Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Las Cruces, NM

This spot was beautiful, right down the mountains. It wasn’t too far from Las Cruces at all. The sites are well maintained and the sights were great. We did run into some light pollution from the surrounding cities, but the stars were still beautiful.

We stopped here on our way from las cruces to white sands. It’s very popular pullout spot for good reason- awesome views of the Organ Mountains! We pulled in late and easily found a spot, but cars here really are parked side by side. It’s a good spot for a nights rest.

We have been living in our airstream for the past month now and this has been my favorite place we have stayed. Nice cement pad and shaded picnic bench with the mountains in the background! It was so cheap too I think $15 a night you can’t beat it. 15 minutes from las cruces and 50 minutes from white sands np.

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.

Really beautiful park near Las Cruces. Very clean, nice bathrooms. Inexpensive. Pets allowed. Very large sites with a great view of the mpuntains and the Rio Grande.

In the chill of November 2023, I found myself drawn to the desolate expanse of Dispersed Camping off Corralitos Rd on I-10, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, amidst the haunting shadows of dead horses scattered like forgotten relics, I lingered for a mere half-hour. This eerie spot, shrouded in mystery and decay, whispered secrets of forgotten tales amid the howling winds. A grim reminder of life's fragility, nestled just off the beaten path, where the line between the living and the dead blurs into obscurity.

We’d been traveling a lot with lots of short stays and we’re looking for 5 nights near Las Cruces to hunker down for a bit. This park is about 17 miles north for easy availability to Las Cruces, but far enough away for some quiet and relative privacy. The only issue was we had two full days of high winds and blowing dust that kept us inside. We used the time to get caught up on a few things. The other two days were spent exploring Las Cruces including laundry mats and a great visit to White Sands National Park. Verizon service was very good. Unfortunately, NM still has the Park Offices closed along with the showers.

Overlooking Las Cruces with unobstructed views of mountains in distance. Would stay here & pick same site again in future.

This area is about 20 minutes west of Las Cruces. It's directly off the highway and is a gravel/dirt area. There aren't really any sites, more just areas to pull a vehicle through. Large enough for any kind of camper (RV, Trailers, ect). You could also tent camp if you wanted.

This area was nice to stop for the night because I was getting tired. Lots of highway noise, and the area is a bit trashy. For a stop to rest and eat, it worked perfectly. There is a gas station nearby, but the area is dispersed, so there are no services. Verizon service was good.

If you want a free site that you can spend a few days at, there are some great dispersed campgrounds on the east side of Las Cruces. They have hiking trails nearby at the Orange Mountains.

Great campsite right outside of las cruces. Very pretty drive in but easy to fly by if you’re going too fast on the main highway. Good spot to stay if you want to hike any of the trails in the Organ mountains

It’s a parking area for hiking with a few places for RV’s to park for a night. There is a sign asking campers to not block the entrance and parking spots for hikers. Views of Las Cruces and the surrounding mountains is amazing. Very quiet and dark all night.

This is a very clean and organized KOA. One of the best I’ve stayed at. Nice showers and dog park. Located up on the hill so you have nice views.

After about 308 miles on the road today we were tired. The desolate stretches of highway between Tucson and Las Cruces had paid their toll and we were very happy to at last see the Las Cruces KOA Campground sign.  

We had called in advance and were insured that tent camping was not yet full and we could come and make ourselves at home. Unknowing if we would make it before the office closed between 6:00 and 6:30 we were delighted to see the friendly face of Anne when we arrived. 

She assisted us with not only a great campsite but also providing a map with items potentially of interest and some knowledge about our next days activity. 

Our campsite was near the bathrooms and on a grassy area with plenty of shade. We were provided with a grill station and picnic table as well as water at the site and parking just in front along the slight fence line. 

The campground facilities provided a half basketball court and play area as well as a gazebo for looking at the views during sunset. Those views were amazing overlooking the city and into the mountains as the night fell from the distance.

We found an outdoor grill area upon arrival which offered a little more relief from winds than our campsite itself so were able to use our camp stove there and also have a nice area to sit and eat peacefully.

There was a pool and it looked very inviting, however it was not open until mid month, a sad negative to us upon arrival. 

I did take notice for those rv camping they also provided full hook ups and cable. To all campers wifi was available as well.

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Overall this campground gets 5 of 5 Bunnies. The security of code locked facilities as well as comfortable facilities made for a pleasant experience in Las Cruces as a pass through city on our venture.