Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Las Cruces, NM

Stayed: 10/9/2020- FREE

Vehicle: Hyundai Rogue

Equipment: Tent

Coming from Las Cruces, this is the first of 3 dispersed areas along Dripping Springs and Baylor Canyon roads. We stayed on a Friday night and were worried we wouldn’t find a spot. Every site was taken along the way until the trailhead. We decided to squeeze in and just sleep in the car, instead of risking our luck with the next two areas.

Easy to find, even in the dark. Nice views of the mountains and a trail right there, if you wanted to do some walking or biking.

This was fine for a quick, one-night stay. I’d prefer to have one of the actual sites and be able to pitch the tent if we were staying any longer. Too close to our neighbors for my liking, but in a pinch, it was a great spot!

AT&T and Sprint: 2 bars LTE

Located in Las Cruces New Mexico, Hacienda RV resort is conveniently situated right off of interstate 10. Their main office is closed currently due to COVID precautions, but they are still very accommodating. The sites are small, but have everything you need with level concrete pads and full hook ups. They have a large laundry room. Make sure you use the ones closest to the door (on the right) because they are newer and don’t leave your clothes soaking wet. The dog park is large and has several entrances- it also provides waste bags and a garbage can, which is a plus. The bathrooms are private and include a toilet and shower- clean!!

The road is pretty rocky, take it slow and you’ll be good though. 4wd not needed, I managed fine in a 2wd Escape, wouldn’t attempt going too far in with low clearance as some rocks are pretty big. There were quite a few Campers and 5th-wheels further down the way, but I found a good spot with venturing too deep. Person not too far from me pitched a tent, I car camp so can’t say how tent conditions would be, but saw him with a tent pitched & staked! I was up at 7am and they were gone, imagine they must’ve been pretty cold, temps drop quite dramatically and the winds whip up there. Heard coyote’s howling pretty nearby around 1:30am, and in the area again at 3am-ish. There was also lots of scat around, pretty large piles, thinking it’s cow as there’s several cattle ranches very close by and they seem to get loose often-be cautious when driving around, they pop out of nowhere on the main road to Baylor. Sunset is breathtaking!! I don’t recommend arriving here after dark whatsoever. Stars are surprisingly visible too- there’s a lot of light pollution from Las Cruces down below, but it didn’t seem to have much effect on star gazing while I was there. Will definitely return!

We arrived after dark to the Las Cruces KOA.  The park was about 1/2 full and the sites were spacious, clean and had both gravel and cement area for parking.  The skies at night were clear and the location of the camp, set on a hilltop, was perfect for seeing stars and the distant city lights.  During the daytime, the park has beautiful views of the mountains nearby.  Some of the sites are considered premium and they had the best mountain views and a patio area and outdoor fitpit.  

The dog run area was exceptionally clean, nice and spacious for our two dog.  The dog area has a patch of grass in the middle and then surrounded by decompressed granite.  I preferred this to the dog parks that are all grass.  It was very clean and had climbing structures for the pups.  The restroom near the dog park was sparkling clean with marble floors.  I popped into the gift shop/welcome desk and there were a lot of items for sale, crafts, food items, etc.  I can see spending a longer visit here and exploring the town of Las Cruces and the nearby Medilla area wineries.  The location is convenient if you are traveling on I-10 and feels very safe and secure.

Just spent a few nights at the Las Cruces KOA and it was awesome! The sites are super clean and well-spaced, and we loved the views overlooking the city and mountains—especially at night with the lights. https://mapsdirectionsdriving.com/ staff was really friendly and helpful. Big shoutout to the clean restrooms(yes, marble floors!) and the dog park, which our pup loved.

Wi-Fi worked great(even for Zoom calls), and the pool was a perfect bonus for our warm afternoon. We stayed in a KOA Patio Site with a fire pit, and it was worth it! It’s also super convenient—just off I-10 but still peaceful.

Took a short drive to La Mesilla and the farmers market in Las Cruces—definitely recommend both. White Sands is also not too far if you’re up for a day trip. We planned for one night but stayed three—totally worth it!