Top Free Dispersed Camping near Playas, NM

Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Playas? We've got you covered. Find everything from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your New Mexico camping adventure.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Playas, NM (10)


Recent Dispersed Reviews In Playas

28 Reviews of 10 Playas Campgrounds


  • NThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Granite Gap
    Apr. 14, 2024

    Granite Gap

    Extreme solitude

    First off do not use Google maps. It will not take you to the right place. Use the built-in location found in DYRT. After you turn off I 10 on the left to travel approximately 10 miles the site will be on your right hand side. Follow the road to the left as you go through the gate. The site is very well-maintained. There are only a handful of sites available, but when I was there, I was the only one.

  • Melissa S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Gold Gulch Road
    Mar. 30, 2024

    Gold Gulch Road

    Nice place to pull over for the night

    We came in after dark, but the roads were clear and it was easy to set up. Quiet.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Granite Gap
    Jan. 28, 2024

    Granite Gap

    Classic New Mexi o

    Great spot. Rocks and cactus and sunrises. Narrow sandy road, but manageable for smaller RV.

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from West Turkey Creek Dispersed
    Jan. 10, 2024

    West Turkey Creek Dispersed

    Gorgeous

    The drive up is beautiful, the road isn’t maintained, but in pretty good condition. I stopped right after the cattle guard. There is another site going up about .5 mile in the left. Couldn’t see good enough in the dark. The creek was flowing and quite a few animals at dawn and dusk. Not a lot of traffic, and a trail right up the road to hike or follow the creek. The last campers left it so nice I was able to add decorations.

  • h
    Camper-submitted photo from Granite Gap
    Dec. 25, 2023

    Granite Gap

    Beautiful! Quite! Amazing!

    Amazing views. A bit sandy of a drive. You have to open and close a gate but it is not locked. Quite, no lights nearby, dispersed camping at its best. Just a few cows. I would camp here again. We made it up in a long bed crew an Chevy 2500. Some camp sites at the bottom. But if you go up to the dead end keep to the left. Site is not to level but throw a couple of rocks under the tires and you can level out. Drive up is a little bit narrow with cactus close to the road. I would not think you need 4x4 but maybe something more then a car would be better. If wet I would think it may get a bit squishy, but with it dry a stock suv would make it just fine. Camped next to a rock face. Just beautiful!

  • D
    Camper-submitted photo from Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping
    Oct. 26, 2023

    Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping

    Great camping and hiking

    Great place I came upon while on I-10. Thirty minutes for the interstate. The hiking was good. The place was a little busy, but not bad. Heard some cows but never seen them. Clean place. No services. Cell signal was good.

  • Dawid M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Gold Gulch Road
    Sep. 25, 2023

    Gold Gulch Road

    Safari

    a place like from some safari movie, beautiful sunset, you can see a herd of cows. plenty of room for everyone and an easy route

  • R
    Camper-submitted photo from Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed
    Mar. 11, 2023

    Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed

    Great views

    A number of flat cleared areas not far off of hwy90. We cleaned up the beer cans, bottles, and trash left from other before us. We plan on being here for several more days. 30ft class A with toad.

  • Monte W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest
    Nov. 26, 2022

    Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest

    Awesome dispersed sites

    Drove about 40 minutes down pinery canyon road. Roads weren’t terrible but had a few washboard spots. Several sites located off the main road. Plenty of wood to collect for the fire. It was pretty cold at night in late November but there was plenty of space between sites that my generator wasn’t offensive to others. Very clean site too.

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping
    Nov. 3, 2022

    Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping

    Cattleman trail

    There’s several campsites around the trail head. I found a great secluded spot along a rough back road area, my express van with chunky tires was able to clear the bumps in the roadway. Cell service is excellent for Verizon even wandering around the trails back here.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed
    Oct. 7, 2022

    Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed

    Awesome boondocking

    Off Chisholm trail , previous coordinates are for CDT NO VEHICLE TRAFFIC. Great sites, I think I had the best one. First on right just before Cattlemans road. Met Pat she has the grazing rights here. She was very apologetic about the trash the last campers left. I just said well some are scum and showed her the two trash bags full and the 4x6 platform I cut up so it's manageable. Will burn the wood and haul the rest off. Only saw her cattle one afternoon. I'm a country boy so seeing cow poop is not a big deal. She said a bear was just shot yesterday a few miles north of here. Be vigilant. #leavenotrace

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping
    Oct. 5, 2022

    Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping

    Excellent area

    Staying at the first site on the right. 14 days. Love it, plenty of shade and also sun for solar recharge. No utilities and sites not marked but they are abvious. Peace and quiet. I'm getting 3 bars on AT&T which is pretty good I think. Streamed a movie last night with no issues. Previous campers left trash, so my two dogs and I cleaned it up. Cut up a 4x6 platform they left. Will burn the wood and haul off the frame to a dumpster in Silver City where I'll restock at walmart. Met Pat this morning- she has the grazing rights through here. She apologized for mess from previous camper's. Told her and showed her it's taken care of and Thanked her for stopping by to say Hi. Will definitely stay here again!

  • Albert V.
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest
    Mar. 30, 2022

    Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest

    Great spot to visit Chiricahua NM

    I spent one night here. It was very quiet and secluded, and the dirt road is in great condition. There's tons of spots and the trees give a little cover. I rained on and off at night, but I feel the tree foliage kept a lot of water from dripping down onto the tent.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping
    Mar. 29, 2022

    Cattlemen Trail - Dispersed Camping

    Stay off White Water Rd

    If coming from the east your gps might try to take you via White Water Rd -DONT! Instead take the 90 unless you want to spend an hour driving over bone jarring washboard roads

  • Danny H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed
    Mar. 5, 2022

    Gila National Forest Road 861 Dispersed

    Nice Overnight Boondocking location

    This is a Gila National Forest Access Road just west of the Continental Divide on highway 90.  It has multiple fairly level and easily accessible boondocking sites. It's far enough from the highway to be quiet. The only real drawback is the Cattle droppings here and there. We spent the night, so can't comment on other activities in the area, but there are roads and trails leading out of the location and into the Forest.

  • D
    Camper-submitted photo from Round Mountain Rockhound Area - Dispersed
    Jan. 9, 2022

    Round Mountain Rockhound Area - Dispersed

    Difficult to access but great rocks!

    So if you are into rocks this really is a great place to check out. Be prepared as the drive in is difficult and long. Larger RVs are not recommended as the road has many steep washouts and ruts. The main dirt road leading into the area has bad washboard bumps. There is also an active cattle ranch in the area so be careful with any pets. You’ll find a logbook on the way in. Once there you’ll find plenty of places to park but don’t count on it being level. There are also lots of sharp rocks so watch your tires. There are no facilities here. The views are amazing especially at night. The wind never did stop. You got to really like rocks!

  • Michael B.
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Campground Lower - Dispersed
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Pinery Campground Lower - Dispersed

    Tucked Away

    This dispersed campground is on the Pinery Scenic Route#42 on an all dirt road just before the incline up the mountain. It is a large campsite that can hold a group if necessary. There are no facilities or drinking water but there was a large fire ring available. You are tucked on the side of a hill and covered by trees for a nice shady spot to camp.

  • CJ T.
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest
    May. 3, 2021

    Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest

    Pretty good dispersed sites

    Your best bet if you are looking to visit Chiricahua National Monument and Bonita is full. This is the closest in proximity from what I could tell. Obviously no bathrooms, but Chiricahua visitor center does have a bathroom. It’s not practical for every bathroom use, but maybe worth it to poop 😅 otherwise, good dispersed sites. They don’t start for a mile or two after entering Coronado NF. Sites on the right side of the road tend to have more shade then on the left. Sites have rock fire pits and good shade. We heard turkeys, had a nightly skunk visitor who was pretty un-afraid of humans and definitely was looking for food. We locked food in covered truck bed to prevent too many visitors.

  • C
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest
    Oct. 17, 2020

    Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest

    Proximity to the National Park is convenient

    We went further SE on Pinery Canyon Road and found multiple spots under the trees and back away from the road right at the intersection to Fork Road. There was no water in the creek bed in October. Nice spot for an overnight or weekend camping trip. We saw many deer along the way and one came through our camp at night. Fun spot to camp.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest
    Apr. 23, 2019

    Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping - Coronado National Forest

    Private and close to the Chiricahuan Nat'l Monument

    If the campground at the national monument is full, head up Piney Canyon Rd. and you will find a number of free spots for both tent camping and RV’s just off the main road inside the boundary of the national forest.  Most sites are tree covered, but we found one with an open sunny space for our solar panel. Our site was right next to a very clean flowing stream, which provided not only a nice soundtrack but also a filterable water source.  Most of the sites seemed to have established fire pits, with ours being the monster of all fire pits we’ve ever seen. These are dispersed sites, so no potable water, picnic tables, or toilets are available, so come prepared with what you need to be comfortable.  Also note that the road into the forest is not maintained well and is full of washboards for about a mile or so, and many washes cross this road, so pay close attention to rain in the forecast as you could get stuck on the other side of one of these washes for an indefinite period of time.  

    The closest grocery store and gas station is in Willcox, which is about 40 minutes away.  There are also a number of wineries in the area, as this is 1 of the 3 Arizona wine regions.

    Note:  There is no cell service anywhere along this road, your best bet for an LTE connection is at the top of the monument’s road (Sugarloaf Mountain or Echo Canyon parking lots) or the guest wifi network at the visitor’s center.



Guide to Playas

Camping near Playas, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of outdoor experiences, from stargazing to exploring local wildlife. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy nature.

What to do

  • Hiking: There are great trails nearby, especially around the Chiricahua Mountains. One camper mentioned, "There are hundreds of beautiful, well-maintained trails throughout the mountain range" at Chiricahua Mountains.
  • Stargazing: The dark skies in this region make it perfect for stargazing. A visitor at Rusty's RV Ranch said, "Perfect place for astronomer/stargazing."
  • Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for local wildlife. One reviewer noted, "We saw deer and turkeys" while camping at Pinery Canyon Road Dispersed Camping.

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A review from Rusty's RV Ranch highlighted, "The gathering hall and laundry room is clean and inviting."
  • Friendly Atmosphere: Many visitors enjoy the welcoming vibe. One camper at Smugglers' Roost mentioned, "Other campers are nice and welcoming."
  • Quiet Environment: Campgrounds like Cattlemen Trail are noted for their peaceful surroundings. A reviewer said, "It was quiet and secluded."

What you should know

  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Gila National Forest Road 861, have no drinking water or electric hookups. A camper noted, "No services."
  • First-Come, First-Served: Many sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis. A visitor at Sunny Flat Campground shared, "Odds of finding an available campsite are almost nil."
  • Road Conditions: Some access roads can be rough. A camper advised, "If coming from the east your GPS might try to take you via White Water Rd - DON’T!" when heading to Cattlemen Trail.

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for spots with amenities like picnic tables and clean restrooms. A family at Rusty's RV Ranch enjoyed the "lovely showers" and "trails."
  • Plan Activities: Bring games or outdoor activities to keep kids entertained. One reviewer at Glamping @ Solar City mentioned, "Amidst all the work and entertainment, you want to relax a little."
  • Pack Snacks: Having snacks on hand can make a big difference. A camper at Smugglers' Roost noted, "There is a cute restaurant in walking distance."

Tips from RVers

  • Check Hookups: Ensure your chosen campground has the necessary hookups for your RV. A visitor at Lordsburg KOA mentioned, "FHU worked fine; appears to be maintained."
  • Be Prepared for Wind: Some areas can be windy, so bring tie-downs for your setup. A reviewer at Rusty's RV Ranch advised, "Bring some tie down, the wind could be very strong."
  • Stay Connected: If you need internet, check the Wi-Fi availability. One camper at Rusty's RV Ranch said, "Very poor Wi-Fi internet connection."

Camping near Playas, New Mexico, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great destination for families and RVers alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Playas, NM?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Playas, NM is Granite Gap with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.

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

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