US Forest Service
Learn about camping and boondocking in national forests and grasslands.
Iron Creek Campground, Kingston, NM
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are 12 campsites, each with fair amount of space between, offering a reasonable level of privacy. Located at 7,200 feet elevation, it offers some cool weather and shade during the high heat of summer.
Mills Rim Campground, Mills, NM
This campground is located at the rim of the Canadian River Canyon intended for larger vehicles that can't make it down to the lower Mills Canyon Campground. There are six sites at this campground, all of which are large, suitable for full-sized RVs, and the road conditions are firm-packed, fine for 2WD.
Mills Canyon Campground, Mills, NM
Mills Canyon Campground is a remote campground situated within the Canadian River Canyon at an elevation of 5,160 feet. There are 12 camping units available. The site is the old Mills Canyon Orchard, a fruit growing enterprise established in 1881. There are ruins of the old buildings still there.
Ojo Redundo Campground, Grants, NM
This is a free, developed campground offered by Cibola National Forest. There are about 15 campsites and many of them are large enough for full-sized RVs. The usual amenities of picnic tables, fire rings, and a vault toilet are there, but there are no trash cans here.
Tajique Campground, Estancia, NM
This is a developed campground offered for free by Cibola National Forest. It's a small unit with six sites intended for cars, trucks, and vans. Small RVs can get in, along with teardrop trailers. Anything larger won't be able to get in. It's intended for tent camping, but sleeping in your vehicle is course, fine.
Red Cloud Campground, Corona, NM
This is a developed campground offered for free by Cibola National Forest. It has five sites, most of which are long back-in sites suitable for full sized RVs. There are also a few make-shift campsites that could serve as overflow sites. Elevation here is at 7,600 feet. The area is a an old mining district.
Baca Campground, Lincoln, NM
This is a free camping area designated by Lincoln National Forest officials. It's an undeveloped area in that there are no designated campsites, and no amenities aside from a vault toilet and an information kiosk. There is also a free-standing brick chimney; evidence of a home that once stood here.
Monjeau Campground, Ruidoso, NM
This is a free, developed campground operated by Lincoln National Forest. It's effectively two camping areas. both small. The more popular is the gravel parking lot where there are two tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings, and the other is a dirt area, used as an overflow campground, about a mile before the parking lot.
Bluewater Lookout Tower, New Mexico
Bluewater Lookout Tower is an old structure built in 1917 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It's approached by Forest Road 85. The motor vehicle use map of this area shows that dispersed camping is allowed all along this road, up until the last 1,000 feet of roadway.
James Canyon Campground, Mayhill, NM
This is a free developed campground offered by Lincoln National Forest. There are only two sites that you can park you vehicle next to, the other campsites are approached by foot walking across a small bridge. The two sites for vehicles are small, suitable only for cars, vans, motorcycles, or small RVs.
