Best Dispersed Camping near Mayhill, NM

Dispersed camping options surround Mayhill, New Mexico within Lincoln National Forest, with multiple free primitive sites accessible via forest service roads. The Forest Road 568 dispersed area and Bluff Springs dispersed camping provide backcountry camping opportunities without reservations or fees. Additional camping can be found along Forest Roads 634 and 64, offering primitive sites tucked away in the Sacramento Mountains. These areas typically allow drive-in and walk-in access for both tent and RV camping on public land.

Access roads to dispersed sites near Mayhill often require careful navigation, with many campers recommending high-clearance vehicles. Several reviews indicate that Forest Road 568 becomes progressively rougher and narrower, making it challenging for larger RVs to turn around if they venture too far. Most dispersed areas lack amenities such as drinking water, restrooms, or trash service. Some sites permit campfires where not restricted by seasonal fire bans. As one visitor noted, "It's a Forest road so check it out before pulling your trailer up it. Was gated and locked about 1.5 miles in with no room to turn a rig around there."

The Cloudcroft area provides cooler mountain temperatures compared to surrounding lower-elevation regions, making these camping areas particularly popular during summer months. Wildlife sightings are common, with campers reporting encounters with elk, deer, turkey, and even wild horses. The Bluff Springs area features a small waterfall and creek that draw day visitors. According to reviews, "Bluff Springs is nestled in a pretty forested valley with a creek and falls in Lincoln National Forest about 10 miles south of Cloudcroft." Cell service is minimal to non-existent in most locations. Weekends and holidays see significantly higher usage, with several campers noting increasing popularity at sites like Bluff Springs. Some primitive areas remain quieter, particularly during weekdays or in the off-season when temperatures drop.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Mayhill, New Mexico (23)

    1. Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    17 Reviews
    Cloudcroft, NM
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 682-2551

    "You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."

    "04/15/22 service road 568, Lincoln National Forest, NM

    Friday night/Good Friday

    I found this camp on a suggestion from a local waitress at Big Daddy’s."

    2. Bluff Springs Dispersed Camping

    17 Reviews
    Sunspot, NM
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 682-7570

    "Dispersed camping along the bluff spring stream. A ton of campsites, and easy access to bluff spring and a trail complex. High clearance vehicle recommended, pretty packed in the summer months."

    "This is a quiet area tucked away in Lincoln National Forest. It's not too far from Cloudcroft, NM so it's easy to resupply on water, snack, etc."

    3. Forest Rd 568 Dispersed

    8 Reviews
    Cloudcroft, NM
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 682-2551

    "You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."

    "This was a beautiful location, near the town of Cloudcroft. We enjoyed the cooler weather up in the mountains. It was peaceful and quite. There were not very many spaces available."

    4. Dog Canyon

    17 Reviews
    Sunspot, NM
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 525-4300

    "Main dirt road is fine, even for larger rigs. Side road that runs north/south may give you issues.

    Plenty of obvious campsites, many of which are level."

    "The turn off from the paved road is difficult to spot and the unpaved road is rough. High ground clearance recommended."

    5. Bailey Canyon

    1 Review
    Cloudcroft, NM
    16 miles

    "Very much so dispersed camping with no amenities. The road up was a little muddy but over all smoother and easy. We picked a spot at the highest point along Bailey Canyon Rd."

    6. Lincoln NF - Forest Service Road 64 - Dispersed Camping

    2 Reviews
    Sunspot, NM
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (575) 434-7200

    "We tent camped in mid September 2022 in the Lincoln National Forest south of Cloudcroft, NM off Forest Service Road 64. Over 9,400’ and it got cold at night. Saw one elk and heard more bugling."

    "Beautiful area off Davis drive, so many areas to camp. Some are restricted to motor vehicles but just keep driving down the gravel road and you will find something."

    7. Alamo Peak Rd

    1 Review
    Sunspot, NM
    18 miles
    Website

    "We have a 30 foot motor home and were so glad to find a dispersed spot in the mountains we could fit!

    Rim Trails and Alamo Peak Trails in walking distance."

    8. Lincoln National Park Forest Road 634 Dispersed

    1 Review
    Lincoln National Forest, NM
    17 miles

    "Follow sunspot highway to mile marker numbe 5, the forest road is right there. Once you enter take a left down the slope."

    9. Forest Road 634 - Dispersed Site

    1 Review
    Lincoln National Forest, NM
    17 miles
    Website

    10. Picacho Road Dispersed Camping

    1 Review
    Mayhill, NM
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (505) 954-2000

    "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."

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Dispersed Camping Reviews near Mayhill, NM

80 Reviews of 23 Mayhill Campgrounds


  • Jacob  W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 6, 2022

    Lincoln NF - Forest Service Road 64 - Dispersed Camping

    Awesome dispersed camping

    We tent camped in mid September 2022 in the Lincoln National Forest south of Cloudcroft, NM off Forest Service Road 64. Over 9,400’ and it got cold at night. Saw one elk and heard more bugling. Plenty of wood to make a fire. Nice forest. We stayed at a spot on a meadow about 4-5 dispersed sites south of Sunspot Highway. Good times.

  • Mitchell M.
    Dec. 11, 2021

    Forest Rd 568 Dispersed

    Excellent Stay

    Needed a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate

  • Mitchell M.
    Dec. 11, 2021

    Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping

    Great Stay

    Needed a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate

  • Abraham The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 1, 2021

    Bluff Springs Dispersed Camping

    Lots of options

    Dispersed camping along the bluff spring stream. A ton of campsites, and easy access to bluff spring and a trail complex. High clearance vehicle recommended, pretty packed in the summer months.

  • Mark G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 21, 2024

    Dry Canyon Near Hang Glider Launch

    Great camping. Difficult terrain. Gun range at the bottom.

    The camping is great and the views are amazing. However, the trail up to the camping spots is steep, washed out, and tight. Can be navigated with a stock 4x4 pick up. Also, there is a gun range at the bottom, so you'll hear gun shots til sundown. Also, a little highway noise is present in the distance.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 12, 2019

    Bluff Springs Dispersed Camping

    Lovely little spot in the Lincoln NF

    This is a little pull-off area in a very populated National Forest. It can get pretty crowded so hiking in is important. The car-camping and RV camping is right on the road.

  • Jacob  W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 3, 2020

    Bluff Springs Dispersed Camping

    Potentially good

    Bluff Springs is nestled in a pretty forested valley with a creek and falls in Lincoln National Forest about 10 miles south of Cloudcroft off Sunspot highway on Upper Peñasco Road. There’s a gravel parking lot with bathrooms but no campground. We tent camped Sat, Aug. 1, 2020, arriving about 2pm. There were many people camping and it was difficult to find a spot along the road with dispersed camping sites. We had to camp in thicker grass among cow dung because the mowed sites were taken. Still, life outside is better, right? It stormed much of the day and night but Sunday morning dawned clear and we took a short 1-mile hike from the Bluff Springs trailhead to the Willie White trailhead. There are longer hikes too. There were some camping trailers but no big RVs. Upper Peñasco Road is narrow in parts. A decent place.

  • Andrew R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 15, 2023

    Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area

    Does not exist

    Hey yall! Wanted to download the app just to leave the review for other weary travelers. This site doesn't exist anymore! It's now private property and there's a large gate blocking. There are some other pull off areas nearby on the road unmarked that you'll just spot and see. All dirtbaggers be careful

  • E
    Apr. 6, 2024

    Picacho Road Dispersed Camping

    Decent Place to Stop, Nothing Special

    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


Guide to Mayhill

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Mayhill, New Mexico, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, this area is perfect for those seeking adventure and tranquility.

Wildlife Watching while free camping near Mayhill

Scenic Views for dispersed campers

  • The Bailey Canyon offers stunning vistas and a peaceful atmosphere, making it an ideal spot for those who appreciate breathtaking landscapes.
  • Campers at Forest Rd 568 Dispersed enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, especially during sunset, providing a picturesque backdrop for evening campfires.
  • The Picacho Road Dispersed Camping location features open meadows and shaded areas, allowing for a variety of scenic spots to set up camp.

Adventure Awaits for dispersed campers

  • For those looking for a bit of adventure, Dry Canyon Near Hang Glider Launch offers steep trails and stunning views, perfect for hiking and exploring.
  • The Hoosier Canyon area provides access to rugged terrain, ideal for off-road enthusiasts and those seeking a challenge.
  • At Alamo Peak Rd, visitors can enjoy nearby Rim Trails and Alamo Peak Trails, making it a great base for hiking and outdoor activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Mayhill, NM?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Mayhill, NM is Forest Road 568 - Dispersed Camping with a 4.5-star rating from 17 reviews.

What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Mayhill, NM?

TheDyrt.com has all 23 dispersed camping locations near Mayhill, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.