Panchuela
1Heads up1 fire 12 mi away
- Right now
- OpenInside the published season, our reading; a database flag says not open
- A night
- $5From, per site
- Sites
- 6All of them booked ahead
- Season
- May 1Opens May 1. No closing date published.
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 3 notices
In the agency’s own words
Panchuela Campground is nestled at the edge of the Pecos Wilderness, with Panchuela Creek flowing gracefully along its eastern side. Situated at over 8,300 feet in the Santa Fe National Forest, this campground offers a refreshing escape from the warmer temperatures of the city, allowing visitors to enjoy the moderate climate of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The campground features six units, all within walking distance of the parking lot, making it easily accessible. Typically open from mid-May to mid-November, Panchuela Campground serves as an ideal base camp for those looking to embark on day hikes into the surrounding wilderness, providing a perfect blend of comfort and adventure. Keep reading
Recreation
With the nearby Panchuela Trailhead, visitors have easy access to the expansive trail system of the Pecos Wilderness, making it simple to explore the natural beauty. Panchuela Campground is also just a short drive from the Winsor Trailheads each offerings cenic views of the surrounding mountains. For those who enjoy fishing, Cowles Fishing Pond and the wild and scenic Pecos River are popular nearby spots. Excellent fishing opportunities can be found along Panchuela Creek and the Pecos River, all just minutes from the campground, making it a perfect destination for anglers seeking a tranquil retreat. Visit New Mexico Game and Fish for updates on stocking and regulations.
Facilities
Panchuela Campground features a total of six campsites, three of which come equipped with three-sided shelters, complete with a fireplace and picnic table. All sites include fire rings or fire ring grill combos, with bare ground designated for tent camping. Convenient amenities, such as restrooms and trash bins, are located at the parking lot, and a campground host is on-site to assist visitors. Hand-pumped water spigots are also available in the parking area, just a two-minute walk from the farthest campsite. Each site offers ample shade, making it easy for guests to relax in a hammock beneath the trees. Four of the campsites are positioned right along the banks of Panchuela Creek, allowing visitors to enjoy the soothing sounds of flowing water during their stay.
Natural Features
The campsites at Panchuela Campground are surrounded by mountain views with mixed conifer and aspen trees. In the fall, the landscape transforms as the aspen leaves turn a brilliant gold. Wildlife is abundant in the surrounding forests, with deer, elk, various songbirds, raptors, and the occasional black bear often spotted nearby. Just a short distance from the campground, an open meadow reveals rustic cabins used by forest service volunteers and employees while they work in the wilderness, adding a unique touch to the serene environment.
Nearby Attractions
There are several State Park fishing areas along the Pecos River, offering great opportunities for anglers. Just 50 minutes away, Pecos National Historical Park features prehistoric archaeological ruins, 19th-century ranches, and a Civil War battlefield, providing a rich glimpse into the area’s history. For those seeking similar scenic camping experiences to Panchuela, nearby options include Cowles Campground and Holy Ghost Campground, both available on a first-come, first-served basis. These locations offer the same beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities, making them perfect alternatives for your adventure.
What the agency tells you
No horse trailers allowed
Campsites are all walk-in
Parking is limited. Please restrict to one vehicle per reservation.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 6 · 3 tent-only, 3 cabin
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- VAULT TOILETS on 6 of 6 campsite records, ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 6 of 6 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- DRINKING WATER (HAND PUMP) on 6 of 6 campsite records, ACCESSIBLE DRINKING WATER on 6 of 6 campsite records
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
Around the campground
- On the water
- River, Creek, Meadow
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Water access
- Wildlife viewing
- Fall color · reported 6 days ago, 15 km away
- Peak color
Nothing on the booking system for the next 30 nightsread 15:24 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
Every one of the next thirty nights is in recreation.gov’s record and not one site is being offered on any of them. That’s a campground closed or not yet released for booking, not a sold-out one.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 13
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $5 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 15:24 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
6 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 6 mapped sitesAll 6 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 6 of the 6 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 6 of the 6 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Panchuela | Unit 1 Shelter | shelter nonelectric | 71 ft | 67 ft | 177 ft | $5 |
| Panchuela | Unit 2 Tent | tent only nonelectric | 71 ft | 68 ft | 233 ft | $5 |
| Panchuela | Unit 3 Tent | tent only nonelectric | 197 ft | 138 ft | 461 ft | $5 |
| Panchuela | Unit 4 Tent | tent only nonelectric | 90 ft | 130 ft | 657 ft | $5 |
| Panchuela | Unit 5 Shelter | shelter nonelectric | 100 ft | 61 ft | 757 ft | $5 |
| Panchuela | Unit 6 Shelter | shelter nonelectric | 90 ft | 80 ft | 657 ft | $5 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Jacks Creek Group AreaSanta Fe National Forest · 0.9 miCowles CampgroundSanta Fe National Forest · 1.2 miIron Gate CampgroundSanta Fe National Forest · 2.6 mi
Holy Ghost Group AreaSanta Fe National Forest · 4.2 miHoly Ghost CampgroundSanta Fe National Forest · 4.6 miLinks Tract CampgroundSanta Fe National Forest · 5.0 miFrom the town of Pecos, head north on NM-63 for 19 miles. Make a slight left onto Windsor Road and stay on it for .2 miles, then make a right onto Pachuela Road and follow it for 1.5 miles and you will arrive at the parking area. Panchuela Road is a single lane road with pull-outs, please folow speed limit and watch out for horseback riders and pedestrians.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Rio en Medio, NM
Typical weather
Typical May night 36°F, day 65°F.
Coldest night of the open season: typical May night 36°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or moreOutside the published season
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Panchuela is in New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district. Its representative, Teresa Leger Fernandez (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A. See every public-lands vote →