The best river, stream, or creek RV campgrounds near Shiprock, New Mexico

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to resource for finding the perfect camping spot. If you're looking for an RV camping experience near Shiprock, New Mexico with access to a river, we've got you covered with over 670 options to choose from. Some of our top-rated campsites include Bright Star Campground (211 reviews), Humming Bird Campsite (175 reviews), and Sunset Campground on Ruin Road (130 reviews). Average prices per night start at $40, with options as low as $15. Our campsites offer popular amenities such as pet-friendly accommodations, toilets, and campfires. You can also enjoy popular activities like snow sports, paddling, and off-roading (OHV). Happy camping!

94% (1K)

Top-rated campgrounds

You will cross this bridge over McElmo Creek to enter the property.

Welcome to Hipcamp, your go-to resource for finding the perfect camping spot. If you're looking for an RV camping experience near Shiprock, New Mexico with access to a river, we've got you covered with over 670 options to choose from. Some of our top-rated campsites include Bright Star Campground (211 reviews), Humming Bird Campsite (175 reviews), and Sunset Campground on Ruin Road (130 reviews). Average prices per night start at $40, with options as low as $15. Our campsites offer popular amenities such as pet-friendly accommodations, toilets, and campfires. You can also enjoy popular activities like snow sports, paddling, and off-roading (OHV). Happy camping!

94% (1K)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

96%

(75)

38mi from Shiprock · 6 sites · Tents, RVs · Cortez, CO

This magical place, surrounded by over 500,000 acres of protected land, is a 38 acre desert oasis near Mesa Verde, Sand Canyon and Hovenweep. Pitch your tent or park your small pop up or tiny rv (car and pull behind must be under 20 ft total) in a heritage orchard under and alongside magnificent red cliffs. We also have super clean bathroom with hot shower designated for campers. We have a fully equipped community kitchen for cooking, and a gas grill as well. We border Canyons of the Ancients immediately to the North, a 174,000 acre National Monument with the largest concentration of Ancestral Puebloan ("cliff-dweller") and archeological sites in the United States. A favorite public access point to The Canyons of the Ancients is the Sand Canyon trailhead, a five minute drive from the property up the main road. It is visited by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders alike. We are a genuine "oasis" on exquisite high desert land with profound ancient puebloan sites within steps. Ideal home base for your Southwest adventure.

2. Tranquility @ The Farm

98%

(256)

39mi from Shiprock · 2 sites · Tents, RVs · Hesperus, CO

Dear Valued Guests, I hope this message finds you well. As we reflect on the past winter, we’ve observed that our area received minimal precipitation. While the lower elevations received almost no moisture, the higher elevations are at only 53% of the 20-year average snowpack. Given these conditions, I have made the difficult decision not to host campers this year due to the heightened fire risk. Your safety is my utmost priority, and I would never want to put any of my guests in harm's way. Please stay tuned for updates. If we receive significant rainfall this spring, I may reconsider hosting this year. Otherwise, I look forward to welcoming you in 2026. Wishing you all happy and safe camping adventures! Warm regards, Erin P.S. We can't wait to welcome you back for an even better experience in the future! Learn more about this land: 600 Acre working farm, with two miles of the La Plata River running through it and spectacular views of the La Plata Mountains and Sleeping Ute Mountain. You will find a wide variety of vegetation and wildlife (Southwest Sage, Cactus, Ponderosa, Pinion, and Pine trees, Mule Deer, Turkey, Fox, Rabbits, Bald Eagles, and Red Tail Hawks to name a few) . Guests are encouraged to explore this beautiful piece of the southwest. The Farm is located just 12 miles from La Plata Canyon, 15 miles from Durango, 15 miles from Lake Nighthorse, and 35 miles from Mesa Verde National Park. There is one large campground that can hold up to 5 RV's and 1 secluded tent small camper site to choose from. Guest are welcome to purchase vegetables and fresh farm eggs.

3. Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

99%

(129)

49mi from Shiprock · 3 sites · Tents, RVs · Durango, CO

Santa Rita Ranch is located in a rural, agricultural valley south of Durango, Colorado. Originally a dairy and hay farm, the Mannix's raised all organic beef in the past. Currently it operates as a hay farm and Linda has three horses and three donkeys. Very quiet rural area with plenty of open space. Elevation 6,000 ft. Learn more about this land: The 40 acre Santa Rita Ranch has hayfields, irrigation and plenty of room to camp. Located 20 minutes south of Durango Colorado it is quiet and peaceful. Good internet access! Porta potty available. Only 20 minutes to two wineries: Foxfire Farms in Ignacio, CO and Wines of the San Juans near Aztec, NM. Paddleboarding and windsurfing on Lake Nighthorse. Lots of mountain bike trails near Durango and good road biking on our CR 213. Flying into Durango? We have a tent and camp chairs for you! Horses and donkeys available to pet. Horse boarding available for those traveling with their equine friends.

4. Canyon Trails Ranch

100%

(104)

38mi from Shiprock · 18 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Cortez, CO

The homestead was built in 1911 and was one of the original postal pickups in the area. The ranch is located between Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument and backs up to Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. Our family has lived in McElmo Canyon for over 40 years and the campground has hosted camping and outdoor educational groups since 1965. We are a family run ranch with an operating hay farm, horseback riding business, and carriage shop.

Public campgrounds near Shiprock

100%

(1)

Target Tree Campground

47mi from Shiprock · 16 sites · Tents, RVs · in San Juan National Forest

Burro Bridge Campground

48mi from Shiprock · 14 sites · Tents, RVs · in San Juan National Forest

McPhee Recreation Complex Campground

49mi from Shiprock · 54 sites · Tents, RVs · in San Juan National Forest

Stories from the community

M

Marquitta

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

An absolute dream! My only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer. Sunset on property was gorgeous! The trails around camp were super fun. Friendly staff. Our pour-over site was tucked away, beautiful, felt safe. Grounds were clean and stocked.

B

Beck

October 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

This was my second time staying here, and it will always be one of my favorite places to stop. Linda is a great communicator & even makes sure to provide curated directions, depending on which way you are coming from. Highly recommend stopping for a night (or two!) The donkeys are also a plus :)

t

tracy

October 2025

20 ft campervan

Weekend Trip to Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

What a beautiful gem of a place! So scenic, open, private and the best host ever, Linda. She provided a great deal of suggestions on where we could spend the day. She’s an incredibly warm host that we’ll always remember.

J

Josh

October 2025

6 ft pop-up camper

With pets

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Excellent hosts and lovely site! Linda was so welcoming and friendly, she gave us lots of recommendations for the area and was just genuinely lovely to talk to. Clear directions to site and the site itself is very private and peaceful. We would definitely choose to stay here again and couldn’t recommend it enough

z

zoe

September 2025

Tent

1 night at Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

Our stay was wonderful. The directions easy to follow so we didn’t have to rely on gps. The camping site was sheltered which was a appreciated as it was a a windy night and we have a roof tent, we had our own bathroom which was very clean and hot shower. The jewel was the lodge which was open to us and we enjoyed the comfortable space to have tea and meet other guests. We walked the property in the morning after a homemade breakfast from our host ( worth it!) . We would love to come back.

S

Steve

August 2025

19 ft Class B

2 nights at Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

Absolutely beautiful and all the amenities you’d want. Celine is lovely and a great host. We’ll be back.

Eric

August 2025

35 ft travel trailer

With pets

7 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Linda’s Santa Rita land is a beautiful, quiet, rural setting. Friendly horses and donkeys graze nearby and a small, historic irrigation canal lined with cottonwoods and chimesa runs by the sites. Linda was great to work with during my 7-day stay.

D

Debra

August 2025

18 ft campervan

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

So, we had a blast at this quirky little vintage farm just 11 miles outside of Durango, CO, where our campsite was basically the VIP section of the pasture. Picture this: our van was nestled in a cozy corner, fully surrounded by brush, trees, and an irrigation ditch that made us feel like we were on some sort of rustic survival show. Horses and donkeys became our next-door neighbors—super nosy ones, I might add! We had the entire campsite to ourselves, which made us feel like the kings and queens of our own little compound. We even felt brave enough to leave our camper van wide open at night, just chilling under the protection of our trusty insect netting. Talk about living on the wild side! But the real midnight party came courtesy of our donkey pals who loved to hang out by the back door during the witching hour, perhaps hoping for some late-night snacks or just an ear rub. By day, we were entertained by the local prairie dog circus, darting around the field like they were training for the Summer Olympics. And getting to Durango was just a hop, skip, and a jump away! Linda, our host, was a gem—super friendly and accommodating. If you're in the mood for a private, safe spot where "roughing it" means sharing your space with adorable donkeys and feisty prairie dogs, then trust me, this Hip Camp is the place to be!

The Pour Over - one of our campsites tucked into the cliff with a waterfall just beyond the picnic table when we get a good desert rain.

G

Gabriella

July 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

Ancient Echoes is a sacred and beautiful space. Where you may explore history and learn about a mission dedicated to the preservation of cultural diversity and agricultural heritage. I am so grateful to have began my first trip to Colorado here. I was able to de-stress after a long roadtrip by taking a hot shower and enjoying a hot cup of tea. To be followed by a sweet camp under a beautiful sky full of stars. It was great to be able to utilize the amenities. Although the unique location, proximity to national monuments and awesome trails all encouraged me to stay an extra night. We highly recommend taking all the time you can to truly enjoy Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place. A huge thank you to our wonderful hosts and new friends Celine and Allison. Your hospitality and communication along the way were truly outstanding. The work put into this sanctuary is incredible and inspiring!

I

Inai

July 2025

14 ft campervan

Weekend Trip to Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

Absolutely stunning and incredible place to visit and be inspired. It is so special and generous of the hosts to share this wonderful place in the world.

E

Ellie

July 2025

Tent

With pets

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

What an idyllic summer camping spot <3 I loved being here with my friend amongst the donkeys and prairie dogs and horses, and Linda was so kind and welcoming--she even helped set up my tent with me! I loved all her recommendations and her property. Thank you!!!

J

Jeff

July 2025

28 ft toy hauler

5 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Our host Linda was awesome. She had a beautiful piece of property, we had a secluded little place that we park the camper on, there were horses, donkeys, and prairie dogs roaming the property. It was serene and a great getaway for our anniversary. She also brought us information about the local area and had a lot of knowledge about areas that we were wanting to visit and explore. She also had places listed out where we could dump our camper after our stay, since there were no amenities on the property and that was very helpful.

J

Julie

June 2025

16 ft car

Group trip

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Great location just about 15 minutes from town. The setting was lovely and we were able to say hello to the resident horses and donkeys. Linda was a wonderful host!

A

Annette

June 2025

23 ft travel trailer

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

The sky was so dark - the stars, each night, were amazing!!! Linda and Jeff were kind, welcoming, and accommodating. Their property is stunningly, private, beautiful, and provides a wonderful place to hang out and sleep. It’s also lovely being out of the busyness of nearby Durango

D

Dallas

June 2025

Tent

2 nights at Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

One of the most unique experiences ever! The hosts are great, facilities are perfect, but the property is unbelievable! We will be back!

H

Hal

June 2025

15 ft pop-up camper

Weekend Trip to Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Had a wonderful stay on Linda's land. As everyone has mentioned, she's a caring, welcome and fascination host. We just needed a quiet place to camp while attending an event at Tico so this was perfect.

K

Kaylyn

May 2025

Tent

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

Linda is an absolutely amazing host and has a beautiful property. We were given so many recommendations and had a very comfortable stay! Definitely recommend and will be returning!!

G

Geneva

May 2025

38 ft Class A

3 nights at Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

You will not find a kinder, more helpful host than Linda. She was a wealth of information on the area and provided multiple resources for us to check out the area on our own. The property is peaceful and lovely. No frills, but all the open skies and quiet time you could ask for. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would reccomend her camp to anyone searching in the area.

S

Shawna

May 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Linda M.’s Santa Rita Ranch

If I could give Linda 10 stars, I would! She was extremely responsive, friendly, and helpful. The description is accurate, it was a nice, quiet site with some friendly donkeys and wildlife sightings! I would love to stay again and would definitely recommend.

S

Sean

May 2025

Tent

2 nights at Anasazi Sites @ Ancient Echoes

Such a magical place, and absolutely worth a visit if you are looking for a serene getaway. Allison and Celine were very kind and welcoming. Thank you!