Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Glenwood, NM

Don't go to the Gila Lower Box looking for formal campsites and places to hook up an rv. This is primitive camping at one of New Mexico's truest oases. 

Why? Because in 1990, cattle were prohibited from grazing this stretch of the Gila River. 

The result? One of the lushest, most verdant riparian environments left in the desert southwest.
For those with a 4wd or very high clearance, you can camp down along the cliffs right at the edge of the river corridor. Being a birders paradise, it's a very unique experience to sit on the edge of the cliffs, 20-30 feet above the tops of the cottonwoods and watch all the bird activity below. 

You can also watch bands of coatimundis grazing through the bosque. Watch out for rattlesnakes and Gila monsters during the warmer months though. 

I rate this as one of New Mexico's best outdoor experiences. (A note: I camp to the west of the location shown on the map.)

Every year my wife and I attend the Luna New Mexico Rodeo. This is one of our favorite places to visit, it always rains when we are there but this could not dampen our fun! the camping is dispersed and first come first serve. We suggest you pick a high spot! Although we camp during the rodeo weekend, there is no reason you cant camp other times of the year. Surrounded by towering pine and waking up to the fresh smell of wet camp fires mixed with the pine is an unforgettable memory.

Trees are too far apart for Hammocks

There are plenty of hiking and UTV trails nearby

Facilities:

No fire rings or BBQ pits.

Restrooms are available and running water near the Rodeo arena.

Beautiful campground in Santa Fe New Mexico. We came to stay one night to go to Meow Wolf and ended up staying 3 nights I liked it so much. Would be 5 stars but the water spigot only worked intermittently, and it was difficult to get a site due to online reservations, some of which weren't even used but sites were still considered occupied due to reservation. I dislike National Park Campgrounds utilizing online reservations, it makes it hard for those of us who wish to ramble aimlessly.

The birds are abundant here. I wore a red winter hat and had at least 10 hummingbirds buzz my head in one day. I could hear their wings and feel the breeze from them they came so close. Tons of shade here, and nice cool days with chilly nights in May. We had a night of sleet after a rainstorm with hail but the next two days were gorgeous. Conveniently located to Santa Fe amenities. I highly recommend this campground. Pit toilets were minimally smelly and relatively clean.

I have been coming up to the White Mountains since I was a kid. Rainbow campground has been our go-to spot for camping. There are 3 loops that are FCFS. The rest of the sites are reservations. The sites all have picnic tables and fire rings. There are full bathrooms throughout the area and pay showers when is not covid. Big lake is a short drive from the campground, where you can rent a boat, fish from shore and a small store with supplies. There is always wildlife around, especially skunks, so watch your pets. The sites are laid at where you don't feel like you are right on top of your neighbor. None of the sites in Rainbow have hook-ups, bit there is a dump station down the road. There is another campground for full hook-ups down the way.

We're frequent campers, and this is one of our favorite spots in AZ! 

The tent-only campground is small, but the sites are large and have multiple great clearings for tents. Lots of shade and easy paths for walking around the grounds, plus there's potable water at several sites. Central bathrooms with running water are kept very clean, plus there's trash service and a (very friendly) camp host if you need anything.

Directly across a small road from Big Lake and the boat ramp. There are several places to go right down to the shore, and it's only a 5-6 minute walk along the road to the general store and boat rental area, where there's also a fish cleaning station. Brookchar is just down the road from the giant Rainbow Lake, so you'll hear some RVs and ATVs on the road, but very minimal. 

We camped in site 12, which in our opinion is the best! Closest to the lake with water views, plus parking right outside your site for 2 vehicles (other sites, you park in a main lot). Bring your fishing gear and kayak/SUP (can also rent very reasonably)!

Over Memorial Day weekend, we saw highs close to 80 and lows in the high 30s/low 40s. Only sprinkled once!

It's also just an hour from Pinetop-Lakeside, so it's easy to make grocery stops or even grab a coffee (try Pinetop Coffee House + Roasters right on the highway!) on your way in/out.

I needed to find a spot for the Labor day weekend that wasn't over crowded. This campground is very isolated infact it's about an hour to an hour and a half of off road driving to get to. I was very impressed with the drinking water faucets located throughout the campsite, and the clean bathrooms. There are two sides of the campsite, on on side your in the woods with tall pine trees to shade your tent and campsite. The other side is open no trees, but it does overlook the lake so be sure to bring your canopy. It's a paid national forest campsite of $5/night. The forest trucks/rangers do stop in several times during the day to make sure everything is ok. Heard Elk in the morning, wolves and bats at night. This is a great location to get away from the busy hustle of city life

Apache trout campground is a family friendly campground with excellent amenities for both tent campers and RV/trailer campers. Our family has been coming here for years, we've used both the large group site and the smaller individual campsite. Most recently we had a family reunion at one of the larger group loops - trout loop. We loved having the large group Ramada available for group meals and activities. The restrooms and showers were great especially for the kids and "non-campers" in our family. The close proximity to the lake and Marina meant we had quick and easy access to fishing and boating among all the other fun activities. We also loved the fact that the campsite is dog friendly.

The only negative - the campground is very popular and therefore always full. The sites are fairly close together so you sometimes get a bit more from your neighbors than you would like (i.e. One year our camp neighbors had a giant disco ball and dance music, and they enjoyed themselves long into the night.

Our family has the Apach Trout Campground in our list of favorites.

Like my title implies, this is where you go if you really want to “get away” from It all! This gorgeous campground is remote, very remote. But oh so perfect for taking the time to unplug and enjoy some truly breathtaking nature. Many of the campsites are a quick walk away from the water. Speaking of water, there’s lots of opportunity to fish! There are vault toilets close to most sites, though some require a bit more of a walk. There is a “fishing store” and check in building where odds and ends including firewood can be purchased. Definitely worth the drive up from Tucson!