Best Tent Camping near Carrizozo, NM

We tent camped at Eagle Lake aka Eagle Creek campground on the Mescalero Apache Reservation over Memorial Day weekend 2022. The surrounding Lincoln National Forest was closed because of extreme fire risk, so there were very few places to camp in the Sacramento Mountains and escape the heat of El Paso. We used camp stoves because of a fire ban. We camped among the pine trees in the first tent area. There were clean porta-johns in that area. The showers and permanent bathroom were located up in the RV park about a 3-mile round trip walk on the road from the first tent area, so it’s more practical to drive to the showers. The permanent bathrooms and showers were clean.

Very pretty scenery, surrounded by mountain ridges and peaks and pine forest. There were two small lakes and a small creek flowing through the campground.

The campground format is kind of laissez faire because there aren’t assigned sites and it’s first come, first serve. The first tent area seemed about half full and we found a good site. We didn’t scout the second tent area because the host said there weren’t as many trees there. The first tent site was developed on a forested slope albeit they built flat rectangular-like terraces into the slope where you can pitch a tent(s) and park your vehicle(s).

Eagle Creek, near Ruidoso, had a similar feel to the Mescalero Nation’s Silver Lake campground near Cloudcroft, but Eagle Creek had a more quiet vibe. The main drawback was the 10:00 am checkout time, but we were still able to cook up some breakfast burritos as we broke camp. Good times.

Update 6/22/2022: At some point after my review, the Dyrt deleted the actual campground, which is where the road forks and moved my review to the nearby and similarly named RV resort, which is totally different. I love the Dyrt and I’m a pro ranger but sometimes c’mon man.

Great Host. Good showers. Some reserved and some FCFS. Close to food and gas. Millions of gnats. If tent camping or need to be outside to cook, etc beware!

Has one handicap accessible & next to bathroom). There is a group site that has three picnic tables under a shelter and two grills. 2 RV sites have covered picnic tables and grills and water and electric hookups. Five tent sites. One of the tent locations is at the handicap accessible site. CLEAN restrooms with flush toilets and drinking water are available. Pets are allowed in the campground(on leash), but are not allowed on the trails. Petroglyph trails are rocky, but not difficult (keep your eyes peeled, there are petroglyphs everywhere). Hosts were very nice. Campground has well-functioning electronic/pay check-in. Great BLM campground. Other places in area include Malpais lava flows. Sierra Blanca hovers to the east. Sunset was early in Nov. so if hiking trails in late afternoon take a flashlight. Nearby Carrizozo reportedly has a photo gallery or three that we were told were well worth checking out but we did not get chance to do so.

Great sites looking out over lava field. Close to Ruidoso NM, three rivers petroglyphs. Not too far from white sands. There are great campsites and some great tent sites.

Awesome little campground in the high desert just west of Carrizozo. I arrived around 830 pm on a Saturday night in the middle of August and had my pick of spots. Fellow campers were quiet. RV hook ups available and showers/toilets available for both RV and tent campers. You can hear infrequent cars on the nearby highway (US 380) but it didn’t bother me. There are little grill tops near picnic tables, but the wind kept me from getting a good fire started. There is a roof shelter over the picnic table as well. Amazing sunset and sunrise and incredible stargazing. Only complaint is the bugs. SO MANY BUGS. No mosquitos that I noticed but plenty of annoying lava gnats and bigger things. Bring your bug spray. $7 for tent sites, $18 for RVs. Lava field has some paved trails through it, but it would get awfully hot during the day with the black rock. Might not be great for kids. Cacti with big ole thorns and the campground bordering the lava field have a bit of drop off. This campground holds a place in my heart, I’ll be back again.

Great campground with interesting features, most sites have a water spigot, tent sites toward the back were very private with lava walls between sites. Vault toilets near rear sites, flush toilets and good hot showers near entrance, nice little camp store, great camp host who kept the place nice, a steal at only $7 with water and showers!

We have rented Slide Campground several times for group RV & tent camping. It features vault toilets if you Ed them, a tent area, a very large covered pavilion for those rainy days, large firepit area, cooking grills & a large parking lot for RVs & kids to play. Also has bear proof garbage and food storage. It easily held 3 RVs and 20 people. They provide 300 gallons of water in a tank. Behind the campground is a hiking trail. Loved it.

My family and dog tent-camped at Three Rivers campground on Labor Day weekend 2014. There were shaded spots. The water in the river was running and fresh. There were a couple nice bathing holes. We tried to hike up to the peak but we ascended halfway and turned back. In Aug. 2018, I climbed the trail to the peak but camped 2/3 up the mountain; so it took me 2 days to ascend and descend, which was harder. Pretty place with many conifer trees.

This was a great campground. Friendly host, paved roads and good accessibility. Hot free showers, water onsite. Tent camping was cheaper only $7 but felt too remote at far end of campground for me traveling solo with my dog so I stayed in a site with electric near bathrooms and camp host. Paved walking trail and informative posts through the amazing lava flow bed. Sites have shelters and fire rings but are exposed and it was VERY windy while we were there. Prickers if you venture even a few inches off paved roads - my dogs pads got cut and took a few days to heal. Hot showers were amazing and bathrooms clean. $18 for sites w water and electric. Some sites online reservation, some first come.

This was my introduction to a BLM campground and what a great introduction. Situated on an old lava flow, Valley of Fires campsites offer an introduction to a desert landscape. There's a small nature hike and a slight rise in the middle of the campground that offers a nice view.

Site have a grill, trash, water, and a shelter; with no natural shade, you'll appreciate the sun shelter in the heat! There are vault toilets throughout the campground, but there is a central bathroom that offers flush toilets and showers. A couple of the sites are accessible with a concrete pad extending from the parking area to the shelter/picnic table/grill. The tent sites have a raised gravel pad.

If I were choosing a campsite, I'd see if the RV site on the back side of the hill is available. It is separate and therefore quieter than the others and offers a broad view of the monument and the tent loop below.

If you're here in the winter, I'd recommend a trip to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (1hr away) to see the sandhill cranes. 90 minutes south you'll reach White Sands National Park. Both are worth your time, though for White Sands, check before you go; it is sometimes closed in the morning for missile testing.

The drive up is full of narrow switchbacks that you just hope and pray nobody else happens to be coming around at the same time as you are. There are some quite steep grades as well. Whoever set the speed limit at 30 miles per hour must have been a daredevil before they found employment as a civil engineer. However the road is decent enough that most any vehicle can navigate it. I had zero issues in my truck with a camper in the bed. A class B could get in there as well, but there's no room for anything bigger and good luck getting level. There is absolutely no room for trailers at all. There are only about 5 walk in tent sites that I saw with fire rings. The only amenity is a vault toilet. Be aware that you are on a mountain peak so it gets pretty windy. Your $40 Wally World tent will probably beat you to death in the night. Make sure you have a sturdy setup. If you can deal with all that though, the view is unsurpassed. Its just a small hike up to the tower where you can see in every direction forever it seems. The forest in the area is just starting to recover from wildfires a couple of years ago, but the contrast between the burnt old and the growing new is beautiful.

Note: a previous review stated the tower was closed, but it was back open by my visit in Sept 2017.

Nice clean restrooms full amenities electric, water, tank dump, this area has a lot of history. The lava tubes, the town of Carrizozo White Oak and Capitan. These are all towns that Billy the kid frequented back in the day also the ghost town of White oak was the largest gold mining town in New Mexico.

We just spent two nights here(in early May, 2021) and there are many great things, but we also had two big problems.

Problem one (probably only an issue in 2021). The sites, and in fact most the campground, have been re-blacktopped. It LOOKS great. So shiny and new. But the stuff is still quite tacky, and we ended up tracking tar into our RV and getting it everywhere. I accidentally knelt on the ground to look at something under my rig, and now I have a ruined pair of pants. When we put our leveling blocks down and leveled our rig, when we left, we found we had left giant lego-shaped impressions in the tar. And when it gets even hotter there in June/July...yikes, it's going to be a problem. Hopefully by next year, it will be better. But this is really something to watch for.

Problem 2: They did a great job re-surfacing everything(see above) but most of the sites, despite looking lovely, are very un-level. We had one heck of a time levelling our 30 ft class A. The sites slope front to back AND to the side. A recipe for a real leveling challenge. We walked around the campground and saw lots of very precariously propped-up rigs(our own included). It's a shame they didn't fix some of this before they resurfaced everything.

The campground, otherwise, is great. The spots are generously sized and spread pretty far apart. Each site has water, a metal picnic table with a substantial shade covering, a fire pit and a grill. Most have 50 amp electric, which worked very cleanly. Water pressure was acceptable.

Most of the sites also have great views of the lava field. The field itself has a 2/3rd mile loop trail with lots of interesting information. We actually walked it 3 different times, first in the evening(and we really enjoyed when the bats came shortly before sunset) and discovered new things each time. There are other, longer trails around, but when we were there the visitor center/gift shop were still closed for COVID and we had no one we could get good information from. We stumbled across a couple of trailheads, but were reluctant to go too far, not knowing what we were in for. The grounds also include some outstanding tent camping sites, if that's of interest. The dump station is easy to get to. There are also several new looking restrooms, but when we were there, all were closed(again, due to COVID). That was fine with us, but if you're needing restroom facilities available, maybe call ahead.

It's a lovely place and we look forward to returning.

Valley of Fires is a great state park with both RV- and tent-friendly spots. It's developed with covered, powder-coated picnic tables and flat, raised tent pads, a bathroom, and if my memory serves me correct (because I can't quite remember) showers.

Valley of Fires wouldn't be the best place to spend a full day as the black, volcanic rock holds a lot of heat. However at sunrise and sunset, the views are not to be missed. Use Valley of Fires as a good stop-over for trips across New Mexico.

I was looking to get away from the heat in Albuquerque and maybe even do a little fishing. I picked a site next to the upper river (Rio Bonito). The water was clear and moving, but no sign of any fish. The river is more of a creek (expected for New Mexico), but still pretty. It was barely visible from my camp, but just a short hike away. No ATT or Verizon cell service at my site, but I did find a weak signal up near the office. The wifi was a struggle. It was barely adequate the first day, but absolutely miserable the second day. I could easily connect to their router, but constantly got an error of “no internet service” and had to log off and on several times. I had limited shade at my site, but thankfully the AC kept the trailer cool enough, as it was nearly 90 degrees outside. The hosts were very nice and the park is kept pretty clean. No tents allowed, though.

Must see recreational site with 2 trails, 11 picnic areas with shelters and grills, and really clean restrooms located south of Carrizozo, NM, and north of Tularosa, NM. Quick day trip after White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM.

Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Fee area. Only $5 for day use but cash or check only. National Park Passes such as America the Beautiful, Golden Age, Active Military are free day use and half off dry camping/RV hookup. No camping yet.

Three Rivers Trading Post located 4 miles from site can make change. Park Hosts on site are very friendly and helpful but cannot make change.

Free Trail maps are available at Display Board next to fee drop box. The trail map explains petroglyphs at 11 stations. Covered rest area with scenic views of Sacramento and Godfey Mountains located after station 11.

Dogs and other pets must be leashed in campground (no camping in the 11 sites and 2 RV sites since March 2020 due to Covid). No dogs on trails allowed.

Main petroglyph trail is moderate, not easy, as steep in some parts. Be careful to stay on trail due to sharp thorns from mesquite and the possibility of rattlesnakes. Bring lots of water as this is Chihuahuan Desert. Hiking boots recommended.

Village trailhead begins in the campground and continues across the road from the entrance sign. This easy flat 1/4 mile loop showcases 3 reconstructed Jornada Mogollon pit homes.

Camping not open. When open, the 2 RV sites have electricity and water. No dump station. Closest dump station is BLM Valley of Fires, Carrizozo, NM. When open, 11 dry campsites with upright grills and garbage cans. Five of the 11dry sites have clean elevated tent boxes. Water spigot located by Village trailhead. Don' wash dishes in the bathrooms. 14 day limit for both RV and dry camping. First come, first serve.

When open, RV hook up is $18 a day, and dry camping is $7 a day.

This is a great day trip. Most people take an hour on the main trail and then picnic.

I camped here for two nights 20 August 2021. A very beautiful campground within about 6 miles out of Cloudcroft New Mexico. This is dispersed camping. Amenities include water, vault type toilets, picknic tables, fire rings, and a camp host. The camping fee is $25.00 per night. 12.50 per night with golden access card. Wildlife is abundant here wild mustangs are seen regularly elk and mule deer are abundant also. I will definitely camp here again in the future.

Located on BLM land, Valley of Fire Rec Area is a great spot for one night or fourteen night stay! Located just off US Rt 380 west of Carrizozo, NM, Valley of Fires has clean bathrooms and showers, as well as clean sites.  Each site has a trash can, fire pit, shelter, and picnic table. There are handicap sites as well. Some sites are level, some not so level.  Large rv's can easily be accommodated in most sites.  Verizon cell signal was excellent.  One word of caution, it can get very windy at times!  Spectacular sunrises and sunsets!!

Due to New Mexico Governor’s decision to close state owned campgrounds, we scrambled to find a place to stay prior to visiting White Sands...thank you BLM!!

This area provided a peacefully quiet landscape with expansive views of the lava valley and a memorable sunset. The area was well maintained and offered a 1-mile informational loop hike through the lava field. First Come, First Serve with pay at entrance envelopes.

Flush toilets and showers were unfortunately locked due to the state’s covid ordinance and there was no management on site, but there were multiple potable water pumps and pit toilets available.

Terrific waypoint between Carlsbad Cavern and White Sands.

I have seen mostly upper New Mexico and well when I found this area in comparison that or anything else near El Paso, I was more than a bit confused as to where I was. Yes, it is a forest, but still I wasn't ready for how forest-like and amazing it was.

Driving out you have no cell signal at all. The roads are winding and you see a lot of livestock, then out of no where deer, big deer and elk! It is like a different planet from everything else and the deeper into Cloudcroft you get the more and more it starts looking more like Colorado than anything you would assume would be New Mexico.

The campground is no different! Large shade trees standing tall above the site, the ground below looking like it was cut from a different cloth than anything from all the miles you travel in any direction from this location. The temperatures itself even is different, cooler by about 15 to 20 degrees.

The camp is small and while they have a posting for RVs I don't see how they could easily fit in the spaces I saw. There are minimal amenities such as drinking water and vault toilets but no dump stations or hook ups.

It was very quiet when we were there although there were other campers, the sounds of everything around seemed to muffle any noise they could be making.

TIPS:

• Don't plan on contacting anyone, staying here is a truly unplug and unwind experience.

• Explore some of the hiking in the area. Lincoln National Forest has nearly 50 trails so there is something for everyone from short day hikes to long treks for backcountry camping and hiking.

I don't know where Lindsay was, but this campground is nowhere near any highway called 79. Oak Grove is just north of Ruidoso off 532, which intersects 48 in Alta. Six bucks per vehicle for camping or day use, half off with the annual pass. The only parking is on the main road through the campground, you can't park away from the traffic. Three little bear proof dumpsters were emptied very regularly. The horses are fascinating and with horses come horse apples. There are piles of horse apples have a foot thick. Bring a rake. In May the meadow was blooming with purple irises of some sort. This made for a dense population of hummingbirds and huge wasps. The waspes are not aggressive but they are a nuisance. The low prices bring low income families, I wish it was twice the expense to camp here. Most plates were from Texas a few from New Mexico and even an occasional Colorado. On the weekends the place gets pretty full. This campground is closed in the winter because the road in is steep curvy with sheer drop offs. There is firewood galore to be picked up off the ground. The biggest concern of the camp post and the forest service rangers is forest fires. Please be sure to bring enough water to drown your campfire completely.