Miles and miles of forest service roads and trails through the most beautiful part of New Mexico. It was a fantastic setting for writing my book on business strategy, Work ON It, Not IN It..This spot overlooking Black Lake was truly an Epic campsite.

So many great places to camp in here. Ask if the camp sites were full but we found a fantastic place off the road beside the river. It was fabulous. Next time we will bring it fishing equipment

It was SO much fun to get out! Its was fun to get out in the 4wheeler!

Amazing views and great weather. Some fun fishing on the Red River.

Desolate and Primitive. Roads are not maintained hardly at all. Be prepared if you go here. Its walking or horseback. Suits me fine. But its not for everyone.

We loved the hike up to Williams Lake, it was simply beautiful. We hiked this trail on May 26, 2019 and there is still plenty of snow found in the area, appearing to be at least three feet deep in many places. We started early, so the snow was frozen and hard packed. We hiked with micro spikes on our boots and used hiking poles, which made the going much easier. The sun really warmed things up on the way down and the trail became pretty slushy.The hike up is a steady ascent, something like 1000 feet in a mile and a half, but its pleasant as you spend a lot of time in a pine tree filled, beautiful forest. The trail is easy to find, just look for the blue markers. After about a mile and a half you arrive in a valley and will be rewarded with stunning views of towering, snow covered mountains, and the lake. As of May 26, 2019, the lake is still frozen over. Regardless, this is a beautiful and worthwhile hike. Would recommend this for anyone who is in at least moderate shape.

It was soooooo beautiful... the leaves changing and the water flowing throughSo smooth.

Beautiful, but we need rain!

Terribly dry! Game was rare but still producing. Water holes are at a dangerously low state. I believe game and fish are issuing excessive hunt permits for these units. They need to make adjustments in the future.

This place is amazing totally rough and wild, be careful, and have a great time.

It was beautiful! Found a lake before Red River. Road was rough but was well worth it.

A great forest to take a hike. Ample hiking trails give you plenty of space to get away from it all. One thing: the weather is legendary for its variability, so be prepared. Otherwise, its a great place to camp and/or spend some time taking in nature.

Just being outside was great. However the other campers with 4 wheelers werent so good. They are loud and they drive way to fast and get dust going badly.

It was a beautiful breathtaking scenery. Peaceful, and very relaxing for the whole family to enjoy. No internet service at all.

True camping. No utilities, so have to bring in everything you need. Excellent horseback riding in the wilderness. Every year is different w nature and weather. Lots of wildlife this year.

So beautiful, lots of trails for hiking or taking your ATV/UTV ...

Great place. Due to Covid minimal traffic and great roads for dual sports!

The 4x4 trails are spectacular the food is fantastic in red river.

Backroad exploration was fruitful and enjoyable. Gravel roads were fairly well maintained through to Continental Divide trail to Canijlon Lakes and uphill above Hopewell Lakes. Both lakes had heavy fishing pressure following recent trout stockings. Both campgrounds are heavily utilized. The popular forest area is showing good growth this year in the Canijlon Lakes campground - this area had suffered extensive beetle/disease killed pine forest. Beautiful views of Brazos Box and distant wilderness areas.

Fantastic drive to Taos and then to Santa Fe. Thanking the lord for creating such pristine beauty

Gorgeous place that mother nature provided us.

Gorgeous area full of beautiful scenery and wildlife. Hopewll lake is a great retreat but gets some valley wind if you want to play on the no wake water

It is a very beautiful place, it is a scene of natural beauty

Not too far from abq. Nice pine and aspens and a little creek. It was the perfect escape from the city. It was very busy with many campers in each area. But we found a spot and had it all to ourselves! No real town nearby so bringnwhat you need.

Amazing sunsets and a fun river. The perfect combination for an amazing weekend.

All the parks are different and with there own beauty and this one definitely has its unique sights. Good gravel roads, especially pretty rock formations, lush valleys, lots of deer and elk, and is very comfortable at 9000, at least in summer.

Spent 4 nights at the Agua Piedra campground near the Sipapu Ski Resort. Campground was in a mixed forest of pine and aspen with beautiful views of the Sangre de Christo Mountains. Pit toilets were clean and relatively odorless. Camp hosts were visible but unobtrusive. Trail head in the campground. Only issues were that the water was very sulfur smelling and the flies were terrible. Definitely would go back.

Diverse landscapes, from southwest desert to southern Rocky Mountain views. Rugged beauty.

We went to downhill mountain bike. Great experience, but make the trail head better to avoid getting lost despite gps. Loved it.

Very pretty. I wish they had longer trails that were more connected. Being able to rude the utvs in town was great just be sure not to rude in Main street

Drove through after kayaking and very relaxing scenery. Felt like a silk lining on things just getting away afterwards.

This is such a varied topography with gorgeous scenery everywhere. Be prepared for sudden weather changes and hot temperatures! Its worth it though.

Its a big place! Im lucky to live so close to such a diverse and wonderful National Forest.

The land is useful for many things

As scenic a route as weve seen. Really grand, and many spots still had snow in spite of the temperatures in the 50s. Went off on some side roads to get more into it.

What a beautiful place. A must visit. Roads are like snake.

Had to ask knowledgable locals, but once I did there are plenty of gems in this area. Snow is still pretty low and had to abort a hike to Lobo Peak after only 2.3M up. But...this area is absolutely worth a look, especially the town of Red River. Very quaint and nice shops and eateries.

I would love it more if they restricted access to ATVs. Very pleasant once you are away from more popular camping spots.

Did a 30 mile figure-8 in 3 days which included summiting Wheeler Peak. Absolutely beautiful views and a challenging landscape. No permits needed and lots of parking in the Taos Ski Valley. Very few people around other than near Wheeler Peak and Williams lake. Met a lot of very nice people on the trail.

Protect the sacred. Defend the vulnerable. Respect the wild. Love it, enjoy it, and leave it wild.

Beautiful mountain range. Needs rain, be careful with campfires

Its just so beautiful, so peaceful. If u listen all that u could hear.

I live 5 min walking distance to this national wonderland and it is so special. If you ever get the chance to go, try to plan for as long a stay as possible. Great place to get a breather from lockdown.

The weather cooperated so we had a wonderful time!

So beautiful. My favourite national forest so far.

Perfect overlooks and dirt roads to access little washes, arroyos, creeks and rivers. Its a great snapshot of northern NM beauty.

Beautiful place. Very good for fishing and camping. Too bad the road is so reduced and ugly.

It was nice to go check out. I saw a lot of people up there. You can find camping.

This is the best Natl Forest in the U.S. It has free dispersed camping in a variety of landscapes (clay cliffs and mesas and alpine wilderness) filled with rugged beauty. Its open during Covid-19 because they care. Resect

Beautiful off the grid National Forest with many places to camp and endless hiking. Can get cold at night. As low as 40 degrees, when it can be 85-90 degrees in Santa Fe in July. The pure silent beauty is mesmerizing. And dont forget to star gaze at night. You will see everything untouched by city lights.

We hiked to Wilson Lake and it was beautiful! Be careful with your dogs being off-leash because the animals up there hang out near the trail!

Always love camping with the family. Went for a Jeep ride up the 4th of July canyon. It was mostly dirt road to the meadow. From the meadow a bit more challenging but not too bad. Next day went to Goose lake. Very challenging hour & half ride one way. Very dusty ride with a lot of twists, turns & bumps.

Wheeler peak trail and Williams Lake trail. Steeeeeeeep steeeeeeep steeeeep. Not for the faint of heart, nor short of breath. But breath taking views and lots of wildlife (marmots, chipmunks, deer, big horn sheep)

Its so beautiful love it up there cant wait to go again

Beautiful, quite, peaceful and serene. Camped at Cabresto Lake and absolutely loved it! It was nice to get away from the crowds! Camping the way it should be!!

Carson Nat Forest is a massive amount of land with a lot of variety. We train our search and rescue dogs in parts of this forest, people and dogs love it.

Spectacular views. Vibrant colors.

Beautiful country

Beautiful & hard offroading! So fun!

Beautiful place. Forest service does not properly mark roads that are closed. Some are marked and others are not. Forest service personnel scolded me and advised I could be cited but also apologized for their lack of signage. Awkward moment. Below I have posted two closed roads. One properly marked and the other not marked.On a good note. Carson Forest has amazing sunsets and sunrises. Lots of wildlife and various terrain for hiking.

Peaceful, love listening to the river.

Eagle Rock Lake is so peaceful and a great place to fish. It is also easily accessible and is well stocked with trout.

It was quiet not to many cars and a really good camp ground

Cold and wet. With fresh snow not recommended for none experienced drivers or none four wheel drive vehicles extremely steep hills and deep canyons.

Fun all around when snowing its fun to take kids sledding and beautiful all year round

Completely beautiful forest and I love that they have the veterans retreat there. This place really helps you get clear and centered.

Carson National Forest is a vast expanse of multi-level landscape. You can hike, bike, camp, fish, hunt, and has a plethora of photographic opportunities. You can hike up into the Sangre de Cristo mountains or hike, kayak or fish the Rio Grande Gorge. With the expanse of the entire Taos Plateau to the West oh, and the Brilliance of the Sunday to Crystal mountains to the east, the open expanse of the San Luis Valley to the north and the Picuris and Truchas Peaks to the South, there is endless opportunity for personal expansion and illumination

Great place to visit the callmecarson shrine

Awesome, clean, definitely a lot to see

We went to Trampas Medio campground, and it is gorgeous! There is a beautiful little stream there, just the right speed for our kids to play in safely. We picked wild raspberries, though I think it must have been the end of the season because there were very few left. There was a good deal of broken glass around our particular campsite the second time we went, so we ended up shifting the campfire away from there so as to avoid the bulk of it. Please dont break glass here! We really like this site, and intended to use it again!One important caution though, if youre coming from Santa fe or that general direction, dont take the fastest route Google maps gives you. It takes county road 75 through Truchas to forest road 639, which we learned after carefully navigating it for like 45 minutes at >5 miles a hour that it is not intended for passenger cars. I didnt see a sign at the beginning of the road, but we saw it at the other end for sure! We also saw an undercarriage and a wheel on the side of that road from those less fortunate or less skilled at off-roading than my husband!

Very nice did a horse back riding trail

Endless TrailsAromatic Scent from the PinesMake it a PleasureGo Visit!

One of the most beautiful spots in New Mexico

Great hike up to Jicarita. Really a moderate hike starting at161 with the constant rocky uphill, but worth it! 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 up depending on your pace.

Overall just an awesome forest. Wen with a friend on an elk hunt last September and had nothing but fun. Saw elk and deer, caught rainbows and browns, even got to witness a wildfire. Locals are awesome as well. Got dusted out by one and he immediately pulled over and gave me some FRESH elk jerky and apologized. Not many places things like this happen.

I enjoy this hike to the Lookout. Today, because we are free in this country, there were many mountain bikers. A few were fast approaching and that gave me a startle!

Beautiful.. enough said.

Beautiful we had a great time

Kit CARSON rocks. Much love. Thumbs up!

I love El Valle for camping it was fun!!

Went to the Petrera Falls, not Niagara but still cool and not many people around. Easy hike to it, bring shoes that can handle getting wet and muddy!

Best hiking hand down

So beautiful and well taken care of by Carson national.forest workers

Crystal clear waters, beautiful mountains and a great place to get away from the heat of the day. We loved camping here so much and felt very safe in the areas we camped. I highly recommend if youre in the Taos area.

Hiked the Lost Lake Trail in mid December. There was between 0 and 6 inches of snow on the trail. It was a pretty difficult hike, and were still looking for Lost Lake! The Forest Services website said it was 4 miles from the trail head, but we probably hiked 7 miles and did not get there. Had to turn around around 2pm so we could get to the car before dark. Still a gorgeous hike among the firs and aspen!

Great hike with the family to Williams lake. Were going to shoot for wheeler peak next year!

Had a Great Day. Beautiful. Always find something new.

Carson National Forest is a relatively unknown gem. Huge too. So much beauty going on. Hiked a section of the CDT - this is not for day hikers and was a push for an old guy like me. All in all you cant beat it.

No campfires or charcoal grills allowed. Camping in non developed areas ok. Other sites the bathrooms are locked, trash receptacles locked also. Propane stove ok. Pack it in, pack it out

Ive never seen so many Road hunters in my life this year

Clean & very beautiful to vist. Will return here. Great family outting place to bond & reconnect with love ones.

My favorite part of New Mexico. I come here to hike, swim, and rock climb. Rumor has it, I need to check out the fishing scene. Be fire conscious and leave as little trace as possible, please.

Awesome scenery! We love camping here, so much space. Right now fire restrictions, but still a great stay.

Had a fantastic Snow mobile ride at CUMBRES ADVENTURE TOURS!!! Highly recommend this avenue to see the forest, up close and personal. Troy and Jerry were just amazing guides

Carson National forest is amazing. Great trails and looks of wildlife.

Beautiful place to be. Go when you can.

Jahs creation for us to see is amazing. The creek was perfect. Though we couldve done without the mosquitoes

Just simply breathtaking. Be sure to pay attention in the early snow season though. Lots of stumps and debris that can be hidden under the snow if youre not watching . Stay on the established trails.

Beautiful peaceful place to just sit there and enjoy nature!

Great boondocking. Beautiful scenery.