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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.
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).”
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.
Scout
Jemez is a popular camping destination. There are boon docking and campgrounds available. I do not recommend trying to bring a rig of any size through the Gilman tunnels. Best access for large rigs is taking 126 and accessing FS 376 from that route.
The Jemez are by far our favorite mountains to camp in within a 3 hr radius of my home.
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.
Traveler
This campsite is beautiful and right next to the lake. Perfect for some chill camping. There are multiple clearing along this road. Each one is big enough for several cars and even a couple groups. The clearings are far enough apart that you can make some noise without bothering the other campers. You need a bit of clearance to be able to drive the road but not much as my Crosstrek did it great. Even on July 4th this site wasn’t busy. We only saw one other camper since most people choose to pay for a campground right on the lake
GuideSights were incredible from site, easy to find. Woke up to amazing views.
Guide
This is a nice spot next to the river, there are a couple of hiking trails. I was there during the week and it was pretty quiet
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.
ScoutThe road is a bit rough, but easy access and close enough to the lake that I drove over to kayak after setting up camp. Fire pits set up, the first area is a big open space with a beautiful cliff view, we had it to ourselves but could be busy, if you drive further up there are areas to camp that would have more privacy if needed. Very quiet and peaceful. It does get cold at night since at approximately 8,000 elevation.
TravelerWe got there on a Friday and had our pick of sites. We picked one right on the river. No electricity. No water. No picnic tables. No trash receptacle. Vault toilets. Camp spaces are spread out. Some of the roads on the campground had deep ruts and pools of mud water but not all. You can see every star on a clear night. The road to the campground is about 6 miles of curvy dirt and gravel single lane. But a woman managed it in a Jaguar so not too bad just go slow. Rustic and relaxing.
GuideThis camping spot is awesome but can be busy at times. One down side being close to the river is the bugs, literally thousands of them can make it unpleasant. Outside of that the spot on the river is fantastic for viewing pleasure. You can certainly find valuable relaxation here.
Guide
It was getting late after a full day of driving and I happened to find this site. No amenities, but we were the only people in the area. We were just thankful for a place to stop. Lots of sage brush and we had a full moon that night and the area was lit up l, bright as a cloudy day!
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!
GuideI saw this area on a couple apps and didn’t get out here until 7:30 on a Friday so I just went with the first area I got to- a picnic area about halfway between 550 and the campground. A couple other people already set up here but plenty of space for someone just sleeping in her truck. There’s a handful of picnic tables but only one you can park right next to. They have shelters over each table if you’re a hammocker but given that it’s on the edge of a canyon it’s very windy. I also read some reviews about how washboarded the road is- it’s hardly bumpy. Not sure about when it’s wet but anyone should be able to get back here when it’s dry. Absolutely stunning, though.
LegendWe are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in mid April. The gravel road is rougher than it appears to the eye. We camped in the large area on the West side of the road a short distance from the trailhead. It was very windy the day we arrived, with wind speeds of 28 mph and gusts of 45 mph.
AT&T coverage showed 1-2 Bars of LTE service, but I was unable to get a connection without a booster. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 12 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.
LegendWe are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in mid April. The road in is rough to start and is a little washboardy in places, but not too bad most of the way for dirt and gravel road anyway. Angel CG has a few sites, but most were taken, particularly the one amply big enough for us and with a great view. We found an irregular camping area on the NW side of the road 0.6 miles from the formal CG. After dropping our tow, we managed to get our 36’ MH up and into it on the second attempt and then did a bit of jockeying around to find a spot reasonable level. The ground is rather soft in some places. I would not recommend this spot unless you are very confident negotiating tight spaces with your rig. The view of the area is pretty awesome though. There are 3 other picnic/overlook area, but I’m not sure if overnight stays are allowed there.
AT&T coverage was just ok, with 1-2 Bars of 5G service and speeds of up to 2 MB/s without a booster. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 9 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.
Legend
We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in mid April. The roads in can be pretty rough in places, but not too awful bad in others for dirt and gravel road anyway. I wouldn’t attempt it in anything other than a 4WD if the area were to get any significant rain, as the ruts in the road were pretty significant. There are basically two ways to get here, one is at Nageezi on CR 7800 to NM 57(aka ISR 451 on some maps) from US 550, which is the way we came in. The 1st 4 of the 15 miles are paved, the rest is gravel and/or dirt. I was able to go between 20 and 30 mph most of the way, except in some really rough sections and at a couple of the cow guards. The other way, that BLM suggests on their website https://www.blm.gov/visit/ah-shi-sle-pah-wilderness, is to just take NM 57 off of US 550 several miles north of Nageezi, which we tried on the way out. Parts were better, but most of it was just as bad and a longer drive than CR 7800. The last 5 miles were“paved” or used to be and is some of the worst parts. The entrance to the trailhead is a fairly tight turn from the east, narrow, somewhat U-shaped and sporty(see photo looking NE, which really doesn’t do it justice), but after dropping our tow, we managed to get our 36’ MH up and in on the second attempt. Arriving from the east, I would suggest trying to turn around as we did and entering the trailhead from the west. To get to the wash and hoodoos it’s about a 0.6 mile walk from the trailhead. The trailhead area is nothing special, but the Wilderness Area, wash and hoodoos are really cool.
AT&T coverage was actually quite good, with 1-2 Bars of 5G service and speeds of up to 9 MB/s without a booster. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 10 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.
Guide
Great little spot for a short night stay on NMBDR. Tucked into the ledge. Probably a mess in a rain storm but a wonderful spot to disperse camp.
GuideCan park overnight at trailhead when planning a day hike. Don't miss the cracked eggs!
GuidePulled into this site shortly after midnight. There's a bathroom near the parking area where there were half a dozen campers. On the way in there were a handful more. Looks flat and empty at night. You can see all the neat formations in the day. It was pretty cold in the mid-march but our propane heater got us through the night. It was 38 the next day but felt nice in the sun.
GuideI came here at the height of summer and had no problems finding a site, but I feel like I got lucky! This area is popular with kayakers and the roads leading to this area are busy with trailers. Seems a given, since it’s close to the river!
I found a site right next to the Rio and even though it was muddy, I still appreciated being able to get in to cool down a bit. My site had plenty of room for my truck and hub tent. Only real complaint is the trash the previous campers left behind.
Days were hot as they are in NM but the nights were pleasant. People were having a good time but were chill at night, something I always appreciate at free sites.
Roads were good and any vehicle can make it. Just go slow as usual! I had a sparse cell signal but didn’t want it anyway.
Clean bathrooms and plenty of sites- maybe 12 or so?- lots of space to spread out. A great option for camping along the Rio.
GuideThis is a free campground with bathrooms near by. There is also some more dispersed camping in the BLM areas, but 4x4 is recommended to reach them. There is no visitors office and the landmarks/features are not marked on the trail map.
This is a great place to stay.
RangerI was expecting a visitor office, but went in too early before dawn and didn’t see one. We entered and kept walking: realized we were way too off from the good spots. Yet, good hike and I hope I get to be there in the right spot the next time!
TravelerCampsite got very muddy river was no clear what so ever. Otherwise quite nice
GuideWas exploring for a weekend campsite and turned north on hwy 485 just south of Jemez. After a few miles you get the opportunity to pass thru the Gilman Tunnels along the Jemez creek. For the next 11 miles there are numerous dispersed camping areas; however, vehicles are not allowed between road and river. After the 11 miles the river designation changes and becomes smaller. Continuing north there are countless opportunities for dispersed camping with sites on both sides of road. The road will eventually lead into Hwy 126 with several developed campground. The place we chose was about 4 miles south of Hwy 126, a large area designed to accommodate up to perhaps 40 sites. It was across from some tent rocks which also had a campsite. Cool area and especially good for large groups. Several large campers could make a weekend community here.
TravelerThis free campground positioned us well to beat the heat and hike through the badlands first thing in the morning! Pit toilets available next to the parking lot as well as a pavilion area with tables.
A handful of dispersed sites were available once in the BLM boundaries as well as plenty of space in the trailhead parking lot to spend the night.
The hike to the various features of the badlands are not marked, however good GPS signal allowed us to plug in coordinates to follow during the hike. Land forms looked like they should be from a different planet!
GuideI was pretty confused getting here, google and Apple Maps seemed to struggle with me coming from Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah trailhead. It kept trying to take me down a road covered in cattle that led to de-na-zin parking lot. Finally found my way here by using online instructions from the blm website instead of using the pin. Once there it was really nice though. Plenty of stars and a bathroom to use, which is always appreciated at a free spot.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Counselor, New Mexico, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. With stunning landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities, this area is perfect for those seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Counselor, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Counselor, NM is Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Counselor, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 dispersed camping locations near Counselor, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
