Best Dispersed Camping near Gallina, NM

We stayed here 3 nights over Memorial Day weekend. Got in Thursday night and there were plenty of sites to choose from. As other reviews have said, the sites are spaced out well and there were always sites available throughout the weekend. We camped on the road that immediately turns to the right. Along the entire length of this road dispersed camping is allowed. If you go to the left (high clearance is good to have but could make it with 2wd) dispersed camping isn't allowed till you're about a mile in (see map picture). There are some fun single track trails (Water Canyon and Perimeter Trail) accessible from the campsite if you plan on mt biking or running/hiking. Bandelier National Monument is about 15 min drive away and is a fun place to checkout and climb in some cliff dwellings.
Just as a side note we saw 3 coyotes our first night in and heard them howling in the AM and PM, so keep pets leashed if you bring them and keep small kiddos close!

This is a nice secluded dispersed campsite on the eastern flanks of the Valles Caldera.  It's the closest CG to Sante Fe along the 4 before it enters the caldera proper.  While most of the trees in this area were burnt by fires less than 10 years ago, it still provides great views of the valley below and the highest mountains in all of New Mexico!  The campground has no amenities so bring everything you'll need and bring along a high clearance vehicle if you plan on heading up the road beyond the campsites that are right off the pavement to the right.

Besides exploring the caldera there are plenty of amazing things to do in nearby Sante Fe!  Our favorite attraction was the MeowWolf permanent art exhibit.  It's an absolutely amazing surreal piece of art that you walk through and interact.  I cannot stress enough how much you should visit because in addition to being an art pillar in New Mexico they also contribute to local and soon regional art and philanthropic endeavors.

When I pulled into the dispersed camping I was shocked to see 2 fire rings right there! There were two different ways to go and I choose to go right. All along the dirt road were pull offs and if you choose to go to the right side campsites you will end up at one of the fire rings with an incredible view of the canyon below. I did this because I love a good view! The main downside to this was how windy it was so I did not enjoy campfires until the third night and it was no longer windy. I highly recommend 4WD and high clearance vehicle to get to some of the best spots. Not impossible in my Honda Pilot but there were parts that I knew I wouldn’t make it. I was the only one there initially and only saw 2 others the 3 days I stayed. This is pack in pack out no restrooms just good old fashioned camping 🙌 I was not expecting to have service but I did where I camped! (T-Mobile) in Jemez springs and in the canyon I did not have service. It was a bit cold until my third day which was a very nice warm and sunny day.
I also went on a hike at Los Conchas Trail maybe 10 minutes up the road (away from Jemez Springs) and was shocked by the beauty!! What a wonderful hike! 10/10 recommend! Pictures are posted as well. My last day there I hiked to the hot springs at Spence Hot Springs Trail, there is a pull off but not clearly marked. It’s a 15 minute walk to lukewarm pools you can bathe in and the upper pool even has a cool cave you can sit in. There seems to be even more springs all about you can hike to I just did not have the time. I also think Soda Dam looks incredible from pictures so maybe check that out as well! I definitely hope to visit again!

There are a lot of spots to disperse in this campground but there are a few certain spots that blow the rest of them out of the water. We arrived on a Friday with only a few people there. Saturday/Sunday was maybe at half capacity. Pretty sure that were we the only ones there when we left on Monday.

We stayed on the edge of the cliff at the far back right side of the campsite and it was easily one of the top 5 locations that we have camped at. Even in July, it was a perfect 60-65 degrees at night and in the upper 70's low 80's during the day. We have T-mobile and there was relatively no reception here. We had just enough to send out and receive a text message every once in a while but not strong enough for a phone call. The reception comes and goes the more that you walk through the campsite. We stayed here for 3 nights and were never bothered by the cars driving on the road close by. The later it gets the fewer the cars. We locked our food and trash up every night and never ran into any problems with any other animals during the day or at night. We all slept well include our Dog who always shuffles around if she hears something scurrying around our site at night.

Directions to our cliff edge campsite:

*Note we took on this adventure in a long bed Chevy 2500.

• As you enter go to the right.

• The road will split but stay right and continue the slight uphill climb.

• As the road starts to descend, you will see a small white sign nailed to a tree on the left with a sharp turn off the road. 

• Take that trail to the left unless you have a high clearance vehicle. (We took the more adventurous route straight down and almost didn't make it)

• At the bottom of that trail go right and start to weave your way through the trees all the way to the back right side of the campsite.

• The trees will begin to open up and you'll get a very clear picture of the cliff and mountains.

In the 3 days that we were there, we didn't see anyone else try to take on the same route. Although, we saw plenty of other smaller SUVs and cars get down there via the turn-off.  

Still can't believe that this place was free with no reservations needed. It's a must stay if you are in the area.