterculture mecca" and "beacon for artists", attracting the likes of painter Georgia O’Keeffe, English poet and writer D.H. Lawrence, and actor Dennis Hopper.
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Open to camping at other nearby parks? Here are a few other parks you'll find in the vicinity.
Columbine Campground is on NM 38, the road between the towns of Questa and Red River. There are a number of USFS campgrounds on this road, Columbine is one of the more popular places.
There are a mix of reservable and first come first serve sites. We recommend reserving if you're set on staying there. There are two loops. The lower loop has sites that are paved, not very level and without overhanging trees. The upper loop has a mix of sites that are treed and generally level. We've mostly stayed on the lower level.
Columbine is all dry camping with no hookups. There are shared water spigots and vault toilets. Columbine Creek runs through the campground. Cell service from Verizon is excellent.
Both Columbine Creek and the Red River are fishable. The Red is a put and take fishery above Questa with rainbow and brown trout. Columbine harbors Rio Grande Cutthroats in its upper reaches. These fish are rare, stunningly beautiful and subject to special trout water regulations: fly or lure with single barbless hook and catch-and-release only. The lower reaches are brown and rainbow trout only with no special regulations.
Hiking is easy from Columbine. The trail follows the creek for several miles and ends up in wilderness. It's possible to hike to various high country locations from the campground. Backpacking is popular in those areas.
Red River and Questa are, of course, the nearest towns. Red River is both a summer and winter destination and is very much geared to tourists. There are a number of good, very casual, restaurants. Questa is a sleepy town but it does have a supermarket and a good hardware store. Dumping is available for a fee at the RV park in Questa.
Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!