Rio De Las Vacas Campground

Santa Fe National Forest — fishing, hiking

Location: Cuba, NM, NM

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (96 reviews)

Season: May through October

Less than two hours from the city of Albuquerque, Rio de las Vacas Campground offers a cool oasis from the New Mexico heat. Visitors delight in the hiking and fishing opportunities available in the shade of the pine covered Jemez Mountains. A few of the campsites have the creek running along them, providing a soothing atmosphere for campers.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Camp Host, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/rio-de-las-vacas-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Rio de las Vacas offers a cool, well-maintained oasis in the Jemez Mountains with excellent fishing and hiking opportunities just 11 miles from Cuba, NM. Campers consistently praise the cleanliness, peaceful atmosphere, and attentive camp host.

Wildlife alert: American Badger, Gunnison's Prairie Dog, Great Horned Owl, Dusky Grouse, and Greater Short-horned Lizard present in the area.

Insider tips for Rio De Las Vacas Campground: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 15 sites and high demand. Bring a self-contained RV; there are no hookups available. Request a creekside campsite when booking for the full experience.

Skip Rio De Las Vacas Campground if: You need RV hookups — none are available at this campground.. You're visiting November-April — the campground is closed seasonally.. You prefer developed facilities — amenities are limited to vault toilets and basic camp infrastructure..

Best time to visit Rio De Las Vacas Campground: May — Stream conditions are full from snowmelt; campground opens May 1st.. June-September — Peak season within the May-October operational window; cooler mountain refuge from New Mexico heat..

Nearby campgrounds: Clear Creek Campground (Nm) (Cuba, NM), Clear Creek Group Campground (Nm) (Cuba, NM), San Antonio Campground (Jemez Springs, NM), Redondo Campground (Jemez Springs, NM).

Cell Phone Coverage at Rio De Las Vacas Campground

Cell signal at Rio De Las Vacas Campground (Cuba, NM): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›NM›Rio De Las Vacas Campground
Rio De Las Vacas Campground — photo 1
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Santa Fe National Forest — fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Rio De Las Vacas Campground

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Cuba, NM, NM★ 4.7 (96 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Less than two hours from the city of Albuquerque, Rio de las Vacas Campground offers a cool oasis from the New Mexico heat. Visitors delight in the hiking and fishing opportunities available in the shade of the pine covered Jemez Mountains. A few of the campsites have the creek running along them, providing a soothing atmosphere for campers.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV42 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
Pull-throughsAvailable
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — none are available at this campground.✕ You're visiting November-April — the campground is closed seasonally.✕ You prefer developed facilities — amenities are limited to vault toilets and basic camp infrastructure.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 15 sites and high demand.

Bring a self-contained RV; there are no hookups available.

Request a creekside campsite when booking for the full experience.

Best: May

Stream conditions are full from snowmelt; campground opens May 1st.

Best: June-September

Peak season within the May-October operational window; cooler mountain refuge from New Mexico heat.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Badger, Gunnison's Prairie Dog, Great Horned Owl, Dusky Grouse, and Greater Short-horned Lizard present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
575-289-3264· Santa Fe National Forest
Getting there →

From Cuba, New Mexico, travel 11 miles east of Cuba on New Mexico State Highway 126. The campground is located approximately 11 miles from Cuba where lodging, restaurants, and gas stations are available. The campground is approximately a one and a half hour drive from Albuquerque.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Santa Fe National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Santa Fe National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Rio De Las Vacas Campground cost per night?+
Rio De Las Vacas Campground costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Rio De Las Vacas Campground open?+
Rio De Las Vacas Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Rio De Las Vacas Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Rio De Las Vacas Campground?+
Rio De Las Vacas Campground can accommodate RVs up to 42 feet.
How do I make reservations at Rio De Las Vacas Campground?+
Rio De Las Vacas Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Rio De Las Vacas Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Rio De Las Vacas Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Rio De Las Vacas Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Rio De Las Vacas Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$20 /night★ 4.7 (96)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Rio De Las Vacas Campground cost per night?+
What season is Rio De Las Vacas Campground open?+
Does Rio De Las Vacas Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Clear Creek Campground (Nm)

Cuba, NM

From $20/night

Clear Creek Group Campground (Nm)

Cuba, NM

From $75/night

San Antonio Campground

Jemez Springs, NM

From $20/night

Redondo Campground

Jemez Springs, NM

From $15/night

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