Brown Springs Campground offers a pet-friendly camping experience about three miles down a dirt road north of Flora Vista. The established BLM campground provides ten back-in campsites with shade structures, fire pits, picnic tables, and grills—all accommodating pets without additional fees. Each site features a cement-covered dining area and brick campsite boundaries, creating a comfortable environment for campers traveling with dogs. Other pet-friendly options include Lake Farmington's campsites, which allow pets for a $5 fee plus $1 per person usage fee, and Ruins Road RV Park in nearby Aztec, which welcomes pets at their full hookup sites. All sites at Brown Springs are gravel-layered, preventing pets from getting muddy during camping stays.
The area provides extensive outdoor recreation opportunities for dogs and their owners. OHV and mountain bike trails surround Brown Springs Campground, offering pet exercise options directly from the campsite. The Animas River flows near Ruins Road RV Park, providing water access for dogs who enjoy swimming. Campers should note that Brown Springs' dirt access road can become impassable during or after rain, so checking weather conditions before arrival is essential. Sites at most pet-friendly campgrounds in the area don't have water hookups, so bringing ample drinking water for pets is necessary. Campgrounds typically enforce quiet hours, and excessive barking may result in being asked to leave. Security patrols frequently at McGee Park RV Camping, ensuring rules about pets are followed.
"We got our permit at the nearby BLM office. The sand/gravel road to the Campground is decent, but almost got stuck in soft spots in our 21' motor home."
"Surrounded by trails and unique terrain."
$45 / night
"Showers, laundry, dog park"
"Nice dog park divided into two areas so your dogs don’t have to co-mingle. There is a clean, reasonably priced laundry room and a swimming pool."
$10 / night
"The surrounding area was fairly clean. There is a picnic table available at every site with shade."
"Great staff, great hilltop location, 25 spots only a few for large Rv's so make a reservation 505 258-7146."
$30 - $40 / night
"We are traveling with a young, very timid dog so asked for a large space."
"Close to the nice Animas River!"
$10 - $30 / night
"Great place to camp Paved back in spots noting fact just a large parking lot Water and electric Showers and toilet away from camp sites but available"
"Checking in was super simple and the location is clean and well laid out. They also provide showers and toilet facilities a short walk away. There isn’t much shade available."
"The road in was quite rough and washboarded, so I had to drive slowly at about 10 mph for a while. However, I took a different route on the way out, heading north, and found it much smoother."
"Road was rutty but our 2wd van was fine, just drive slow."
"About New Mexico sunrises and sunsets, there are two shows daily, no reservations required!"
"We have been running the AC most afternoons till around 6-7pm. The evenings cool enough to just open all the trailers window and enjoy the evening."
"It is worth the 6 mile drive in. Look for the sign Angel peak scenic area. It is a gravel road."
"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."
GuideOur family vacation destination- would provide 6 stars if a could. Main features- pool, great family play areas, huge lots and shaded lots- not really a bad spot. Pond, 2 Acre dog park- beautiful sites and quick drive to town or off-road. We stayed here twice because a bad experience in Silverton
GuideLoved loved loved our stay here! Tucked away from the highway and far enough from any big city, you want nature and stars at night? This is the place! We backed up to a huge green field. The gentleman that helped us back our 42 foot rig into our site gave PERFECT directions, telling my husband which was to turn our wheel which make this a first try back in. The owner was the kindest man we enjoyed getting to know. No dog park, but a large open field we're allowed to utilize, letting the pups off leash. They LOVED it! Mesa Verde NP with the cliff dwellings are a short drive away, perfect day trip. We should have stayed here a whole week!
ScoutIncredibly friendly staff, great store with camping necessities and fun swag. Dog park was large enough with a shaded tree and benches. Pickle ball, movie night, pool, playground ect included. Almost every space was filled but it was quiet because the activities are spread nicely away from where we were. Pull through sites with enough room. Good price for the location.
GuideI just parked in the car park for the night and I would stay the price is a bit much for just a parking spot with no amenities but the staff was amazing and the bathrooms were extremely clean and nice!! Also a very nice dog park!! The spot I was in was next to the entrance and had some road noise as well as bright light from the Park sign.
GuideFriendly staff, enjoyable stay. Wide spaces with picnic tables and grills. Showers, laundry, dog park
GuideAbout 5 miles drive to town which is fine for us. We stayed in a shady spot near the back. Bathrooms are clean and decorated with a country/western vibe, and a 2 acre dog park !
LegendMy family and I stayed here for 3 nights in late July in a 34-foot travel trailer. We made reservations over the phone and found the customer service to be exemplary (I called at the last minute to both cancel and then later to re-instate my reservation when we had car trouble on the way). When we arrived the check-in process was straight forward and easy. The roads are gravel but well-graded and the majority of the sites are pull-thru. We had no trouble getting into ours, however, we found rather quickly that sites are extremely close together. Our back-side neighbors had to move their picnic table back in order to accommodate our driver-side slide (the distance between our extended slide and their trailer is about 8 feet. But... we all made it work. There is a 10 pm lights-out policy to cut down on light pollution and see the stars. And the people who camped next to us were considerate.
The campground has lots of amenities. A log cabin (rec center) with pool, video games, TV with DVD library, books, and board games. Laundry with decent pricing. Mini-golf ($3 per person). A nice pool and hot tub. A dog park with agility obstacles. Nice playground. Wifi signal is strong with decent bandwidth (they discourage streaming). Next door is a horseriding stables ($40 an hour, $25 for a half hour); the horses come up to the fence and love to be petted. The store in the office is small but has the basic amenities. Groceries can be purchased in Cortez, a 15-minute drive away. And, of course, Mesa Verde National Park is right across the road, less than 5 minutes to the visitor center. The only downside (besides the tightness of the spaces) is that dumpster was very full and near to overflowing.
Overall we enjoyed our stay here, and thought the location to the park and local area was perfect. Would recommend and definitely stay here again.
TravelerThe campground is set just a couple miles before Durango. They have a swimming pool, laundry facilities, a small dog park, and a very basic playground. They also have a little Caboose from which they serve simple breakfast items, and a little store with a couple of Essentials. Overall the staff was friendly and helpful and our experience was very positive. It was 55 bucks for a pull through site with hookups. We were not allowed to pitch a tent in the camper campsite.
LegendI'm going to start off with this isn't our kind of camping but if you love amenities when you camp, this is the place to be. We arrived early in the morning (wasn't even sure we would be able to check in) but they they said we could get checked in and told us where the other members of our party were at in the park. The office staff was extremely friendly and eager to tell us all about the park. They even had Easter candy and eggs in the office and outside the door for the kiddos. They directed us to our site which was located just behind the teepees. The site was small but it had electricity and a water spicket right behind it. The site was all gravel, even the tent pad but there was a lovely patch of grass behind us that we were directed to put nothing on.
Some of the amenities: There were heated bathrooms with flush toilets, running water sinks and showers. Music played in the bathroom 24/7. There were laundry facilities as well and on the side of the building a dish washing station. You could wash your dishes in a sink with hot water! There's a pool (it wasn't open yet) and for a short little walk, a 3 acre dog park. It was so nice for our dogs to get out and run. Beyond that was a trail that went around a lake and on the other side was a playground, much nicer then the campgrounds which seems a bit outdated. The park wasn't very clean though. There were also several geocaches with in walking distance of the campground.
Shortly after we arrived and checked out the dog park, we began prepping and smoking our spiral ham. It was Easter weekend after all, what better then Easter dinner. Shortly after we put some beans in a dutch oven and smoked those as well. Everyone sat and ate a nice Easter dinner (we all came together from three sites). Shortly after we had our first of three egg hunts in the overflow area of the campground. There weren't any campers down there so the kids had plenty of space to hunt and run. The campground in general wasn't very full, it is still early. We followed up our first egg hunt with birthday celebrations for our youngest who turned 5! Cake and gifts and family. We waited for dark and then had our second Easter egg hunt with glow stick eggs! Shortly after everyone retired and it got cold at night. It had to have been in the 30's. There was a lot of light in the campground. Everytime I peered out of my sleeping bag it felt like morning even though it was the middle of the night. That was not all that appealing to me. You could also hear the highway. The campground itself was quiet but the highway could be heard.
The next morning the kids woke up to their third egg hunt and their baskets from the Easter bunny and then another trip to the dog park. We opted to not eat breakfast here and hit up starbucks on the way home.
Overall, it's a nice park with plenty of amenities. If you don't want to be quite so rugged, this might be a great option.
Brown Springs Campground sits at an elevation of approximately 5,800 feet in the high desert terrain north of Flora Vista, New Mexico. Access requires navigating a 3-mile dirt road that becomes problematic during wet weather. The surrounding landscape features rolling hills covered with juniper and sagebrush typical of the San Juan Basin, with temperatures ranging from 70s-90s°F in summer months and cooler evenings year-round.
Mountain biking trails access: Several trail systems surround the Flora Vista area, including the popular Alien Run Trailhead about 15 minutes north of Bloomfield. According to Ray M., "I plan to return for the mountain biking, as this area looks like a fantastic destination for that. It's also conveniently close to Bloomfield, New Mexico, where I've heard there are additional great riding opportunities."
River recreation: The Animas River provides water-based activities for campers near Ruins Road RV Park in Aztec. One visitor noted, "We are traveling with a young, very timid dog so asked for a large space... we have a nice view of the trees along the Animas River and are a short distance from the river."
Canyon hiking: Angel Peak Scenic Area offers dramatic badlands views about 30 minutes from Flora Vista. A camper shared: "There are very well maintained trails that offer spectacular sights from all direction. There is vault toilets that are very clean, but no electricity, trash or water. So trash in, trash out."
Free amenities: Campsites at Brown Springs Campground offer unexpected quality without fees. One camper reported, "This place is such a gem. We arrived late at night with a 39 foot toy hauler. No problem backing up in spot #1... The spots are spacious and clean with a fire pit and a table on a concrete slab. You are not right on your neighbor."
Quiet locations: Many camping areas provide peaceful settings away from main roads. At Alien Run Trailhead Basecamp, "It's a gravel parking lot with a shelter and bathroom. The road is ok. You do have to straddle some ruts but nothing a low to the ground car can't handle."
Level sites: Multiple campgrounds feature well-maintained, level parking areas. One RVer at Lake Farmington stated, "The campsite has few trees and other flora. Our site overlooks what looks like a human-made lake where boating is permitted."
Weather impacts: Rain can make dirt access roads impassable at several campgrounds. At Alien Run Trailhead, a visitor advised, "It's a gravel parking lot at a mountain biking trailhead... Road was rutty but our 2wd van was fine, just drive slow."
GPS issues: Several campers report navigation problems when finding Angel Peak Scenic Area. A visitor warned, "The entrance is very understated and underwhelming, you will pass a oil construction area as you enter the park. As you continue driving almost instantly notice the gorge."
Sand hazards: Deep sand can pose challenges even on established roads. One visitor recounted, "When I copied the coordinates from this site to my map app, they let us to someplace about 10 miles away. We were way up on a dirt track and ended up having to turn around when it ended."
Wildlife awareness: Families should monitor children in areas known for wildlife. One camper at Angel Peak noted, "Had to switch sites because of a rattlesnake den. EXACTLY what I wanted, frankly."
OHV noise levels: Sites near OHV trails experience variable noise levels. A camper at Brown Springs Campground mentioned, "Beautiful stars, complete silence after the last OHV left around 10 pm. All we had to do was filling a permit online and email it to BLM."
Day-use options: When seeking pet-friendly camping near Flora Vista with limited facilities, consider Lake Farmington's day-use amenities. As one visitor shared, "Site required a $5 fee plus $1/person usage fee... Right now due to fire restrictions, there is no fire or charcoal fire allowed, only camp stoves are accepted."
Dump station locations: Find complimentary dump services at Sinclair gas stations near Farmington. A camper noted, "Sinclair gas station has it all- propane, dump, fresh water. Dump and water was free."
Campsite privacy: RV sites offer varying degrees of separation from neighbors. At Ruins Road RV Park, "Well maintained, relatively quiet location off from main roads. Sites are a little close but are gravel and pretty level. If you don't need hookups, there are some beautiful sites down by the river with a lot of shade."
Water conservation: With limited water sources at many campsites, RVers should arrive with full tanks. A visitor at Brown Springs advised, "The site itself was layered with gravel. There's a covered picnic table and large fire ring in each site. We are tent campers and appreciated not setting the tent in the mid or dirt."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Flora Vista, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Flora Vista, NM is Brown Springs Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 13 reviews.
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