Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Mayhill, NM

As of May 2021, through end of Sep 2021, camping is BY RESERVATION ONLY, via reserveamerica.com. 

The amenities of each campsite, as well as "driveway" length, are listed on that website.

All campsites have a picnic table and a fire ring with grill.  

Only some have shade shelters.

Hydrant water is potable (except from blue hydrant at dump station).

Pets on leash (6' or less) at all times;  lots of garbage cans to dispose of pet waste.

After recent rains, the park is strikingly green for being in the desert.  The Nature Trail is a bit challenging, not having been reconstructed after the 2019 flood, but still offers a short easy hike to where there is flowing water prior to requiring you to clamber over boulders either up or down the canyon.  The Dog Canyon Trail is steep -- bring lots of water!  The Visitor Center is open each morning except Monday, and staffed by knowledgeable volunteers.  Call the park phone # and listen to the recording to find if there are any changes.

At this time (through Sept 15) MASKS ARE REQUIRED in the VC and comfort station.

Volunteer camphosts keep the comfort station spotless.  They also sell firewood for the Friends of Dog Canyon (cash only), and if the VC is not open can sell you an annual pass (also cash only).  They will loan you a free sled/saucer for White Sands.

Glass containers are prohibited (outside your RV).

ATVs/OHVs are prohibited.

Large sites, Good wifi with booster (Verizon and AT&T). Pets allowed. Fun things to do nearby. Quiet and peaceful. Wonderful view of the night sky

Beautiful drive on Highway 82 west towards Cloudcroft. Stop at the roadside petting zoo! 

Apache appeared to be the only campground of the three open in late September. Super nice hosts and well maintained - there were even trash cans and hand sanitizer in the restroom which was a nice touch. 

The sites were relatively far apart and backed up into a nice wooded area. 

Hardly anyone else there on a weeknight in September. 

Strange animal noises at night!

Lots are leveled, very quiet, pet friendly, safe spots from flash floods, beautiful views from the tops of the near by peaks, hiking trails close by. The forest was burnt near the park about 4 to six years ago. $10.00 a night but there is other off the road camping free. Camp host was friendly and watched the camp closely. As weekend came on more people started showing up with loud music and lots of camp fires all day. Smoke was getting thick as winds calm down. The air was smokey already because of the California fires. First few days were nice and peaceful, but on the weekend it got busy.

Has one handicap accessible & next to bathroom). There is a group site that has three picnic tables under a shelter and two grills. 2 RV sites have covered picnic tables and grills and water and electric hookups. Five tent sites. One of the tent locations is at the handicap accessible site. CLEAN restrooms with flush toilets and drinking water are available. Pets are allowed in the campground(on leash), but are not allowed on the trails. Petroglyph trails are rocky, but not difficult (keep your eyes peeled, there are petroglyphs everywhere). Hosts were very nice. Campground has well-functioning electronic/pay check-in. Great BLM campground. Other places in area include Malpais lava flows. Sierra Blanca hovers to the east. Sunset was early in Nov. so if hiking trails in late afternoon take a flashlight. Nearby Carrizozo reportedly has a photo gallery or three that we were told were well worth checking out but we did not get chance to do so.

Must see recreational site with 2 trails, 11 picnic areas with shelters and grills, and really clean restrooms located south of Carrizozo, NM, and north of Tularosa, NM. Quick day trip after White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM.

Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Fee area. Only $5 for day use but cash or check only. National Park Passes such as America the Beautiful, Golden Age, Active Military are free day use and half off dry camping/RV hookup. No camping yet.

Three Rivers Trading Post located 4 miles from site can make change. Park Hosts on site are very friendly and helpful but cannot make change.

Free Trail maps are available at Display Board next to fee drop box. The trail map explains petroglyphs at 11 stations. Covered rest area with scenic views of Sacramento and Godfey Mountains located after station 11.

Dogs and other pets must be leashed in campground (no camping in the 11 sites and 2 RV sites since March 2020 due to Covid). No dogs on trails allowed.

Main petroglyph trail is moderate, not easy, as steep in some parts. Be careful to stay on trail due to sharp thorns from mesquite and the possibility of rattlesnakes. Bring lots of water as this is Chihuahuan Desert. Hiking boots recommended.

Village trailhead begins in the campground and continues across the road from the entrance sign. This easy flat 1/4 mile loop showcases 3 reconstructed Jornada Mogollon pit homes.

Camping not open. When open, the 2 RV sites have electricity and water. No dump station. Closest dump station is BLM Valley of Fires, Carrizozo, NM. When open, 11 dry campsites with upright grills and garbage cans. Five of the 11dry sites have clean elevated tent boxes. Water spigot located by Village trailhead. Don' wash dishes in the bathrooms. 14 day limit for both RV and dry camping. First come, first serve.

When open, RV hook up is $18 a day, and dry camping is $7 a day.

This is a great day trip. Most people take an hour on the main trail and then picnic.

This campground has it all. Beautiful surroundings, not far from downtown shopping in Ruidoso, most helpful hosts on site. My husband was not in the best of health when we went. The hosts helped him set up, with them doing the majority of the work, in the rain. The campground is pet friendly, has an enclosed run where you can take them off the leash for a bit, also has several locations with poop bags available. This seems to be a super secure location as hosts are on duty 24/7. No one comes into the campground without stopping at the office and checking in, anyone failing to do this, will be followed in and information gathered or asked to leave. Sites, once vacated are gone over with a fine tooth comb to make sure Nothing is left behind, the fire pits are cleaned, and everything is in order for the next camper. There are horseshoe pits and sand volleyball available for entertainment. Showers and laundry facilities are available and kept super clean. Rio Bonito flows along the side of the campground

Went 12/28-12/30 and the actual campground area was packed the whole time even with it being 20-30 degrees outside. Extremely windy and most areas only get an hour or two of sun. Do not take the route via Mayhill, take the sunspot hwy route in cloudcroft (mayhill route will be 9 miles of horrible unpaved road while cloudcroft route is only about 2 miles unpaved). If you like to be away from people and have a 4x4/AWD vehicle, take the right at the fork when it turns to unpaved road. The area is basically surrounded by neighborhood, especially the east side of the campground. No cell coverage but is not far from Cloudcroft where you get signal. If you like being away from people, this probably isn’t your spot. Traffic up and down the roads. Elk, mule deer, and turkey were seen.

Very beautiful hidden away RV and Raised Primitive State Park full of marked and unmarked foliage and a nice museum reflecting on the surrounding area of New Mexico. Everything above standards with wonderful staff. Was there with a friend and had an outstanding experience.

I camped here for two nights 20 August 2021. A very beautiful campground within about 6 miles out of Cloudcroft New Mexico. This is dispersed camping. Amenities include water, vault type toilets, picknic tables, fire rings, and a camp host. The camping fee is $25.00 per night. 12.50 per night with golden access card. Wildlife is abundant here wild mustangs are seen regularly elk and mule deer are abundant also. I will definitely camp here again in the future.

It's a decent pull off from a random dirt road in New Mexico. You have to drop off into a slight ditch to get to the spot, about 3-4 inches I'd say. We were fine in a truck camper but it's something to consider. There was a decent amount of local trees traffic on the road, but we were far enough away from the highway that we couldn't hear much of any road noise. Literally just a patch of somewhat level gravel

I have seen mostly upper New Mexico and well when I found this area in comparison that or anything else near El Paso, I was more than a bit confused as to where I was. Yes, it is a forest, but still I wasn't ready for how forest-like and amazing it was.

Driving out you have no cell signal at all. The roads are winding and you see a lot of livestock, then out of no where deer, big deer and elk! It is like a different planet from everything else and the deeper into Cloudcroft you get the more and more it starts looking more like Colorado than anything you would assume would be New Mexico.

The campground is no different! Large shade trees standing tall above the site, the ground below looking like it was cut from a different cloth than anything from all the miles you travel in any direction from this location. The temperatures itself even is different, cooler by about 15 to 20 degrees.

The camp is small and while they have a posting for RVs I don't see how they could easily fit in the spaces I saw. There are minimal amenities such as drinking water and vault toilets but no dump stations or hook ups.

It was very quiet when we were there although there were other campers, the sounds of everything around seemed to muffle any noise they could be making.

TIPS:

• Don't plan on contacting anyone, staying here is a truly unplug and unwind experience.

• Explore some of the hiking in the area. Lincoln National Forest has nearly 50 trails so there is something for everyone from short day hikes to long treks for backcountry camping and hiking.

This whole valley is just… something! A disappearing and reappearing lake, ancient human and mastodon footprint fossils, the birthplace of nuclear reactions and aerospace exploration -- all this AND hills of white gypsum sand upon which you can sled year round?  Not bad for the middle of New Mexico, between two mountain ranges. 

However, camping nearby leaves something to be desired, even in the RV parks – which is never our thing. However, during a couple of visits we’ve spent the night at some BLM areas just a few miles to the east of the main entrance to the National Park. We’ve spent nights on either side of the highway, but the better boondocking area is on the north side of the highway here at Holloman Lake (not for swimming, read other reviews for details).  You’re right on the border of the air force base, so expect a lot of activity nearby.  In December, there were maybe 6-8 other RV's nearby, but lots of space to spread out.  Road in was good (a little rough in spots) but overall pretty easy, even for our 67 year old camper. The sunsets are always spectacular, even better if it's a bit windy as the fine grains of gypsum sand are in the air, creating gorgeous color.

There’s nothing in the way of services at this place, just a good, quiet place to park for a few nights.  But, the wide open range has everything you need for solar power and Starlink.  

Outdoor activities outside of the park can be found up in the mountain ranges to the east of Alamogordo, or to the west in the mountains closer to Las Cruces. 

Alamogordo is just 15- 20 minutes away where you can get anything you might need, food, groceries, gas, laundry etc.  Oh, and go to the New Mexico History of Space Museum...super fun for kiddos of all ages!

I was looking to get away from the heat in Albuquerque and maybe even do a little fishing. I picked a site next to the upper river (Rio Bonito). The water was clear and moving, but no sign of any fish. The river is more of a creek (expected for New Mexico), but still pretty. It was barely visible from my camp, but just a short hike away. No ATT or Verizon cell service at my site, but I did find a weak signal up near the office. The wifi was a struggle. It was barely adequate the first day, but absolutely miserable the second day. I could easily connect to their router, but constantly got an error of “no internet service” and had to log off and on several times. I had limited shade at my site, but thankfully the AC kept the trailer cool enough, as it was nearly 90 degrees outside. The hosts were very nice and the park is kept pretty clean. No tents allowed, though.

I don't know where Lindsay was, but this campground is nowhere near any highway called 79. Oak Grove is just north of Ruidoso off 532, which intersects 48 in Alta. Six bucks per vehicle for camping or day use, half off with the annual pass. The only parking is on the main road through the campground, you can't park away from the traffic. Three little bear proof dumpsters were emptied very regularly. The horses are fascinating and with horses come horse apples. There are piles of horse apples have a foot thick. Bring a rake. In May the meadow was blooming with purple irises of some sort. This made for a dense population of hummingbirds and huge wasps. The waspes are not aggressive but they are a nuisance. The low prices bring low income families, I wish it was twice the expense to camp here. Most plates were from Texas a few from New Mexico and even an occasional Colorado. On the weekends the place gets pretty full. This campground is closed in the winter because the road in is steep curvy with sheer drop offs. There is firewood galore to be picked up off the ground. The biggest concern of the camp post and the forest service rangers is forest fires. Please be sure to bring enough water to drown your campfire completely.

If you do one thing in New Mexico--and it would be a shame if you only did one thing, but I digress--full moon camping at White Sands National Monument might be it. As the sun sets on the Sacramento Mountains, the valley is lit orange and red as the dunes fade from white through amazing hues of tan. The full moon then lights the sand bright white and the Organ Mountains to the west loom as black teeth in the west. Sunrise repeats the process.

Camping at White Sands takes a small amount of planning, but is well worth it. You must claim a spot the of your arrival and pay a small fee. This is done at the visitor's center which has a great museum. My advise is to get there early to get a spot then head up to Cloudcroft to the east for a cooler hike in the pines then return an hour or two before sunset.

Once at the trailhead, the camp sites are 1/4 to 1/2 mile of hiking away. This is sand hiking, so plan on a slower pace. The trail is a lollipop marked by posts every couple hundred yards with camp sites in the valleys between camp sites. No campfires are allowed, and you must camp by the post with your campsite number. You must bring all of your water (plan on at least one gallon per person per day) and pack out all of your waste. The trailhead has dumpsters and pit toilets.

Bring a camera and tripod for amazing moon shots and a decent bag because it can get cold at night.

My second time here. Great sites, and the Dog Canyon hike is excellent. Quiet and friendly!