Looking for the best dispersed camping near Blanco? Dispersed camping is the perfect way to get off the grid. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the trees or wide open spaces, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect dispersed campsite.
The Durango Special Recreation Management Area is comprised of isolated parcels of Public Lands surrounding Durango Colorado. Durango SRMA includes five discontinuous units that encompass 6,300 acres of land adjoining the town of Durango offering a wide range of recreational activities with plenty of hiking and mountain biking trails. Mountain bikes can be rented at shops in town.
The Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is a rolling landscape of badlands which offers some of the most unusual scenery found in the Four Corners Region. Time and natural elements have etched a fantasy world of strange rock formations made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal, and silt. The weathering of the sandstone forms hoodoos - weathered rock in the form of pinnacles, spires, cap rocks, and other unusual forms. Fossils occur in this sedimentary landform. Translated from the Navajo language, Bisti (Bis-tie) means "a large area of shale hills." De-Na-Zin (Deh-nah-zin) takes its name from the Navajo words for "cranes". Because of the climate, most of the visits occur in the late spring/early summer and in the fall. Since this is a Wilderness Area, it is closed to motorized vehicles and mechanical forms of transportation (mountain bikes included). Also prohibited are campfires, collecting fossils or petrified wood, climbing on delicate geologic features, traveling in groups of more than eight people, and trespassing on adjacent tribal lands. Permits are required for uses such as grazing, scientific research, and commercial guiding. Though these trailheads are off regularly maintained roads, they are not paved. County Road 7500 can become extremely slick and impassible when wet. Conditions of roads can change at any time due to weather. Drivers should avoid dirt roads during rain or snow. Drivers should be cautious of wash-out following rain or snowmelt. Though camping in the Wilderness is a rewarding experience, there are no water sources. Visitors must carry all the water they will need for the duration of the trip.
Dispersed camping along Forest Service Road 316
San Juan National Forest encompasses about 1.8 million acres in the southwestern corner of Colorado. From high-desert mesas to alpine peaks, these federal lands are managed for multiple uses and visitors are asked to respect each other and the natural resources. The San Juan National Forest Headquarters is located in Durango, Colorado, with district offices in Bayfield, Dolores and Pagosa Springs.
Dispersed camping is permitted within the Glade Run Recreation Area. Both developed sites and dispersed camping require a permit within Glade Run Recreation Area.
Bisti Trailhead To reach the Bisti Trailhead, Drive NM 371 just under 36 miles south of Farmington (from the San Juan River crossing) or just under 45 miles north of Crownpoint (from the intersection of 371 and Navajo Service Route 9), and turn east on Road 7297 (a gravel road). Drive Road 7297 for approximately 2 miles to a T-intersection and turn left. Drive just under one mile to the Bisti Trailhead, which is just south of a broad wash on the east side of the road. There is another, smaller parking area 1/4 mile further north.
De-Na-Zin Trailhead To reach the De-Na-Zin Trailhead by the best route drive US 550, 12 miles south of the Speedway Gas Station south of Bloomfield or 4 miles north of NM 57 and turn west onto County Road 7500. Drive approximately 11 1/4 miles to the De-Na-Zin Trailhead (on the right side of the road). A trail leads from the parking area approximately 3/4 mile to the De-Na-Zin Wash. An alternative route that includes a section of rougher dirt roads that are more prone to weather related hazards is to drive NM 371 approximately 43 3/4 miles south of Farmington (from the San Juan River crossing) or approximately 37 1/4 miles north of Crownpoint (from the intersection of 371 and Navajo Service Route 9), and turn east on County Road 7500. Drive approximately 13 1/4 miles on Road 7500 to the De-Na-Zin parking area (on the left side of the road).”
Scout
Beautiful place! It's pretty easy to get into, there are more secluded places up the hill a ways but it gets kinda rough. You can hear the highway, but it's not much. Just ambient background noise. I got a spot with shade all day, so that was awesome. There was one night an inconsiderate person parked his company truck and camper as close to me as was possible with wide open space all over and ran his generator. Luckily he was gone the next day.
Legend
The site is literally right off of hwy 160. If your gps tries to send you through residential areas or on county roads don’t listen to it.
There are quite a few available spots and most are pretty big. Roads can be a bit rough the farther back you go but it’s got large easy to access spots close to the front. It’s pretty busy but still plenty of room for everyone to have their own space.
Phone and internet connection is excellent!
ScoutGoing east from Durango, you make a right turn on silver hills road. You will see the blm sign. Gravel road, fire pits. We stayed in a camper van at one of the first spots and had 5g internet with AT&T. Can hear highway noise
Ranger
Traveling to Colorado from Albuquerque NM and this was a perfect place to camp. Arrived early Friday afternoon and got the only spot left our 26' toy hauler would fit in.
If you get there later in the afternoon on a weekend you will have a hard time finding a place in the official camping spots but you can disperse camp if the camp ground area is full.
We had good cell service with Verizon. It was cold for us but we had a nice fire to keep us warm.
ScoutWas great
Scout
We got to town late and our preferred spots were all taken, so we came here as a backup. The spots are all right off of the road and easy to get to. The views aren’t much, but they’re good spots. There’s a bit of traffic on the road but nothing out of the ordinary.
GuideAwesome spot, TONS of places to pitch a tent or park a camper.
That being said - lots of generators, moderate views, cars driving by often.
ScoutCamped here a few weeks ago on our cross-country trek from Utah back to the east coast. Easy to find but as others noted use the coordinates. There is signage for BLM land right as you pull up.
We got to our spot a little before sunset but noticed that most spots were filled (late july, midweek) so keep that in mind.
Overall a nice spot, bug free for the most part and accessible with a stock truck.
Guide
We stayed at a site a couple down from this one but it wasn’t on the map so I thought I’d add it. This one has space for 2 vehicles. Road in is decent, fine for bigger rigs. From the trailhead at the point to Quinn creek there are 4 spots. None were occupied when we went, probably more the further down you go
Guide
Great camping area, stayed here for just one night. There was plenty of camping areas along the river. About 8 spots. Some were large enough to handle RVs. Others you might require four-wheel drive.
GuideJust arrived at Angel Peak dispersed campground near Bloomfield NM. It's Monday July 9th 2024. We stayed one night. The gravel road from HWY 550 is in good shape. Only one other camper in the entire area. This is completely dry camping. No potable water nor electricity. However, each site has a fire ring, picnic table and shade shelter. Everything is very tidy. Only a small bit of litter in the fire ring. Clean vault toilet nearby. Strong 5G TMobile cell signal.
Legend
OHV trails are all over. I am not a OHV guy, but looks to be OHV haven. Flat and hilly areas for lots of fun. I’d stay away during heavy rain.
ScoutFine, especially when nothing else is available and you need a place to stop for a night. USFS access roads weren’t open for the season yet.
ScoutRoad is currently closed. Assuming through March like most others in the area.
GuideSights were incredible from site, easy to find. Woke up to amazing views.
GuideThis was an easy spot and any kind of vehicle can get here. Lots of room, not much to look at in the fall,as far as, right around, but the views are amazing king distance and at night the stars are amazing. I didn’t hear any cows, it was quiet at night
Guide
I stayed about 5.5 miles up, the road is bumpy, but not horrible. I didn’t see many cars come up, maybe 1 a day. There’s a couple of trails you can do while here. . I used AllTrails..(I know people say things, but coming from someone who hiked and found trails Pre-apps, I find it amazing, even when it glitches sometimes. I saw deer around sunset and birds through the day.
ScoutWent for the eclipse arrived here late. Sleeping in the prius so was easy to find a spot. Washboard road but managed without issue. Service is available though not the best coverage I was able to stream.
GuideThe coordinates are spot on, but Apple/google maps won’t take you to the right way. When leaving Durango, instead of turning right onto 225A to 510, stay on 160 until mile marker 97 and the turn off is on the right soon after the mile marker. There were a few other campers there and some tent spots. You might want 4WD for some of the spots but others you can get to with 2WD. There were already fire circles set up and the views were great!
ScoutThe coordinates listed here are wrong. It will navigate you to. A residential area with no access to BLM land. Instead, search for Durfield dispersed camping nearby and it will take you to the correct place.
RangerSome areas are rough yet our Bronco and Bushwhacker conquered it. Keep driving until you find a spot. Private and secluded. Fire pits at most spots. Great sky view. Very dispersed so pack in and pack out.
TravelerI have a 2WD low-clearance sedan and was able to navigate the dirt roads just fine by taking it slow. There are like 4 or 5 spots off of the main road with all the pump jacks & well pads and like 3 additional sites off of a side road that you can turn left onto just past a hill on the left. Rutted out in some parts along the side road but still navigable. Even along the side road you could still hear the pump jacks sometimes so I imagine they’re louder on the main road. Mostly private and far from other sites, and the weather was fabulous. Arrived around 8pm on the weekend after July 4th and snagged the last empty spot.
ScoutThere is no overnight parking, and it is on the private property of done very angry people. There is no where to camp, and if you make the drive out there, you will have to do a lot of driving until you can find a spot. Don’t go here!!!!!!!!
GuideI stayed about 2.5 miles up the road. My site was small but it at least overlooked a hillside. A lot of the sites at the beginning of the road are huge but offer little to no shade and no view whatsoever. But there are a lot of sites so you could probably find something that works
ScoutLots of good parking spots along the road, all well established spots. Only con is there were a whole bunch of cows, making noise allllllll night long. If you can deal with that, then it’s a great spot!
Guide
We had the goal of exploring New Mexico back country and Bisti, which we did! The Dyrt directions to the trailhead here are perfect. There were a few folks camping at the parking lot and there is a relatively clean pit toilet there though bring TP. We drove past the lot and got over a ditch no problem with our Tacoma. Past the second lot there is dispersed camping. We picked a great spot on the left. Nearby our spot 100 yards were very cool rock formations. We hiked in the badlands and found some neat formations and petrified wood though nothing like the beautiful photos published online. It was still worth it for the unique experience. We did a 6 mile out/back hike with 2 dogs. Flat but hot and windy at times. Some of the wind got intense at our camp spot. All in all this is a worthwhile experience if you like getting off the beaten path and exploring something different. We drove from here to Alien Throne. GPS was spotty but got us there and we had on/off service in Bisti.
Guide
Bisti was magical and I’m so glad I got to experience before we move out of New Mexico. We got to do a bunch of exploring and then headed straight off the “trail” to make dinner in our camper.
We stayed here on a Thursday night and shared the parking lot with a handful of other campers. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked with TP.
We were not able to have a campfire but did witness a magical sunset. This area is such a gem!
there is no trash collection out here. Please pack it out!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Blanco, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Blanco, NM is Angel Peak NM Badlands | Dispersed Camping with a 4.3-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 22 dispersed camping locations near Blanco, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
