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Best Dispersed Camping near Nageezi, NM

36 Reviews

The rugged landscape surrounding Nageezi, New Mexico includes multiple dispersed camping options on public lands, particularly in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area, Angel Peak Scenic Area, and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness. These free primitive sites are located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, with most camping occurring in designated parking lots, pull-offs along service roads, and open areas near trailheads. The most established dispersed camping areas include the Bisti Badlands trailhead parking lot, Angel Peak Badlands, and various turnouts along Indian Service Road 7000.

Access roads to these primitive sites range from well-maintained gravel to rough washboard sections requiring careful navigation. Many reviews note that high-clearance vehicles are recommended for reaching certain areas, particularly Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah trailhead, where one camper described "rough" conditions that would have "completely rearranged" their 30-foot trailer. Fire restrictions vary by location and season, with fires prohibited in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness areas but permitted at Angel Peak. Most sites offer no amenities beyond vault toilets at some trailheads. There is no drinking water, trash service, or hookups available at any location, making these true backcountry camping experiences.

These primitive desert camping areas provide spectacular scenery with badlands formations, hoodoos, and canyon views. Angel Peak Scenic Area features dramatic overlooks with some sites positioned along canyon edges, offering what one visitor called "one of the most stunning views we have experienced." Cell service varies by location and carrier, with reviewers noting "strong 5G T-Mobile signal" at Angel Peak while coverage elsewhere can be spotty. The areas generally remain uncrowded, though Angel Peak's limited sites (approximately 12) can fill up on weekends. According to one visitor, "You'll probably see a couple of vehicles pass by all day. Only redeeming feature is it is free and close to Chaco Canyon."

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Nageezi, New Mexico (10)

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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Nageezi, NM

28 Photos of 10 Nageezi Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Nageezi, NM

36 Reviews of 10 Nageezi Campgrounds

  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 10, 2020

    Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area

    Ranger Review: Banner and Oak Hat at Bisti Badlands

    This campground is more like a parking lot with extended canyons for camping. You can set up shop right on the outskirts of the parking lot on the flat ground or in the nearby canyons or turnoffs on the road to get the the parking lot. 

    There is a pit toilet located there that is really well taken care of. There is also a picnic shelter for those super hot days when you are in need of shade. 

    You can also backpack across the wilderness area as well. You will need to check the weather and supply extra water since there is not much shade and no water sources. 

    For Hiking: We used Gaia GPS to pinpoint our coordinates to the "cool" spots and ended up getting detoured due to really cool formations all over the place. We were like moths to flames. It is such a cool spot and LOTS to see!

    Gear review: Banner and Oak Freedom to Explore hat

    Occasionally as a Ranger we get the opportunity to test out some gear from time to time. I got this hat for my partner and he wanted to test it out for a while before we reviewed it so we thought this was the perfect opportunity. You can find the hat here: https://bannerandoak.com/collections/hats/products/horizon-olive

    This hat is extremely fashionable and comfortable. The color is a perfect Olive with black writing that says "Freedom To Explore". There is a mesh lining on the inner front of the hat that helps with sweat and heat. It also keeps you from getting a line across your forehead when removing the hat. He wore it all day and didn't take it off once for it being too loose or too tight. Even after a week fo wearing it everyday it didn't get that gross sweat smell that normal hats get. 

    The back of the hat has a buckle closure instead of snaps so it lays nice on the back of your head and doesn't dig in.

  • Jordyn M.
    Jun. 10, 2021

    Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area

    Remote and cool hiking

    This free campground positioned us well to beat the heat and hike through the badlands first thing in the morning! Pit toilets available next to the parking lot as well as a pavilion area with tables.

    A handful of dispersed sites were available once in the BLM boundaries as well as plenty of space in the trailhead parking lot to spend the night.

    The hike to the various features of the badlands are not marked, however good GPS signal allowed us to plug in coordinates to follow during the hike. Land forms looked like they should be from a different planet!

  • Andrea P.
    Jul. 28, 2025

    Angel Peak NM Badlands | Dispersed Camping

    Beautiful spot! Can get some intense winds

    I loved my stay here--absolutely incredible views, not too crowded.  Covered picknick tables and good pit toilets.  

    I left my tent up while visiting Chaco.  Some wild weather came through and when I got back my tent had nearly gone over the canyon rim despite being staked down and weighted with my sleeping bag and pad.  I'd strongly recommend tying at least one tent line to the shade structure around the picknick table in times of iffy weather.

  • Ray & Terri F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 17, 2023

    Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Trailhead Parking Lot | Dispersed Camping

    Small trailhead parking area, but the wilderness does not disappoint

    We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in mid April. The roads in can be pretty rough in places, but not too awful bad in others for dirt and gravel road anyway. I wouldn’t attempt it in anything other than a 4WD if the area were to get any significant rain, as the ruts in the road were pretty significant. There are basically two ways to get here, one is at Nageezi on CR 7800 to NM 57(aka ISR 451 on some maps) from US 550, which is the way we came in. The 1st 4 of the 15 miles are paved, the rest is gravel and/or dirt. I was able to go between 20 and 30 mph most of the way, except in some really rough sections and at a couple of the cow guards. The other way, that BLM suggests on their website https://www.blm.gov/visit/ah-shi-sle-pah-wilderness, is to just take NM 57 off of US 550 several miles north of Nageezi, which we tried on the way out. Parts were better, but most of it was just as bad and a longer drive than CR 7800. The last 5 miles were“paved” or used to be and is some of the worst parts. The entrance to the trailhead is a fairly tight turn from the east, narrow, somewhat U-shaped and sporty(see photo looking NE, which really doesn’t do it justice), but after dropping our tow, we managed to get our 36’ MH up and in on the second attempt. Arriving from the east, I would suggest trying to turn around as we did and entering the trailhead from the west. To get to the wash and hoodoos it’s about a 0.6 mile walk from the trailhead. The trailhead area is nothing special, but the Wilderness Area, wash and hoodoos are really cool.

    AT&T coverage was actually quite good, with 1-2 Bars of 5G service and speeds of up to 9 MB/s without a booster. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 10 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.

  • Jennifer M.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2023

    Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness | Dispersed Camping

    Backcountry adventure

    We had the goal of exploring New Mexico back country and Bisti, which we did! The Dyrt directions to the trailhead here are perfect. There were a few folks camping at the parking lot and there is a relatively clean pit toilet there though bring TP. We drove past the lot and got over a ditch no problem with our Tacoma. Past the second lot there is dispersed camping. We picked a great spot on the left. Nearby our spot 100 yards were very cool rock formations. We hiked in the badlands and found some neat formations and petrified wood though nothing like the beautiful photos published online. It was still worth it for the unique experience. We did a 6 mile out/back hike with 2 dogs. Flat but hot and windy at times. Some of the wind got intense at our camp spot. All in all this is a worthwhile experience if you like getting off the beaten path and exploring something different. We drove from here to Alien Throne. GPS was spotty but got us there and we had on/off service in Bisti.

  • Texas Roving Ranger
    Jul. 9, 2024

    Angel Peak NM Badlands | Dispersed Camping

    Tranquil, secluded and scenic boondocking sites

    Just arrived at Angel Peak dispersed campground near Bloomfield NM. It's Monday July 9th 2024. We stayed one night. The gravel road from HWY 550 is in good shape. Only one other camper in the entire area. This is completely dry camping. No potable water nor electricity. However, each site has a fire ring, picnic table and shade shelter. Everything is very tidy. Only a small bit of litter in the fire ring. Clean vault toilet nearby. Strong 5G TMobile cell signal.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2020

    Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area

    Very quiet!

    Nice quiet FREE place to stay the night even though there were quite a few campers. Camping is in the parking lot area and basically any pull off you can find a space. If you’re in a tent just hike off anywhere and pitch it for the night. There are no trail markers so just be aware while exploring the very cool formations. Off hwy 371, at the T in the road turn left (Google maps said to turn right just FYI) continue down to parking lot or along the road.

    There are pit toilets, no water or garbage. I was able to get AT&T and Verizon cell reception.

  • Karen B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 10, 2023

    Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area

    So cool!

    Bisti was magical and I’m so glad I got to experience before we move out of New Mexico. We got to do a bunch of exploring and then headed straight off the “trail” to make dinner in our camper.

    We stayed here on a Thursday night and shared the parking lot with a handful of other campers. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked with TP.

    We were not able to have a campfire but did witness a magical sunset. This area is such a gem!

    there is no trash collection out here. Please pack it out!

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 14, 2024

    Dispersed Campsite Near Brown Springs

    Interesting Terrain & OHV Area

    OHV trails are all over. I am not a OHV guy, but looks to be OHV haven. Flat and hilly areas for lots of fun. I’d stay away during heavy rain.

Guide to Nageezi

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Nageezi, New Mexico, where stunning landscapes and unique geological formations await. This area offers a variety of options for those looking to immerse themselves in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.

Unique Geological Wonders while free camping near Nageezi

  • The Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area is known for its otherworldly rock formations and petrified wood, making it a must-visit for adventurous campers.
  • Visitors often rave about the magical sunsets experienced at the [Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area], providing a perfect backdrop for evening relaxation after a day of exploration.
  • The area is also home to fascinating features like the "cracked eggs," which are a highlight for hikers and photographers alike.

Tips for free and dispersed camping near Nageezi, New Mexico

Dispersed campers should check out the scenic views

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Nageezi, NM is Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 10 dispersed camping locations near Nageezi, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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