Best Campgrounds near Chaparral, NM

Hi! Marking 3 only bc we didn't camp at any of the trailheads. But, I have a lesson learned to share!! After driving through the 3 trailheads in the area--they were kind of crowded & we kept looking. Several little pull-offs showed prior stone fire rings, so we pulled into one of those. On our last day, a very kind BLM officer pulled in to let us know that, just bc our app shows BLM land, it doesn't mean we can park anywhere. We were unknowingly in an arroyo, for water flow, and the acceptable camping areas are the trailheads. Hoping this lesson will help others! Beautiful area and appreciated the officer not requiring us to pack up & move right away!

I checked it out… no. Looked like some “party guys” were there. Right off the paved road. Didn’t look like they were there for the night. Three cars. Just for a party. Further in, there were three other (separated) vehicles - just by the look of the junk outside, I wouldn’t want to spend the night there.

Definitely would NOT recommend CARS going past the 3rd or 4th parking space! But - for higher clearance vehicles: OK. Just drive carefully. I saw a few rocks that I would NOT want to hit at 15mph+. I tried another dispersed camping area, a couple of miles closer to Las Cruces… but it looked like there was a few cars there for a “party”. Ummm… no thanks. Here, at Baylor canyon, it seems more laid back.

As mentioned in other reviews, the road into parking spots is a bit rough. Several places have large stones, sticking up, which could be hazardous to low-ride cars. 😕 As of right now, I am looking at several pickup trucks, one small sedan (too far away to know model), a truck with a towed RV trailer. And, way off in the distance, another couple of small RV’s. I guess you can go farther back, but there was an open spot, so I grabbed it. (About every 40 or 50 yards, there are parking spaces big enough for two full-size pickup to park, sideways, end to end. I wouldn’t want to drive a full sized RV down this rough road. But, the view of the mountains is stunning! Looking forward to sunset!

Excellent campground at a historical site / state park. Because of so much history (pictographs, etc), access to most areas are tightly restricted. Internet access is spotty near campground restrooms, but non-existent at campsites (unless you have Starlink, etc). Ask about tours (limited hours).

Gorgeous views and there was hardly anyone else around - it was great. Stayed at Campsite 25 in my Subaru Outback with my dog. No problems. Composite toilet within walking distance. Walmart 12 mins away.

I tent camped at Gap Tank again in January 2025. Awesome time again. It was actually cold then. The sky was dark at night and we couldn’t see any electric lights. Kind of cool so close yet so far from El Paso. No border problems. No javelinas this time, just a jackrabbit. Gap Tank was dry but nearby Mesquite Tank had water and even a little ice on the edges.

Road and camp site were good

My husband grew up in El Paso and came here as a kid, so we decided to stop for a night on our way through the area. They only allow 70 people through a day, so it is not crowded at all. There is an area for self guided tours & an area only for guided tours. We stayed in the campground and did the self guided hike the first day, then decided to book a tour for the next day. Both were well worth doing and the guided tour was only $5 p/person and lasted about 3 hrs. We only intended to stay one night, but just as the tour ended a wicked sand storm moved in, so we asked if we could stay another night. The staff was very understanding and knew it was not safe to send us out in that. They had a spot they reserve for emergencies and put us there. We were very grateful as they shut down parts of I-10, which is where we were headed. The campground sites are pretty level, have electric & water. However, when we were there they asked to conserve as much water as possible & even use our own if possible. There were restrooms, but we did not use them so cannot comment. Very unique place, definitely worth the visit.

Aguirre Springs Campground was even better than expected! The views were stunning and there was plenty of space and privacy at each site. Our favorite spot during our NM/AZ roadtrip!

Very scenic BLM campground. $7 a night ($3.50 seniors with pass). Each site shaded table and trash bin. Only vehicles up to 23 ft.

I arrived late and had no reservation but the ranger was extremely kind and let me in and I paid in the morning. It is a safe, clean, and lovely place. It even has sites where, if you have four wheel drive you can go and be very isolated. I loved this place!

Always stay here on my way back to Texas or heading farther west. A few solid campsites on mossman road; roads are a little rough closer to the campsite but nothing crazy, should be good for a 2wd. Never see anyone here, besides a ranger this time. Good spot under open sky.

This is a parking lot in the hills. Flat gravel and quiet after the atv's are gone.

pulled into the loves parking lot that I had scoped out on Google maps. pulled directly into the first lane of pumps with the ass end blocking traffic. And from there, I could just pull forward and back into my spot full of fuel. 

In the morning I made a reservation so I can stay here another night as well. I was just going to stay one night. But I can get Propane within walking distance of my truck and the subway shop isn't much farther. Maybe I'll check out the laundry facilities, too. I've already filled the freshwater tank and the water seems fine. Good thing I do not need to dump my black tank because even with the extension, I don't think my hoses would reach. The flaw in the design is that all the sites are back in and the pedestals and sewer ports are behind the RV when parked. Don't worry though because there is a dump station even closer than the propane refill. All six sites orient each camper pretty much due east west with the passenger side to the south. Actually, putting a sewer connection at each site is overkill when there is a nearby dump station, that you can use on your way in or your way out. For one night stops that's all you need. The street noise is tolerable. All the big trucks go to the opposite side of this complex. There were distant train noises and I could barely see the tops of a few cars over the western horizon. Getting the power turned on took a couple phone calls and unintelligible conversations over the intercom setup at the kiosk. I got $72 of propane and the attendant even carried a full 20 and 40 over to my site. While in the office paying for that I got them to turn the power back on, which was turned off at noon because yesterdays stay was over and todays had not started. This gas station and“travel stop” does not sell beer?!?!?!?!? Make sure to ask for your favorite adult beverage, maybe they will get some

My bus was squeaking, twisting, driving at an angle, and it was a brutal drive... While I'll not come back because it's not well maintained, it does have very beautiful vistas, so that's why it got 3 stars.

Had our own water, no electric sites. But El Paso, AKA The Sun City, provides plenty of sun for solar ;) Could use some more bathrooms, LOTS of tent spaces, some hike-in. Well developed trails, but LOTS of scree, so can be slippery going up, definitely slippery hiking down- - take hiking poles. Not sure what mtn bike trails are like, so check specific reviews for them. Visitor center has very cool 3d map of area. Gates locked from 1700-0800. They give you the padlock combo for entry/exit but took a couple minutes to figure out how the gate latch worked particularly at night (needed flash light). Hiked to Aztec Cave. Have done Cottonwood Springs hike….~55 yrs ago!       -->Beautiful weather December (76°).

Lots of dispersed sites but looks like a very popular area we passed over 20 campers before finding a spot. Spots are pretty well spaced out with lots of vegetation inbetween. Road is a little rough 4x4 definitely recommended.

I had hiked here before but staying was nice. Quiet and somewhat off spaces but very well maintained. Do not expect any privacy in spots.