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Best Dispersed Camping near Carrizozo, NM

37 Reviews

Dispersed camping in the Lincoln National Forest and BLM lands surrounds Carrizozo, New Mexico, with several free primitive sites located within a 30-minute drive. Notable areas include Upper Bonito Dispersed Recreation Area near Nogal, West Mesa Trailhead BLM lands, and Forest Road 568 dispersed camping sites near Cloudcroft. The Gallinas Site offers more accessible camping on public forest land with basic facilities. Cedar Creek Road and Bailey Canyon provide additional primitive camping options though some areas have been affected by forest fires.

Access roads to most dispersed sites range from maintained gravel to rough dirt paths requiring careful navigation. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for reaching remote spots like Forest Road 568, where campers note "the road is a little rough but we made it in a small SUV." Many locations lack amenities like drinking water and restrooms, though Upper Bonito and Gallinas Site do provide vault toilets. Fire regulations vary seasonally; while fires are permitted at most sites, conditions can lead to restrictions. Cell service is surprisingly good at several locations, with one camper at Gallinas Site reporting "a couple bars of Verizon service in the camping area."

These primitive camping areas offer varied terrain and experiences from high alpine forests to open mesa views. Guebara Tank Camp and West Mesa Trailhead provide more open settings that campers describe as "a very private remote area in the forest" with opportunities for wildlife viewing. Elevations range significantly, affecting temperatures and camping conditions. One camper at Forest Road 568 noted it's "very high elevation (8000ft), so it can get colder." Most sites allow camping for up to 14 days. Privacy levels vary by location and season, with one reviewer noting Forest Road 568 "fills up fast" during peak periods, while others mentioned finding secluded spots by venturing further along access roads. Several areas remain accessible year-round, though winter conditions can make roads impassable.

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West Mesa Trailhead BLM Dispersed

West Mesa Trailhead BLM Dispersed

23 min away

Grindstone lake

Grindstone lake

34 min away

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Carrizozo, New Mexico (11)

    1. Upper Bonito Dispersed Recreation Area

    4 Reviews
    Nogal, NM
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 257-4095

    "A lot of dispersed camping areas don't have toilets, but this one does.

    Lots of first come first served campsites along the little creek. Not much privacy when it's busier (warmer months)."

    "We had a great night drove through the entire area and off roads to find a nice quiet area we had our son and two big doggos and had plenty of space for them to roam."

    2. Guebara Tank Camp

    1 Review
    Nogal, NM
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 257-4095

    "Not to many trees that are tall so u get cover but not complete seclusion but enof to where it’s enjoyable and u see the sky at nights so path ways are very down sloap if ur in a car know how to drive"

    3. West Mesa Trailhead BLM Dispersed

    2 Reviews
    Capitan, NM
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 244-4605

    "Easy to find and not a rough drive. I saw several dirt pull offs surrounded by trees before parking. This was a very private remote area in the forest."

    "But I rode my bike all over the place and there's dispersed camping everywhere. Good cell phone service. I plan on staying for a full week and working from here."

    4. End of Cedar Creek Road

    1 Review
    Ruidoso, NM
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 434-7200

    5. Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    17 Reviews
    Cloudcroft, NM
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 682-2551

    "You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."

    "04/15/22 service road 568, Lincoln National Forest, NM

    Friday night/Good Friday

    I found this camp on a suggestion from a local waitress at Big Daddy’s."

    6. Middle Fork at Cedar Creek

    Be the first to review!
    Ruidoso, NM
    20 miles

    7. West Mesa Conservation Area

    Be the first to review!
    Capitan, NM
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 244-4605

    8. Forest Rd 568 Dispersed

    8 Reviews
    Cloudcroft, NM
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 682-2551

    "You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."

    "This was a beautiful location, near the town of Cloudcroft. We enjoyed the cooler weather up in the mountains. It was peaceful and quite. There were not very many spaces available."

    9. Gallinas Site

    3 Reviews
    Corona, NM
    41 miles

    "National forest, public land, dispersed camping. Pit toilet, bear proof trash cans. Easy pull off hwy 54 onto good gravel road."

    "Lots of dispersed camping along A027, with some being very private. The main site mentioned here also has bathroom facilities."

    10. Bailey Canyon

    1 Review
    Cloudcroft, NM
    46 miles

    "Very much so dispersed camping with no amenities. The road up was a little muddy but over all smoother and easy. We picked a spot at the highest point along Bailey Canyon Rd."

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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Carrizozo, NM

21 Photos of 11 Carrizozo Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Carrizozo, NM

37 Reviews of 11 Carrizozo Campgrounds

  • Niels W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 16, 2025

    Gallinas Site

    Boondocking

    National forest, public land, dispersed camping. Pit toilet, bear proof trash cans. Easy pull off hwy 54 onto good gravel road.

  • Mitchell M.
    Dec. 11, 2021

    Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    Great Stay

    Needed a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate

  • Mitchell M.
    Dec. 11, 2021

    Forest Rd 568 Dispersed

    Excellent Stay

    Needed a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate

  • Mark G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 21, 2024

    Dry Canyon Near Hang Glider Launch

    Great camping. Difficult terrain. Gun range at the bottom.

    The camping is great and the views are amazing. However, the trail up to the camping spots is steep, washed out, and tight. Can be navigated with a stock 4x4 pick up. Also, there is a gun range at the bottom, so you'll hear gun shots til sundown. Also, a little highway noise is present in the distance.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 21, 2020

    Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    Generators and Chainsaws

    This is right off of highway 244. From CloudCroft take highway 82 east to highway 244 about half mile past designated campgrounds is a dirt road to the left. There is a large grass/dirt area right off the road on the left and a couple of spots further down. To the right there are a couple of more"secluded" spots though the generator noise and the chainsaws are still loud. One generator ran all night long. The chainsaw eventually stopped after the guy had maybe enough for a log cabin. 

    You can continue up the road which is a nice hike and there are a few more pull out site along the road. The road Ys and to the left are more sites that are private but the road is a bit rough. This place is FREE which we usually look for but this is probably one of the loudest we've been to. Both roads at the Y offer a nice hike with minimal traffic, there was only a single vehicle we came upon. Very nice.

    Good cell reception AT&T and Verizon. No water, garbage or bathrooms. PACK IN AND OUT! Multiple rock fire rings in random places as this is a dispersed camping area and watch out for the multitude of animal limbs and carcasses laying around from hunters.

  • S
    Apr. 18, 2022

    Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    This place would be perfect if there was a place to swim

    04/15/22 service road 568, Lincoln National Forest, NM

    Friday night/Good Friday

    I found this camp on a suggestion from a local waitress at Big Daddy’s. It was a short drive off the main road to get to the camp. The spot I found felt pretty secluded despite there being a lot of other campers in the area. There were several rock fire rings so I took my pick based on the direction of the wind.

    It’s a dispersed area, so no bathrooms or showers, but well worth it for the scenery. There was a dry water run off that ran the entire length down the mountain and a tree lined bluff across from there. I bet it’s pretty cool to see the water run when the snow melts.

    There was an occasional OHV that cruised by and people walking their dogs, but everything went calm before sunset. I would have liked to hit some of the trails in the area, but my Jeep was completely overloaded so I decided to come back another time.

  • Aly E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 24, 2025

    Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    Elk everywhere!

    We drove in around 10pm and the small town of Cloudcroft was beautiful for anyone needing a place to stop before heading into the forest. We saw more elk than we could count! Just glowing eyes everywhere and all in the road. The road dead ends at a fenced private property so we turned around and just got a pull off spot for the night since we camp in the truck but there's tons of tent spots. Some rock made fire pits around. And we didn't see anyone around us for miles. Tons of bullet shells everywhere. It was almost errie how quiet it was! Camped here on our way down to the White Sands.

    Road isn't bad, but we are in a higher up Toyota Tacoma. Poor cell signal for T-Mobile but Verizon did!

  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 12, 2024

    Bailey Canyon

    Great dispersed spot in the mountains

    This was a good patch of dirt and trees up in the mountain with a good clearing to park the truck. Very much so dispersed camping with no amenities. The road up was a little muddy but over all smoother and easy. We picked a spot at the highest point along Bailey Canyon Rd. There were several other dispersed spot further down the road. Nobody in sight, no animal sightings either.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 3, 2023

    Upper Bonito Dispersed Recreation Area

    Secluded spot with bathrooms

    A lot of dispersed camping areas don't have toilets, but this one does.

    Lots of first come first served campsites along the little creek. Not much privacy when it's busier (warmer months).

    Good base camp for some of the best hiking around Ruidoso (Big Bonito Trail, Argentina Trail, etc.)

    Be prepared for lots of dust with the dirt road uphill from sites.

    In the summer there are horse riding camps set up to provide trail rides.

    Can get snowed in in the Winter months.

Guide to Carrizozo

Dispersed camping near Carrizozo, New Mexico provides access to diverse ecosystems from the high alpine forests of Lincoln National Forest to the lower elevation grasslands. Campsites range in elevation from approximately 4,500 feet near Carrizozo to over 8,500 feet in the Sacramento Mountains section of Lincoln National Forest. Most dispersed camping areas remain accessible from April through October, with mountain sites experiencing occasional closures due to winter weather or seasonal fire restrictions.

What to do

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Near Upper Bonito Dispersed Recreation Area, campers can find excellent animal spotting. "We had a great night drove through the entire area and off roads to find a nice quiet area we had our son and two big doggos and had plenty of space for them to roam. Lots of trails nearby and the lake of course!" reports K&S Adventures.

Night sky photography: The minimal light pollution at West Mesa Trailhead BLM creates ideal conditions for astrophotography. "I rode my bike all over the place and there's dispersed camping everywhere. Good cell phone service. I plan on staying for a full week and working from here. Lots of things to see and do close Ruidoso is interesting Lincoln is interesting," shares Teresa T.

Hiking network: Trails ranging from easy to challenging connect many of the dispersed camping areas near Carrizozo. "Good base camp for some of the best hiking around Ruidoso (Big Bonito Trail, Argentina Trail, etc.)" notes Kala J. at Upper Bonito. Some trails connect directly to nearby towns, with campers at Forest Rd 568 mentioning "trails that lead to town, road biking distance to town."

Panning for gold: Some campers visit creeks near dispersed sites to try small-scale gold panning. "Went to this area to camp and pan for gold. Creek near by that didn't have much water in it," reports Jaedee B., though success may depend on water levels and location.

What campers like

Temperature relief: The higher elevation camping areas offer significant temperature differences from surrounding lowlands. "This place was an unexpected blessing in our NM trip. You can't deny the stark temp difference coming from Roswell to LNF," notes Richard T. at Forest Rd 568 Dispersed.

Toilet facilities: Unlike many dispersed camping areas, some sites near Carrizozo provide basic restroom facilities. "This is a nice site with loads of space. Even in the winter there was a fair amount of people around but we could all really spread out," reports Andrea P. about Gallinas Site, adding "I had a couple of bars of service (Verizon) in the camping area."

Quiet environment: Many campers value the solitude found at more remote sites. "Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. You can get as far away from main roads as you need," shares Mitchell M. about his November stay at Forest Rd 568.

Spacing between sites: Depending on location and time of year, campers find varying levels of privacy. "This was a good patch of dirt and trees up in the mountain with a good clearing to park the truck. Nobody in sight, no animal sightings either," reports Nick B. about Bailey Canyon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Carrizozo, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Carrizozo, NM is Upper Bonito Dispersed Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Carrizozo, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 dispersed camping locations near Carrizozo, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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