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Best Tent Camping near Roswell, NM

150 Reviews

Tent camping near Roswell, New Mexico provides several primitive options in the high desert landscape of southeastern New Mexico. Alamo Road Camp offers dispersed tent camping approximately 12 miles outside Roswell, with walk-in tent sites spread across open terrain. Haystack Mountain OHV Area and Mescalero Sands North Dunes OHV Area both accommodate tent campers with basic facilities in distinctive desert environments. These primitive tent campgrounds provide access to the stark beauty of New Mexico's desert landscape while maintaining proximity to Roswell's amenities.

The tent campsites in this region require self-sufficiency and preparation. No drinking water is available at any of these locations, so campers must bring all necessary water supplies. Alamo Road Camp features no formal facilities, while both OHV areas provide vault toilets. Ground conditions vary significantly with weather; campers report that Alamo Road Camp becomes extremely muddy after rain, with fine dust accumulating on surfaces during dry periods. Fires are permitted at Alamo Road Camp and Mescalero Sands, though no firewood is provided. The desert climate brings temperature swings from daytime highs in the 80s to nighttime lows in the 50s, with strong winds common throughout the region.

Backcountry tent camping in the Roswell area offers solitude and unobstructed night skies. At Alamo Road Camp, campers noted that sites are spaced "a few football fields away" from each other, providing privacy rare in established campgrounds. The area experiences occasional wildlife encounters, with one visitor reporting cattle herds passing through at sunset. According to reviews, Mescalero Sands offers "stunning sunsets" but can become noisy on weekends with OHV activity. Haystack Mountain provides desert views but campers should watch for snakes. Rangers periodically patrol Alamo Road Camp, checking on campers once or twice weekly. For the most peaceful primitive tent camping experience, visitors recommend midweek stays when OHV areas see minimal traffic and the desert quiet is uninterrupted.

Map showing campgrounds near Roswell, New MexicoExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Roswell, New Mexico (3)

    1. Alamo Road Camp

    4 Reviews
    Roswell, NM
    11 miles

    "This is about 12 miles outside Roswell.
    Temps this week look to be 80’s for hi, and 50-60 for lows. The road to camp is not labeled at all."

    "Located directly across from Bottomless lake state park easy to get in. Flat wide open so wind can be tough. High winds warning for tonight up to 70mph gusts. Good cellar service with Verizon."

    2. Haystack Mt OHV Area

    2 Reviews
    Roswell, NM
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 627-0272

    "Great views lots of trails and perfect for motorcycles or atv s"

    3. Mescalero Sands North Dunes OHV Area

    2 Reviews
    Dexter, NM
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 627-0272

    "Great place to ride atv s lots of sand and trails. Bring plenty of water"

    "I wouldn’t mind a rip through these dunes on an ATV myself 😜

    This was an offseason midweek visit with nobody else around and quiet all night."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Roswell, NM

150 Reviews of 3 Roswell Campgrounds

  • N
    Jun. 14, 2021

    Baca Campground

    Great Dispersed Camping!

    It's about a 6 miles drive in on a forest road. Nice gravel road and well maintained.

    Dozens of spots to park your rig with tree cover along the main loop. Lots of small roads off of the main loop with more camp spots. Some of those roads were not accessible by our van, as they are a little rough.

    The night we stayed it was just us and one small class C camper. Very peaceful, clean, and beautiful spot. Clean vault toilets available. No water so bring enough for your stay.

  • Jeanie P.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 27, 2021

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Great swimming hole!

    Our expectations of this place were low for whatever reason but it turned out to be pretty awesome. The lake at the Lea Lake CG is awesome for swimming or floating around in. Can walk to it right from the campsite which is a bonus. The bathroom has flush toilets and hot showers that don't cost to use (unlimited shower time after boondocking for 5 weeks was heaven!). Small campground overall. Tent sites are $10 (plus $4 reservation fee if booking online)/night. Each site has it's own water access, covered picnic table, and grill (which in May there was a fire ban so use of it was prohibited).

  • j
    Sep. 28, 2021

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Pull through campsites (Lea Lake location) w concrete pad/power/water/cover/table/grill. NOT $5.

    It’s not $5. It’s $14, plus $4 reservation fee…so it’s $18. (can only be reserved/rented online, not in person at site, but can be done same day…I made reservation driving to the site from Roswell).

    I took infamous site 24, closest to the lake and the bathrooms. Large pull-through site w plenty of space for a rig much larger than my Prius with a rooftop tent. I’m pretty sure anything you can drive here will fit here.

    Bathrooms are a short walk across a small stream feeding off Lea Lake where rabbits and mosquitos roamed free. Men’s room was large but dark until you get about 12 feet inside and motion activate lights. Toilets were…not clean. There was TP. Early am, some crawly bugs (roaches?) came running toward me from different directions and I had to stomp them before they got to my feet/clothes. Gross. There were what looked like shower heads along one wall and floor drains, but I couldn’t tell how to operate them or if that’s what was going on.

    Outside bathroom building are shower poles for cleaning off after swimming/beach (beach is also located next to bathrooms), which were operating in mid-September. Felt kind of warm, but prob because it was cold early morning air.

    Did I mention mosquitos? They’ve got ‘em. A bunch made it into the tent. Ugh.

    Overall? Fine place to stop for a refreshing night or two.

  • Vanessa M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 24, 2018

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Secluded

    The state park boasts several lakes, a mountain bike trail, views, playgrounds in the day use area, and many campsites. There is a RV area at Lea Lake, which is half reserved and half first come. There are tent pads in that area also, showers and flushing toilets are there also. If you are tent camping you are missing out if you stay at lea lake, camp in the primitive areas around the smaller lakes. They are isolated, and have abundant wildlife. Vault toilets are nearby, nasty venomous spiders hide in the vaults but like all unpleasant creatures they dont like the light, so take a flashlight. If you come with pops you should consider footwear for them, the goat heads prevent them from going off road otherwise.

  • R
    May. 7, 2021

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Great swimming area

    Bottomless lakes has the best sunset views. It’s only 20 min from Roswell. The sites have enough room between each other. There is a large swimming area as well.

  • c
    May. 16, 2022

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Great stop but watch....

    We have stayed here in November as well as summer. November was the best, ducks and geese flocks fill the skies in late afternoon. Summer, so hot and most sites only have 30a, only 5 sites have sewer but we carry a rhino tank so if no sewer, we still do not have to move to dump. The lake is nice, really crowded in summer. Most of the rangers are really nice. We have watched a power player but only one time, rude.
    We use this place while traveling west to East and 12 miles from Roswell, fun place. The host are always great, very nice and helpful.

  • Melissa C.
    Feb. 18, 2019

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    My favorite place

    This is by far one of my favorite places to camp. We got here late at night and the people were so nice, even willing to help set up our camp. The lake was absolutely beautiful the water was perfect we got to see a lot of wildlife and our campsite was really close to the water. The weather was perfect and we were only about 15 minutes outside of Roswell. Can't wait to do it again.

  • Taj B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 18, 2020

    Lea Lake Campground — Bottomless Lakes State Park

    Good winter camping

    Nice campground, well spaced spots, #19 was especially good, Pasture lake and Inky Wells both stocked with trout and we caught our dinner on 2 nights. Sign says no alcohol which is a negative in my book, glass of wine with dinner? Coming from Northern NM we’d come back during the winter months.

  • HandL C.
    Jan. 8, 2023

    Red Barn RV Park

    Delightful in Roswell

    What a nice, cozy spot in Roswell! It has all you need for a home base from which to explore southern New Mexico: nice showers, laundry, restrooms, common areas with books and dvd's, even bottle of pop for $2 each. Lovely sunsets, level sites, friendly hosts. Couldn't be better!

Guide to Roswell

Tent camping in Roswell NM offers primitive camping options with varied terrain and limited facilities. The Bureau of Land Management oversees several camping areas around Roswell at elevations between 3,500-4,000 feet, characterized by scrubby vegetation and sandy soil. Seasonal temperatures can reach over 100°F in summer months while winter nights frequently drop below freezing.

What to do

Stargazing opportunities: At Alamo Road Camp, the night skies provide exceptional viewing conditions. One camper noted, "It was very nice, peaceful, great views at night, and everyone was pretty nice and spread out so no troubles."

Target shooting access: Campers at Alamo Road Camp can access nearby shooting ranges during daylight hours. A visitor mentioned, "There is a target shooting range on DOD land about 2 mi away so during the day you do hear gunshots from time to time. Everyone shooting there is shooting North so stay south of the zig zag road sign."

ATV and motorcycle trails: Haystack Mt OHV Area provides designated routes for off-road vehicles. According to reviews, there are "lots of trails and perfect for motorcycles or atv s" throughout the area.

What campers like

Wide spacing between sites: Tent camping in Roswell NM offers significant privacy at dispersed sites. At Alamo Road Camp, one camper observed, "The cell phone signal is amazing for T-Mobile it's very quiet at night your neighbors are a couple football fields away if you have any at all."

Convenience to Bottomless Lakes: Mescalero Sands North Dunes OHV Area serves as a practical base for regional exploration. A regular visitor stated, "I travel from Durango to San Antonio frequently. This is such a nice sleep-over in my van."

Flexible camping layouts: Alamo Road Camp accommodates various camping setups. A camper explained, "Some are big enough to pull thru class A, fifth wheels and not have to worry about backing."

What you should know

Road conditions: Access roads to primitive camping areas require careful driving. A camper at Alamo Road Camp reported, "Down a bumpy and mostly dirt road. This area will get muddy for sure in a decent rain... The road is pretty primitive, with potholes along the entire length. You do not need four wheel drive, just drive slow."

Wildlife awareness: Local fauna includes both domestic and wild animals. One camper noted, "A herd of cows came near my camp last night as the sun was setting," while visitors to Haystack Mountain are advised to "Watch for snakes."

Extreme dust conditions: Fine dust accumulates quickly on equipment and surfaces. According to campers, "The dust here is very fine, and builds fast on surfaces."

Tips for camping with families

Timing considerations: When tent camping in Roswell NM with children, weekday visits provide quieter experiences. A camper at Mescalero Sands advised, "Weekends can be tough with drunken, blaring radio, 200,000 lumen, ATVs running all night... This was an offseason midweek visit with nobody else around and quiet all night."

Water requirements: Desert camping demands significant water supplies for families. One visitor emphasized, "Hot! Great place to ride atv s lots of sand and trails. Bring plenty of water."

Temperature planning: The significant daily temperature fluctuations require appropriate clothing layers and sleeping gear. A March visitor reported daytime temperatures in the 80s with nighttime temperatures dropping to the 50-60 degree range.

Tips from RVers

Site selection guidance: RVers should look for established pullouts at Alamo Road Camp. One experienced camper advised, "As far as camps, just pull off in areas that look cleaned out/camped in and you can't go wrong. I've seen bus campers and class A RV's here, as well as fifth wheels camping."

Connectivity information: Mobile service is surprisingly reliable at most sites. A camper reported, "Good cellar service with Verizon," while another noted T-Mobile coverage was "amazing."

Wind considerations: RVs are particularly susceptible to high desert winds. A camper warned, "Flat wide open so wind can be tough. High winds warning for tonight up to 70mph gusts."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Roswell, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Roswell, NM is Alamo Road Camp with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Roswell, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Roswell, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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