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Signs & Maps

Dispersed Camping

Haystack Mountain OHV Area

Haystack Mountain OHV Area, near Roswell, New Mexico, is a unique spot for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors with a focus on off-highway vehicle (OHV) activities. This area offers a handful of campsites, each equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, making it a solid choice for a night under the stars.

Visitors rave about the stunning sunsets and the peaceful atmosphere, with many noting the cleanliness of the facilities. One camper mentioned, “The pit toilets were the cleanest we’ve ever seen,” which is always a plus when you’re out in nature. The area is also pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure.

For those who enjoy hiking or biking, there are well-defined trails that wind through the picturesque landscape. The campground is conveniently located just a short drive from Roswell, where you can stock up on supplies or check out local attractions, including the famous Alien Museum. Whether you're passing through or planning a longer stay, Haystack Mountain OHV Area provides a great base for outdoor exploration.

Description

Bureau of Land Management

The area has several picnic sites, complete with shelters, tables and grills. Toilet facilities are available but no potable water is available. Camping is allowed in pull outs next to the sun shelters and in the large gravel parking lot used for parking and events. Dispersed camping is allowed within the entire area, but there are only OHV trails to access the interior of the area for camping.

Fee Info

Individual -- $3.00. Vehicle (2 or more people) -- $5.00. Bus (over 15 people) -- $15.00.

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Location

Haystack Mountain OHV Area is located in New Mexico

Detail location of campground

Directions

22 miles northeast of Roswell, NM, just off of US 70.

Coordinates

33.62942805 N
104.24349182 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Available
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Good

Site Types

  • Dispersed
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Haystack Mountain OHV Area needs a permit.

Contact

General Info

Drive Time


Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

12 Reviews

Reviewed Dec. 6, 2024

Convenient Gem

After reading how the area around Roswell is tough to find BLM/ cheap overnight - i fired up the Dyrt app and found this gem.

$3 for me and my van. Came in after dark to get some sleep before heading into Roswell proper. Only a few other vans.

Bathroom was immaculate, views are great . Thank you to the host for keeping it this way.

Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Jeremy W., December 6, 2024
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Jeremy W., December 6, 2024
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2024

Beautiful overlook

This is a great place not far outside of Roswell. Great overnight parking/car camping place. Stayed by myself at the best spot available. My company was a tarantula hawk wasp, very large blue dragonfly, some desert ants and an owl hooting down in the ravine. Melt. It was warm, of course but with the windows down and a little neck fan to encourage airflow, It was alright.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Janay` M., August 10, 2024
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Janay` M., August 10, 2024
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Janay` M., August 10, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Apr. 3, 2024

Easy access and level

Whereas there are only a very few prime camping spots - that were full, there was also a nice level and large gravel parking lot that did the trick for a quick overnight. The cell service was the best, most likely because there were several cellular towers looming overhead.

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Melissa S., April 3, 2024
Reviewed Nov. 1, 2023

Clean quiet and Ada accessible

Follow the sign to a dirt road and there are several spots for large travel trailers and smaller spots for people who want to tent camp. Clean, host on site, and prices are posted at the entrance, just grab a slip from the box put your money in and place into the lock box. We stayed over 2 nights over halloween and it was quiet only one other camper there. It cost 5$ a night. Bathrooms were well kept and the roads where too.

Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Sep. 28, 2023

Nice Views

Only 4 camp sites but overnight camping in the parking lot is allowed. great views of the sunset but not a dark sky site as Roswell, New Mexico is visible to the southwest. Visited during the middle of the week so we were the only campers at the site. This is an OHV park so probably busy during weekends. The pit toilet was clean.

SiteThe 4 sites are not numbered.
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Daniel C., September 28, 2023
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Daniel C., September 28, 2023
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Daniel C., September 28, 2023
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2023

Easy in & Out

Incredibly easy to access. Several spots to accommodate a camper. Was passing through, only hiked the rim trail for a morning wake up. $2 for the night. SUPER CLEAN VAULT TOILETS.

SiteCanyon Rim - West site
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Austin and Christel S., August 17, 2023
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Austin and Christel S., August 17, 2023
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2023

Beautiful

Beautiful views, nice sites but only 5 spaces. All spaces have personal picnic area under pavilion with grill and firepit. No hookups and no potable water or dump station. There are vault toilets on site. $3 a day for one person/ $5 a day for two people. There is a cash dropbox or you can scan a QR code on sign that is posted that takes you to the Recreation.gov site to pay. We stayed in our fifth wheel camper for a week. It snowed one night! About 22 mins from nearest Walmart in Roswell. FYI - Tractor Supply in Roswell has no propane refills. We went to Pico Propane. Great place to fill up. T-mobile service is excellent. Would definitely stay here again!

Month of VisitJanuary
  • Snow in the morning!
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  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Mario F., January 26, 2023
  • Sacramento Mountains
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Reviewed Oct. 9, 2022

Nice find outside of Roswell

I wasn't sure about where to stay in Roswell. I didn't want to get a hotel but wasn't sure about campsites. I stumbled upon this thanks to this site!

Paid the 5 dollars picked the back site and spent the night with my two pups. We slept very well!

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Emily K., October 9, 2022
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Emily K., October 9, 2022
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Emily K., October 9, 2022
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2022

Quick and simple

After putting $5 in the envelope at the entrance, we easily drove a loop through the establishment and saw no other campers. We decided to take the 3rd site (first non-handicap site). Plenty of space. For tent use, it’s too rocky to use stakes, but there were plenty of sizable rocks to use to weigh down tarps. It was cool and breezy. It’s a shame we are just passing through, beautiful area to camp at. Edit: also, incredibly clean vault toilet!

Site3rd site total (2nd on the right)
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Courtney S., August 14, 2022
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Courtney S., August 14, 2022
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Reviewed May. 8, 2022

Awesome location!

Stopped by for one night. Got here early because was not sure if it would be crowded or not. One one other group here during the day. Very windy, but was not complaining on a hot day. Worth the stop if you are close or passing through.

Site01? did not see site numbers
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Reuben P., May 8, 2022
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2021

Clean, Quiet with well defined trails

This place is cute. It has well spaced camp sites that are easy to find (we arrived after dark). The campsites have a covered picnic table a little grill and a fire ring. The vista is gorgeous. Walked the trails in the morning and was totally alone. It was gorgeous watching the sun come up. There was a bit of highway noise I noticed while hiking but not while sleeping. There are cell phone towers or some sort of electrical towers at the entrance of the park. The host came out to chat with my husband and he was friendly. He explained that the park is just over 2000acres. The trails really are beautiful and well kept! Stop if you can. There’s an envelope drop of for a $5 deposit.

Sitethe one directly behind the host about 200 yards away
Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Jessica C., December 17, 2021
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Jessica C., December 17, 2021
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Jessica C., December 17, 2021
Reviewed Dec. 29, 2020

Quietest Place On Earth

This small campground about 20 minutes east of Roswell, NM was the perfect place for us to spend a few days relaxing and wandering the desert trails of this OHV area. The campground only offers 5 large and well-kept campsites, on a first-come basis.  Even on the weekend, the area was extremely quiet.

With the landscape falling away toward the west, the sunsets were simply amazing. The area offered miles and miles of OHV trails which were good for hiking and mountain biking as well.

With a picnic table, grill, fire ring, and shelter, you cannot complain for $5 a night. The bathrooms were the cleanest pit-toilets we’ve ever seen and the area had extremely strong LTE (the tower was right there at the edge of the campground).   And, with our portable solar panel, we have always have all the electricity we could possibly need!  There is no water at this camping area, not even a nearby creek, so come prepared.  Roswell, offers all the amenities you could want, with full grocery stores, gas station and water/ ice kiosks. And, don't miss the Alien Museum!

Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Shari  G., December 29, 2020
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Shari  G., December 29, 2020
  • Review photo of Haystack Mountain OHV Area by Shari  G., December 29, 2020
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the elevation of Haystack Mountain OHV Area?

    Haystack Mountain OHV Area is located at 4002 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Haystack Mountain OHV Area?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Haystack Mountain OHV Area, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Haystack Mountain OHV Area?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is available, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is good.