Best Dispersed Camping near Carlsbad, NM

BLM land that is close to Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns. Great cell reception. A fenced in area of land, that has dumpsters, just of the highway. Some traffic noise, but not that bad. Free camping by two National Parks!

Quiet place away from others, which we like. We followed the GPS coordinates and found a spot away from the freeway. It had a firepit and we weren't super close to our neighbors. We could see them, but they were a ways off. Sunrises were beautiful and the weather in April pleasant. Occasional wind gusts, but not too bad. We stayed for 4 nights. 

10 minutes from the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Once you enter, you have a 15 minute drive to get to the Visitor's Center. And, this spot is only 25 minutes from Carlsbad, with Walmart, restaurants and gas stations. 

First we tried Carlsbad BLM Land Dispersed, but didn't want to stay in the lot right off the freeway. And we walked the road going further up and it was too rutted for our 36 ft travel trailer. We could have done it but wanted something not so hard on our camper. 

Next we tried Carlsbad Caverns Dispersed. We followed the coordinates here on Dyrt.com and it took us way out into a cow field (with very aggressive cows) and eventually a dead end. It was a bit tricky getting turned around. We never did see places off the side of the road to boondock. Right after the grates there is a dirt lot off to the left but was too close to freeway and others for us. If you do that one, just don't follow the GPS coordinates.

We needed to refill our water and use a dump station, so I called around. White City RV charges $15 for dump and refill (too much), and we found an Ice House America at the White City gas station the had water refills for $.25 a gallon (good for our drinking water bottles, but not good for filling our RV). Finally we called Greasewood RV. Neil, the owner, was super nice. He told us we could just pull up to any open spot at his park and fill our water tanks, dump our black tank and use the big trash bin. He also said he had spaces for us to stay if we wanted to. He offered $20 a night instead of his usual $30 a night which I thought was super nice of him. If we had known that, we may have stayed their instead since we calculated that it costs us $18-$20 a night to boondock. We like having electricity when possible because we have a full size fridge to keep cold. 

Anyway, we really enjoyed this spot. Our kids even found a sinkhole with what looked like a small cave near our campsite.

We tried this location. It looked like it could be just what we wanted. However, we followed the GPS coordinates here on Dyrt.com and though the road was smoother than the one across the street, it took us way out on a small dirt road that led to a cow field (with very aggressive cows) and eventually a dead end. It was a bit tricky getting turned around. We never did see places off to the side of the road to boondock. 

Just as we left the freeway, right by the grates there is a dirt lot off to the left but it was too close to the freeway and others for us. If you decide to try this spot, just don't follow the GPS coordinates.

We ended up staying 4 nights at Mile 10 - Dispersed Camping, and we really liked it.

Only 30 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns NP and about 20 minutes from Carlsbad NM! This is a great spot off the highway with basically no noise from cars.

The area is a level gravel lot with some brush and scubs scattered about. Seems like a place that isn't well known. I'd recommend high clearance to get up to the main area. There are other sites as you follow the road up the hill, but the road gets more rocky the further you go up. One fire ring in the main area and some fire rings in other sites. If you want a site that you can't see the highway from, this is the spot.

Dispersed area, pack in pack out. Verizon service was good!

4 miles from Carlsbad Caverns NP. Not traffic. No noise. We had area to our self. Level Dirt/gravel area. Bring water and toilet. Would stay here again.

Really nice place to stop. Impeccable cell service, lots of space with any neighbors far away, and location 20 minutes away from Carlsbad Caverns can't be beat. No sun or wind protection though!

This was our first boondocking experience and we loved it! This is absolutely an entry level boondocking spot, but that was perfect for us. There is a gravel parking lot that is pretty level and trash cans. There are no facilities other than that though. The big draw of this place is being right outside of Carlsbad Caverns NP. We also lucked out and were camping there when another couple we knew were(totally by chance!) and we met an additional couple while there. While we were here we also visited Guadalupe National Park. I highly recommend this spot! Make sure you come stocked up with supplies though because it is a bit of a drive to get to town!

About 7 miles away from Carlsbad Caverns. A half dozen spots right at the entrance. It was empty so we stayed near the front with a small rock fire pit. There are other spots deeper in the field but we didn’t go that far in. Easy to find entrance, easy to find a spot, easy to get to Carlsbad Caverns or Guadalupe Mountains NP. Great for a quick overnight spot.

Dates: 12/28/2020 and 12/29/2020

Vehicle: Dodge Caravan

Camp Setup: In-van

As there is currently no camping within Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Mile 10 is a perfect (and free) place to spend the night in order to get an early start at the park. 

It's easy to find (literally AT the Mile 10 marker) and relatively private, given its vicinity to the highway. There is a some noise from the highway, but a fair enough trade off for the price and proximity.

We arrived after dark (7:30pm at the end of December), but had no trouble finding our way. There were already a few other vehicles taking advantage of the site, but we were able to find a spot for our van.

The actual campground is great. The ground is flat and relatively free of debris. There are some lights from Carlsbad and some of the mining operations in the distance (and of course lights from vehicles on the highway), but otherwise it's completely dark, giving an absolutely amazing sky full of stars and the full moon. And of course the sunsets/sunrises are simply amazing.

Fair warning: the area has absolutely no cover or wind breaks, so you WILL experience the wind. Be sure to secure your belongings/trash, and come prepared with appropriate clothing (especially in the winter).

Great spot right off the highway. Only 25 minutes from Carlsbad NM, and 20 minutes from the NP.

The road is a bit rough and may need a higher clearance the further you drive in. There are about 1-2 large spots right near the entrance if you don't want to jostle your way further up. If you go back far enough the hill blocks the highway. Sites are spaced well. Most of the sites are fairly level, may need to move some rocks if tent camping. Only noise throughout the night was the occasional car from the highway and some cows.

No services, so pack in pack out. Verizon service was good.