Boondocking in New Mexico!
Boondocking in New Mexico is popular due to the abundance of federal recreation lands with six different national forest and a national grassland. There is also plenty of BLM land to go around, including a couple of national wildlife refuges that offer camping. Many of the indian casinos will allow multiple-night parking.
New Mexico Boondocking Map
This New Mexico Boondocking Map contains locations of free boondocking and free campgrounds where bloggers and YouTubers have produced detailed reviews. Click on a map marker to access their reviews…
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New Mexico Boondocking Maps
New Mexico Rest Area Map
Updated: April 1, 2024
Presented below is a New Mexico Rest Area Map created from data published by the New Mexico Department of Transportation....
Dispersed Camping Near Carlsbad, NM
Updated: June 19, 2024
Completely surrounded by public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service (USFS), and the National...
Dispersed Camping Near Reserve, NM
Updated: June 19, 2024
There are several free camping areas operated by Gila National Forest within a short drive to Reserve, NM and nearby...
Places to Camp for Free in New Mexico
Forest Road 64J, Tres Piedras, NM
Updated: June 20, 2024
Free, dispersed camping is allowed along Forest Road 64J located off of US-64, one mile west of the town of...
Rio de Los Pinos Campground, Antonito, CO
Updated: June 17, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. The campground is actually located in New Mexico, about...
Lower Hondo Campground, Taos, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are four (4) campsites with picnic tables and...
Cuchillo Del Medio Campground, Taos, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are only three (3) campsites, too small for...
Cuchilla Campground, Taos, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are only three (3) campsites with picnic tables, fire...
Cebolla Mesa Campground, Questa, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are five (5) campsites with picnic tables and...
Cabresto Lake Campground, Questa, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are nine (9) campsites with picnic tables and...
El Rito Campground, El Rito, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. There are eleven (11) campsites with picnic tables and...
Trout Lakes Campground, Tierra Amarilla, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a designated dispersed camping area offered by Carson National Forest. Trout Lakes is a series of three to...
Links Tract Campground, Pecos, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a designated dispersed camping area offered by Santa Fe National Forest. There is a vault toilet on site,...
Johnson Mesa Campground, Las Vegas, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
Johnson Mesa Campground is a designated dispersed camping area offered by Santa Fe National Forest. There are two vault toilets...
Borrego Mesa Campground, Santa Fe, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Santa Fe National Forest. There are eight campsites, most of which are...
Big Tesuque Campground, Santa Fe, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Santa Fe National Forest. There are 10 small camping units intended for...
Aspen Basin Campground, Santa Fe, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free camping area offered by Santa Fe National Forest. It's located in the woods inside the parking...
Rio Puerco Campground, Coyote, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Santa Fe National Forest, located close to San Pedro Parks Wilderness. There...
Whirlpool Dispersed Camping Area, Abiquiu, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, designated dispersed camping area offered by Santa Fe National Forest. It's a large, sandy riverbank near...
Oak Point Dispersed Camping Area, Abiquiu, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, designated dispersed camping area offered by Santa Fe National Forest. It's located along Forest Road 151,...
Rio Chama Campground, Abiquiu, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Santa Fe National Forest. Open only from April through November, it offers...
Resumidero Campground, Coyote, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a designated dispersed camping area offered for free by Santa Fe National Forest. It's a large alpine meadow...
New Canyon Campground, Estancia, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a small, developed campground offered free by Cibola National Forest. It's strictly for tent campers, though it has...
Water Canyon Campground, Socorro, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Cibola National Forest, with about 10-12 campsites, many of which are large...
Springtime Campground, Truth or Consequences, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Cibola National Forest. There are six campsites, each with "Adirondack" style shelters...
Luna Park Campground, Truth or Consequences, NM
Updated: June 15, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Cibola National Forest. It's located about 9.4 miles north of Monticello, NM,...
Valle Tio Vinces Campground, Quemado, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small, free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are four designated campsites, but dispersed camping...
Bighorn Campground, Glenwood, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are six campsites, each with picnic table and...
Ben Lilly Campground, Glenwood, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small, free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are only five campsites here, a few...
Willow Creek Campground, Glenwood, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is free, small, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are only four campsites here, though only the...
Aeroplane Mesa Campground, Glenwood, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. Even though it's small with only six campsites, these campsites...
Gwynn Tank Campground, Reserve, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Gwynn Tank Campground is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are seven marked campsites, three of...
Cosmic Campground, Glenwood, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. It has eight back-in sites large enough for full-sized...
Cottonwood Campground, Reserve, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small, free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest, primarily for tent camping. It's located on the...
Pueblo Park Campground, Reserve, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are as many as 10 campsites with fire...
Apache Creek Campground, Reserve, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. While the Forest Service describes this as a dispersed...
Armijo Springs Campground, Quemado, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. It has five sites with picnic tables and fire...
El Caso Campgrounds, Quemado, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
El Caso Campgrounds is a series of five, free, designated dispersed campgrounds operated by Gila National Forest. All five are...
Head of the Ditch Campground, Luna, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There is plenty of room for several full-sized RVs,...
Kingston Campground, Kingston, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground, offered by Gila National Forest. There are only two campsites here, both of which...
Wolf Hollow Campground, Winston, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground located in the "middle of nowhere" of Gila National Forest. It lies about 90...
Upper Scorpion Campground, Gila Hot Springs, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered for free by Gila National Forest. It's intended for tent camping only, but has...
Lower Scorpion Campground, Gila Hot Springs, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small campground intended for tent camping only. It has a paved parking lot where cars, vans, and...
Grapevine Campground, Gila Hot Springs, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a dispersed camping area that was at one time designated by Gila National Forest, but is no longer...
Forks Campground, Gila Hot Springs, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Forks Campground is a free, designated dispersed camping area offered by Gila National Forest. It's actually a combination campground and...
Black Canyon Campground – Lower, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. It has three picnic tables, though vehicles with tents...
Black Canyon Campground – Upper, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered for free by Gila National Forest. There are only two picnic tables here, though...
Rocky Canyon Campground, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered for free by Gila National Forest with only a handful of campsites. 4WD with...
Comfort Well Dispersed Camping Area, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a boondocking area, not otherwise designated by Gila National Forest officials, but permitted for camping. It's a large...
Sapillo Campground, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is mostly a designated dispersed camping area, though it does have a vault toilet, and there are a few...
McMillan Campground, Silver City, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. It's located in a canyon about 14 miles north...
Cherry Creek Campground, Silver City, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. It lies at the bottom of a canyon along...
Gallinas Campground Upper, Mimbres, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small, developed campground with three campsites offered for free by Gila National Forest. It is located on...
Railroad Canyon Campground, Kingston, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a small developed campground, offered for free by Gila National Forest. Only three campsites are here, and they...
Iron Creek Campground, Kingston, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Gila National Forest. There are 12 campsites, each with fair amount of...
Mills Rim Campground, Mills, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This campground is located at the rim of the Canadian River Canyon intended for larger vehicles that can't make it...
Mills Canyon Campground, Mills, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Mills Canyon Campground is a remote campground situated within the Canadian River Canyon at an elevation of 5,160 feet. There...
Ojo Redundo Campground, Grants, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground offered by Cibola National Forest. There are about 15 campsites and many of them...
Tajique Campground, Estancia, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered for free by Cibola National Forest. It's a small unit with six sites intended...
Red Cloud Campground, Corona, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered for free by Cibola National Forest. It has five sites, most of which are...
Baca Campground, Lincoln, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free camping area designated by Lincoln National Forest officials. It's an undeveloped area in that there are...
Monjeau Campground, Ruidoso, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free, developed campground operated by Lincoln National Forest. It's effectively two camping areas. both small. The more...
Bluewater Lookout Tower, New Mexico
Updated: June 16, 2024
Bluewater Lookout Tower is an old structure built in 1917 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places....
James Canyon Campground, Mayhill, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free developed campground offered by Lincoln National Forest. There are only two sites that you can park...
Avalon Lake, Carlsbad, NM
Updated: July 7, 2024
Avalon Lake is open to dispersed camping and fishing along its shoreline, particularly on the south end of the lake...
Sitting Bull Falls Road, Queens, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Sitting Bull Falls Road, also known as Forest Road 276, and County Road 409, runs into Lincoln National Forest. Dispersed...
Dark Canyon Road, Carlsbad, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Also known as County Road 408, this road runs through patches of BLM land and private land. There are a...
Goat Corral Canyon, Carlsbad, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
Goat Corral Canyon is the name of the small canyon that runs just above the dirt road winding through BLM...
Sunset Reef Campground, Carlsbad, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a free developed campground managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Comes with covered picnic tables, fire rings,...
Hackberry Lake Campground North
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground intended for OHV riders, but is also used by RVers visiting Carlsbad Caverns and the...
Hackberry Lake Campground South
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered by the Bureau of Land Management for free. The BLM officially designates this for...
Chosa Campground, Carlsbad, NM
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a large open space created by the Bureau of Land Management specifically for RV camping. It's located about...
Aden Hills OHV Area
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a large, desert flat set aside by the Bureau of Land Management specifically for OHV use. Most of...
Spring-on-the-Bluff, Gila Lower Box Canyon
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a single campsite located at the top of a tall cliff, overlooking the Gila River, accessed by a...
Fisherman’s Point, Gila Lower Box Canyon
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a popular fishing area along the Gila River going back several decades. Today, it's mostly a place to...
Nichols Canyon, Gila Lower Box Canyon
Updated: June 16, 2024
Specifically identified by the Bureau of Land Management as designated camping area, Nichols Canyon is located along the east bank...
Angel Peak Campground
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground operated by the Bureau of Land Management through their Farmington Field Office. There are nine...
Brown Springs Campground
Updated: June 16, 2024
This is a developed campground offered by the Bureau of Land Management for free. However, because it's part of the...
Dunes OHV Recreation Area
Updated: June 16, 2024
This small piece of BLM land was set aside specifically for OHV riding enthusiasts, but also accommodates vehicle campers. There...
Joe Skeen Campground
Updated: June 23, 2024
Joe Skeen Campground, El Malpais NCA This high desert campground is set back from highway 117. Each of the 10...
New Mexico State Camping Laws and Regulations
New Mexico Rest Area Rules
Updated: April 5, 2024
Is overnight parking permitted at New Mexico rest areas? Are you allowed to sleep in your vehicle at a New...
Camping on New Mexico State Trust Lands
Updated: April 5, 2024
The New Mexico State Land Office does not permit "recreational camping" on its trust lands. But, it does support camping...
