USDA Forest Service · New Mexico
Echo Amphitheater
USDA Forest Service · New Mexico, United States
- Sites
- 13
- Hookups
- 9 electric, 11 with water, 1 no hookups
- Season
- Year-round
- Max RV length
- 30 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 6,621 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · AT&T weak · Verizon weak (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- NFSR 8B · native material · high clearance vehicles
- Lake
- Carson National Forest
- Nearest town
- Abiquiu
- Phone
- N/A
- Activities
- Amphitheater, Birding, Camping, Day Use Area, Hiking, Historic & Cultural Site, Picnicking, Star Gazing, Wildlife Viewing
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Echo Amphitheater is a natural amphitheater located on the Carson National Forest in Rio Arriba County, in Northern New Mexico. .
Recreation
Echo Amphitheater Recreation Site offers opportunities for hiking, nature viewing, camping, and picnicking.
Facilities
Stay for a short time, the entire day, or overnight! This site has multiple picnic/shade ramada options, vault toilets, a paved walkway up to the amphitheater, a large group shelter, and eight campsites with electric hook-ups. Campsites can accomodate small and medium-sized RVs, camper vans, and tents at some sites. Plus, there are two double sites that provide additional parking.
Our water system is temporarily out of service. Please bring your own water for drinking, washing dishes, etc. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience.
Natural Features
The sandstone cliff is known for its unique echoing auditory properties. The red vertical stripes down the otherwise horizontally stratified cliff wall are streaks of mineral varnish that provides a colorful contrast to the sandstone cliff. This colorful geological feature combined with its unusual auditory properties no doubt fed the legend of myth associated with the Echo Amphitheater
Contact Info
This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (575) 684-2489.
Nearby Attractions
Abiquiu Lake, Ghost Ranch Education and Retreat Center, Canjilon Lakes
Fees
Day Use: $5/vehicle (day use is any amount of time spent at Echo Amphitheater in one day). Use of the restrooms, picnic tables, parking lot, hiking, all require a day use fee. Please help us keep this site open and operating by paying your fees at the entrance!
Camping (all sites have electric hook-ups!):
$20 Per Single Site
$35 Per Double Site
$5 Per Extra Vehicle
Group Picnic Shelter: $50/day with 40 person maximun. Reserving this group shelter includes three campsites (sites 1-3) to be used for additional parking and camping! Reservations are required to use the group shelter via recreation.gov.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 19° | 7° | 52° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 42° | 24° | -5° | 59° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 51° | 30° | 9° | 76° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 64° | 37° | 25° | 78° | 6 of 11 |
| May | 73° | 47° | 35° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 86° | 57° | 45° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 88° | 62° | 54° | 98° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 85° | 59° | 54° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 79° | 54° | 36° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 41° | 30° | 78° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 57° | 33° | 17° | 67° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 43° | 24° | 4° | 55° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Rio Chama · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
- Rio Chama · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
- Riana - Abiquiu Lake · Army Corps of Engineers · 10 mi · 70 sites
- El Rito Campground--Group Shelter · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi · 1 sites
- Lower Canjilon Lakes Cg · USDA Forest Service · 17 mi
All public campgrounds in New Mexico · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-05-09. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.