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Smugglers' Roost in Animas offers 228 drive-in sites where pets are welcome throughout the campground. This established campground provides full hookups with 50-amp service, drinking water, and modern facilities including showers, toilets and a dump station. The community atmosphere is friendly and welcoming to travelers with pets. Campers note the exceptional stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution, with some hosts even sharing telescopes for viewing planets and stars. The sites are spacious, measuring 18x100 feet, providing ample room for pets to move around while remaining on leash.
Granite Gap dispersed area allows free primitive camping with pets in a more rustic setting. The access road requires careful navigation, with some sandy sections and occasional rocks that higher clearance vehicles handle best. Campers should pack all pet supplies as there are no nearby services or amenities. Several reviewers mention the extreme solitude and beautiful surroundings with no light pollution, making it ideal for campers seeking quiet time with their dogs away from crowds. The area accommodates approximately 5-6 camping spots with no formal boundaries. Wildlife is present in the area, so keeping dogs leashed is essential for their safety and to protect local fauna. Temperature extremes are common, requiring extra attention to pet hydration and comfort.
"Beautiful clear night sky due to being away from the city."
"The quietly nestled roost is located in the middle of nowhere but somehow captures the essence of everything; from nearby mountain hikes, gas stations, stores, small town restaurants, museums and endless"
from $27 - $30 / night
Check Availability"A bit sandy of a drive. You have to open and close a gate but it is not locked. Quite, no lights nearby, dispersed camping at its best. Just a few cows. I would camp here again."
"This spot is about a tenth of a mile off the highway. I walked the road because of past reviews."
"We are birders and were happy with the proximity to many mountain canyons. Our space was private with a nice patio. Everyone was easy going and friendly. The dog park was convenient and clean."
"The animal features & dog park were added bonuses. It felt like we were at a KOA being escorted to our sites. The staff there was great!"
from $29 / night
Check Availability"There are some campgrounds that just stick out in your mind for their beauty, location, and proximity to other cool stuff. Sunny Flat is one of them."
"I stayed at site 4 and it was perfect , close to the water, and far enough away from other campers for some privacy ."
"Granite Gap Adventure Park is in a unique part of New Mexico with plenty of awesome natural views to take in. Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!"
from $20 - $50 / night
Check Availability"The bathrooms were a little outdated but that didn’t take away from how well kept the bathrooms were. Especially when I got there after hours."
"We stayed at the KOA Journey in Lordsburg, New Mexico on New Years Eve. Pulled in around 10:00 PM and rolled out about 10:30 AM, so this was a quick overnight, not a vacation."
"The campground is small, beautiful, shaded and right in the middle of some incredible scenery providing easy access to the fantastic hiking and wildlife viewing that is all around you. "
"The drive getting there is pretty disappointing however when you arrive the land scale completely changes. We have camped here twice."
from $25 - $50 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $35 - $50 / night
Check Availability"Some of the campgrounds located in the middle island have less privacy but there are still some trees and shrubs to separate them. Sites on the outside are large and very private."
"If you take Turkey Creek Rd to Sycamore campground, you'll sleep with the beautiful sound of a mountain stream behind you."
"From chiricahua entrance head on FSR 42. A mile or two in many many sites along dry creek in the trees. Some Otv and motorcycle activity during day. We stayed only 15 minutes from monument."
ScoutWe are birders and were happy with the proximity to many mountain canyons. Our space was private with a nice patio. Everyone was easy going and friendly. The dog park was convenient and clean.
GuideStopping here didn’t disappoint! Nice spacious level sites. The animal features & dog park were added bonuses. It felt like we were at a KOA being escorted to our sites. The staff there was great!
GuideThe bathrooms were a little outdated but that didn’t take away from how well kept the bathrooms were. Especially when I got there after hours. The water pressure for the shower in the bathroom was decent. It was a darker lot, which I’m not mad about because I don’t like sun beaming in the camper anyways. Made a reservation with a man on the phone, he was very nice. Came after hours & had no problem with it. The “dog park” isn’t the best of the KOAs I’ve been to.. but it’s better than nothing. If I was passing through, I’d stay again. & also, the pool wasn’t filled. Not sure why..
GuideWe wanted to get away for a few days during Covid and wanted to stay south where it was warmer so we found Rusty's RV Ranch in Rodeo New Mexico. It was quiet and friendly and just what we were looking for. While visiting we went exploring and visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum & the Apache Museum next door. Enjoyed all of the displays and history as Geronimo surrendered nearby.
We took a ride over to the Coronado National Forest and coming from the wide-open desert we felt like we had stepped into another world. Definitely worth the trip. We tried to drive the loop around the area on the first day but the directions weren't very good and we didn't go all the way. We went back the next day and went the other direction and went through the little town of Paradise. It was a long bumpy gravel road this way and really wasn't worth the trip....enjoyed the paved road in the National Forest much more.
We needed some supplies so we drove down to Douglas AZ at the Mexico border. Visited Walmart and got some tacos that were excellent. Not much between Rusty's and Douglas but was a good drive with little to no traffic. Did see a number of Border Control agents on patrol.
Rusty's RV Ranch was very clean and well maintained. You could tell that they have made a concerted effort to make the grounds nice from the Swan & Duck pond to the bird enclosures and Koi pond. Loved the hiking trails that went around the entire property and we used those a number of times.
The space was huge and very private. We didn't have to unhook our toad vehicle until we needed the car which was really nice. The management was very friendly and helpful.
We have t-mobile and I will tell you we had no service here. We hooked up to their park wi-fi but could barely check our email. We don't have satellite either so we were totally disconnected mostly.... but that was good too for a change. Fall and Winter are the busiest times here with people looking for warmer winters and avoiding the hot summers.
There are a couple of restaurants nearby and the closest has a convenience store but that is it... so be sure that you are stocked up on supplies before you go or expect to drive to get them. If you bring your pet be sure to have some flashlights to walk them at night because it is dark dark 😀
We would definitely visit Rusty's again!
Visit our website for more.
RangerThis KOA is a convenient pit stop when crossing Southern New Mexico on Rt. 10. The gravél covered acre has been nicely landscaped around the perimeter. Road noise from the highway is heavy. The very clean shower dressing area was barely big enough to turn around in. All amenities are available including propane, which was served up by a grumpy technician.
It’ll be nice when New Mexico opens its’ State Parks to camping again so touring the State becomes possible.
TravelerDon't go to the Gila Lower Box looking for formal campsites and places to hook up an rv. This is primitive camping at one of New Mexico's truest oases.
Why? Because in 1990, cattle were prohibited from grazing this stretch of the Gila River.
The result? One of the lushest, most verdant riparian environments left in the desert southwest.
For those with a 4wd or very high clearance, you can camp down along the cliffs right at the edge of the river corridor. Being a birders paradise, it's a very unique experience to sit on the edge of the cliffs, 20-30 feet above the tops of the cottonwoods and watch all the bird activity below.
You can also watch bands of coatimundis grazing through the bosque. Watch out for rattlesnakes and Gila monsters during the warmer months though.
I rate this as one of New Mexico's best outdoor experiences. (A note: I camp to the west of the location shown on the map.)
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! Granite Gap Adventure Park is in a unique part of New Mexico with plenty of awesome natural views to take in. Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!
GuideStayed here on our way to New Mexico. It was a beautiful spot, very scenic. The dirt was soft as sand, and the area was cleaner than most. The only negative was their was tons of wasps at our site, not sure about the others. They didn’t mess with us but they were annoying like flies.
TravelerAlaskan RV Park is conveniently located off of I-10 at Exit 366 near Bowie. The park features affordable RV sites at $20/night. The sites are all spacious pull-throughs. There is a dump station on site($10), and water refill available (based on tank size, but not more than $20). The park is handicap accessible and pet friendly. No breed restrictions. Tenting is also available. There are showers and laundry available. Alaskan RV Park is Bowie's best kept secret as it was the site of the Sideman Jamboree each year and featured music from country stars. The park hopes to bring music back to the stage in the future.
Dispersed camping near Animas, New Mexico offers access to unique desert landscapes at elevations ranging from 4,400 to 5,500 feet. The region experiences dramatic temperature fluctuations between seasons, with summer highs regularly exceeding 100°F and winter nights dropping below freezing. Camping areas range from established campgrounds with modern amenities to remote primitive sites requiring high-clearance vehicles.
Stargazing sessions: At Smugglers' Roost, hosts share telescopes with guests for exceptional astronomy experiences. "Our host couldn't have been nicer or more helpful to us. He gave us great advice on local places to explore & even showed us the stars through his telescope! The night sky there is incredible!" reports one camper.
Bird watching: The Chiricahua Mountains provide excellent bird watching opportunities with diverse species. Rusty's RV Ranch is located strategically for birders. "We are birders and were happy with the proximity to many mountain canyons," notes one reviewer, adding that the sites offered both privacy and convenient access to birding spots.
Hiking trails: Multiple well-maintained trails exist throughout the region. A reviewer at Bonita Canyon Campground mentions, "Had a wonderful hike right by our campsite. Bear box does hold a lot. BBQ is used for campfires and it was actually perfect."
Private spacious sites: Many campgrounds offer plenty of room between sites. "Rusty's RV Ranch was very clean and well maintained. You could tell that they have made a concerted effort to make the grounds nice from the Swan & Duck pond to the bird enclosures and Koi pond. Loved the hiking trails that went around the entire property," shares one camper.
Minimal light pollution: The remote location provides exceptional night sky views. At Granite Gap, a camper notes: "This spot is about a tenth of a mile off the highway. I walked the road because of past reviews. The road in is soft and there is one spot that you need a high clearance vehicle for or are able to maneuver around some rocks."
Community atmosphere: Several campgrounds foster social interactions among guests. One reviewer at Smugglers' Roost describes: "The community here is cute and diverse. Very small farming town with few stores and a restaurant. Other campers are nice and welcoming. Beautiful clear night sky due to being away from the city."
Access road conditions: Some dispersed camping areas require careful driving. Regarding Granite Gap, a camper advises: "Enter thru gate. Make sure you close behind you. Road is Sandy but doable in most vehicles. Getting service with Verizon. 4g 1 or 2 bars. I'm at the last site top of the hill and it's beautiful!"
Limited services: Prepare with supplies before arrival. A reviewer at Sunny Flat Campground recommends: "There's not much in the area for food and gas, so come prepared. There is one small grill/basic grocery store down the mountain, but if you are looking for real groceries, shop before you come."
Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds fill quickly during peak seasons. "This campground might be better for small RV's than some of the others in the area because of the size of the sites, though anything bigger than 25 feet might have a tough time getting backed in," explains a Sunny Flat Campground reviewer.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Children often enjoy spotting local fauna. "Ample water throughout the site and food storage lockers provided. Did not see bears but enjoyed great birding and observed a large family of coati on our day hike," reports a camper at Bonita Canyon Campground.
Educational activities: Several campgrounds offer learning experiences. "I spent my mornings practicing meditation (at the roost) and enjoyed peaceful 'me time' during mid-mornings while others were awake, up and about. By night, I spent looking at the stars, the moon, Saturn and Venus through the lens of a telescope that the host opens up for guests—astronomy here is a BIG deal," shares a Smugglers' Roost visitor.
Temperature planning: Be prepared for weather extremes with appropriate clothing and supplies. A visitor at FS Road 42 Dispersed suggests: "There are a few dispersed spots along FS 42, just past the research station. There are two on the left, before the cattle guard, and one on the right, just past the cattle guard."
Site size considerations: Larger rigs require careful planning. "Our space was private with a nice patio. Everyone was easy going and friendly. The dog park was convenient and clean," notes a pet-friendly camping enthusiast at Rusty's RV Ranch.
Hookup availability: Check which utilities are available at your chosen site. At Smugglers' Roost, a reviewer found that "Curly is the nicest and wants you to come and have a good time. He even had a brand new 50amp to 30amp adapter that allowed us to use electric in our 30 amp class c."
Parking challenges: Some campgrounds have limited space for vehicles. "Headsup parking spots can be small depending on what campsite you get. Our group of four stayed at campsite 21 and campsite 18. Campsite 21 could only fit one truck while campsite 18 could fit two cars," advises a Bonita Canyon Campground visitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Animas, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Animas, NM is Smugglers' Roost with a 4.5-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Animas, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 dog-friendly camping locations near Animas, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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