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Smugglers' Roost provides full hookup sites for campers with pets in a spacious desert setting near Playas. This established campground features 228 sites accommodating both tents and RVs, with lots measuring 18x100 feet ensuring ample space between camping neighbors. Pets are welcome throughout the property with standard leash requirements in common areas. The campground maintains a quiet environment ideal for pets sensitive to noise, with many campers noting the peaceful setting for walking dogs. The stargazing at night creates a perfect evening atmosphere for campers relaxing with their pets outside their RVs. Several nearby campgrounds also welcome pets, including Granite Gap's free dispersed camping area and Rusty's RV Ranch which offers additional pet amenities including dedicated walking trails.
Granite Gap's dispersed camping area provides a more rustic pet-friendly experience with no amenities but complete solitude for dogs that need space. The area requires navigating a narrow, sandy road suitable for high-clearance vehicles, with room for approximately 5-6 camping setups. Rusty's RV Ranch in Rodeo features pet-friendly hiking trails that surround the entire property, creating excellent exercise opportunities for dogs. The campground has built-in dog walking paths and even houses animal enclosures with birds and goats that campers and their pets can observe from a distance. Campers should bring flashlights for evening pet walks as the area becomes extremely dark, perfect for stargazing but requiring care when navigating with pets after sunset. The remote location means limited veterinary services, with Douglas, Arizona (approximately 55 miles south) being the nearest town for significant pet supplies.
"Beautiful clear night sky due to being away from the city."
"The quietly nestled roost is located in the middle of nowhere but somehow captures the essence of everything; from nearby mountain hikes, gas stations, stores, small town restaurants, museums and endless"
from $27 - $30 / night
Check Availability"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."
"This spot is about a tenth of a mile off the highway. I walked the road because of past reviews."
"The bathrooms were a little outdated but that didn’t take away from how well kept the bathrooms were. Especially when I got there after hours."
"We stayed at the KOA Journey in Lordsburg, New Mexico on New Years Eve. Pulled in around 10:00 PM and rolled out about 10:30 AM, so this was a quick overnight, not a vacation."
"We are birders and were happy with the proximity to many mountain canyons. Our space was private with a nice patio. Everyone was easy going and friendly. The dog park was convenient and clean."
"The animal features & dog park were added bonuses. It felt like we were at a KOA being escorted to our sites. The staff there was great!"
from $29 / night
Check Availability"The campground is small, beautiful, shaded and right in the middle of some incredible scenery providing easy access to the fantastic hiking and wildlife viewing that is all around you. "
"The drive getting there is pretty disappointing however when you arrive the land scale completely changes. We have camped here twice."
from $25 - $50 / night
Check Availability"There are some campgrounds that just stick out in your mind for their beauty, location, and proximity to other cool stuff. Sunny Flat is one of them."
"I stayed at site 4 and it was perfect , close to the water, and far enough away from other campers for some privacy ."
"Granite Gap Adventure Park is in a unique part of New Mexico with plenty of awesome natural views to take in. Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!"
from $20 - $50 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $35 - $50 / night
Check Availability"Some of the campgrounds located in the middle island have less privacy but there are still some trees and shrubs to separate them. Sites on the outside are large and very private."
"If you take Turkey Creek Rd to Sycamore campground, you'll sleep with the beautiful sound of a mountain stream behind you."
ScoutWe are birders and were happy with the proximity to many mountain canyons. Our space was private with a nice patio. Everyone was easy going and friendly. The dog park was convenient and clean.
GuideStopping here didn’t disappoint! Nice spacious level sites. The animal features & dog park were added bonuses. It felt like we were at a KOA being escorted to our sites. The staff there was great!
TravelerThis is an awesome park. The RV sites all have full hookups and are extra long and wide. Because the rv sites are situated around the perimeter of the very large greenspace and dog park, all sites have expansive views in all directions. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets! There are tent sites in the central green area with picnic table, firepit and shade trees. There is a great hiking trail, about 1/2 mile, that makes a loop. It is comfortably wide so you and your dog can see the trail and won't accidentally run into cactus. The park is a straight-shot easy 15 minute drive into Silver City and is convenient to Gila NF trails, several Continental Divide trailheads, the Catwalk and lots of other natural areas. Rosie and Bill, the owners are a wealth of info about the local sites and trails. The campground has a bathhouse, laundry, gym, communal library with books, games and puzzles.
GuideThe bathrooms were a little outdated but that didn’t take away from how well kept the bathrooms were. Especially when I got there after hours. The water pressure for the shower in the bathroom was decent. It was a darker lot, which I’m not mad about because I don’t like sun beaming in the camper anyways. Made a reservation with a man on the phone, he was very nice. Came after hours & had no problem with it. The “dog park” isn’t the best of the KOAs I’ve been to.. but it’s better than nothing. If I was passing through, I’d stay again. & also, the pool wasn’t filled. Not sure why..
GuideWe wanted to get away for a few days during Covid and wanted to stay south where it was warmer so we found Rusty's RV Ranch in Rodeo New Mexico. It was quiet and friendly and just what we were looking for. While visiting we went exploring and visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum & the Apache Museum next door. Enjoyed all of the displays and history as Geronimo surrendered nearby.
We took a ride over to the Coronado National Forest and coming from the wide-open desert we felt like we had stepped into another world. Definitely worth the trip. We tried to drive the loop around the area on the first day but the directions weren't very good and we didn't go all the way. We went back the next day and went the other direction and went through the little town of Paradise. It was a long bumpy gravel road this way and really wasn't worth the trip....enjoyed the paved road in the National Forest much more.
We needed some supplies so we drove down to Douglas AZ at the Mexico border. Visited Walmart and got some tacos that were excellent. Not much between Rusty's and Douglas but was a good drive with little to no traffic. Did see a number of Border Control agents on patrol.
Rusty's RV Ranch was very clean and well maintained. You could tell that they have made a concerted effort to make the grounds nice from the Swan & Duck pond to the bird enclosures and Koi pond. Loved the hiking trails that went around the entire property and we used those a number of times.
The space was huge and very private. We didn't have to unhook our toad vehicle until we needed the car which was really nice. The management was very friendly and helpful.
We have t-mobile and I will tell you we had no service here. We hooked up to their park wi-fi but could barely check our email. We don't have satellite either so we were totally disconnected mostly.... but that was good too for a change. Fall and Winter are the busiest times here with people looking for warmer winters and avoiding the hot summers.
There are a couple of restaurants nearby and the closest has a convenience store but that is it... so be sure that you are stocked up on supplies before you go or expect to drive to get them. If you bring your pet be sure to have some flashlights to walk them at night because it is dark dark 😀
We would definitely visit Rusty's again!
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RangerThis KOA is a convenient pit stop when crossing Southern New Mexico on Rt. 10. The gravél covered acre has been nicely landscaped around the perimeter. Road noise from the highway is heavy. The very clean shower dressing area was barely big enough to turn around in. All amenities are available including propane, which was served up by a grumpy technician.
It’ll be nice when New Mexico opens its’ State Parks to camping again so touring the State becomes possible.
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! Granite Gap Adventure Park is in a unique part of New Mexico with plenty of awesome natural views to take in. Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!
TravelerWe stayed at the KOA Journey in Lordsburg, New Mexico on New Years Eve. Pulled in around 10:00 PM and rolled out about 10:30 AM, so this was a quick overnight, not a vacation.
I honestly did not know what to expect. In my head I pictured some campers doing a little holiday hangout, maybe a fire, maybe someone brave enough to share a questionable casserole. Nope. This place was as dead as a graveyard. Not a bad thing if you want sleep, but my imagination was doing way too much.
Late check in was easy. Staff left a map in the after hours registration box, and that was a life saver when you pull in late and just want to park and stop thinking.
Campground itself felt clean and basic. Nothing fancy, nothing sketchy. I did not use the restrooms at all, we used our trailer bathroom, so I cannot speak on the bathrooms.
What I did notice, they have a fenced dog run area, looks roughly 30 feet by 15 feet. There is a playground with a teepee and some little kid swings. There is a clubhouse type building with picnic tables out front and a basketball hoop. They also have a few small cabins you can rent, and one labeled “deluxe cabin” that looks a little bigger, plus it has its own private sitting area with walls around it. I am guessing it is for blocking wind and giving a little privacy, and there is a cover for shade.
Our hookups worked fine, no drama, and we had a nice little picnic table at the site. I also saw a propane tank setup, so I am assuming they sell propane if you need it. Also, random detail, there is an old phone booth on the property and it made me laugh, felt like stepping into 1993 for a second.
Overall, it did exactly what we needed, quiet, simple, clean, and easy to check in late. I would stay again for an overnight stop. If you are looking for a campground with a bunch of action, this probably aint it. I am giving it 4 stars for a solid no hassle night.
ScoutThis is a very nice park as far as scenery, the staff which is a husband and wife, are friendly enough. With no offense to anyone else who has written positives on this park, we don't mean to rain on your parade. But the one thing that really threw us back was, is that there are virtually no amenities, that come without a cost, if a person wants to take a shower, let's say for 5 minutes, that cost you$3, for yourself, and three more dollars for your spouse, add that up daily then multiply by weekly and then by monthly. And you can see that that is insane for the cost, and one does not find out about this until you get to the campground and fill out the paperwork and then they let you know this at the last minute, I am a handicap person, and needless to say, I count on Campground showers as there are roomier, and we make sure that we pay more than enough in our stay, so that we can enjoy such. But sadly for the month that we were there between November the 20th to December 20th. There was nothing very pleasurable, about our stay there. On top of that, there is no internet, nor do they have any Commerce with any service that has internet service, even though other RV parks in that region have them. There is no cable either. So basically the only thing that you get is your spot, running water, trash, and Sewer, for 425 per month. Needless to say as a forwarding to anybody, if you plan to travel between that park there and Silver City New Mexico it is approximately 12 miles between the two, but the expence gets up there quik, bth ways if you drive a truck. We camped at Ridge Park RV& Campground in a Travel Trailer.
Playas, New Mexico camping areas sit at approximately 4,500 feet elevation where the high desert climate creates dramatic temperature shifts between day and night. The area features a mix of desert landscapes and distant mountain views, with limited natural shade at many sites. Winter temperatures can drop below freezing while summer days regularly exceed 90°F.
Stargazing sessions: At Smugglers' Roost, hosts often offer telescope viewings of the night sky. "He gave us great advice on local places to explore & even showed us the stars through his telescope! The night sky there is incredible!" writes Kelli.
Birdwatching opportunities: The region attracts diverse bird species, especially during migration seasons. "We had families of deer nesting down in the bushes around our camper," notes Judy E., highlighting the wildlife viewing at Sunny Flat Campground.
Day trips to natural landmarks: Multiple campgrounds serve as bases for exploring nearby attractions. "There are so many cool things to see & do in the around there, that we took a different day trip each day, but we didn't even scratch the surface!" reports a visitor to Smugglers' Roost.
Hiking varied terrain: The area offers trails for different skill levels. "South Fork Trail #243 is a particularly easy 4.1 mile hike with a few water crossings. A little busy, but not to be missed," recommends James from Sunny Flat Campground.
Spacious campsites: Lordsburg KOA offers well-separated sites. "There's plenty of space to navigate to the site with more than enough space in between the rigs," mentions Bill L., important for those seeking pet-friendly campgrounds near Playas.
Community atmosphere: Some campgrounds foster social connections. "During our visit some of the nearby campsites were closed and ours was at 80% capacity. I was told that birders overrun the area in March and April," shares James about Sunny Flat Campground.
Dark skies for astronomy: The minimal light pollution makes stargazing exceptional. "The low light made the stargazing great," notes Robert O. about Smugglers' Roost, making it ideal for campers with pets who enjoy evening walks.
Natural water features: Chiricahua Mountains offers camping near flowing water. "If you take Turkey Creek Rd to Sycamore campground, you'll sleep with the beautiful sound of a mountain stream behind you," explains Tanner H.
Limited supplies nearby: Stock up before arrival as services are sparse. "There is one small grill/basic grocery store down the mountain, but if you are looking for real groceries, shop before you come," advises Shari G. about the dog-friendly campgrounds around Portal.
Road conditions vary: Some access roads require careful driving. "Narrow sand and rock road after the gate. If a scratch in your paint concerns you…. proceed with caution," warns Gary M. about Granite Gap.
Seasonal considerations: Weather impacts camping conditions significantly. "It snows during winter often. Not as good for hiking and backpacking but makes for a fun snow day!" reports Tanner H. about the Chiricahua Mountains.
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies widely between campgrounds. "We have t-mobile and I will tell you we had no service here. We hooked up to their park wi-fi but could barely check our email," reports Charlie about Rusty's RV Ranch.
Accessible wildlife viewing: Kids can observe animals in managed settings at certain campgrounds. "Rusty does a lot to keep this little rv park a cool place to visit. She's built trails and has goats/birds that the campers can interact with," notes Untrammelers B. about Rusty's RV Ranch.
Educational astronomy: Children can learn about stars and planets at campgrounds with astronomy programs. "He loves to share his knowledge of astronomy and will show you the planets with his telescope," says Deanna S. about a host at Smugglers' Roost.
Holiday activities: Some campgrounds organize special events during holidays. "I spent Christmas here and my wish this year was to spend it around a fire with strangers and hot cocoa; well the hosts at Smugglers' Roost made my dream come true," shares Myra T.
Bathroom facilities: For families with young children, bathroom quality matters. "The bathrooms, while dated, were clean and functional," reports Melissa W. about campground facilities at Chiricahua Mountains.
Site sizing and access: Bonita Canyon Campground has specific limitations. "Heads up parking spots can be small depending on what campsite you get. Our group of four stayed at campsite 21 and campsite 18. Campsite 21 could only fit one truck while campsite 18 could fit two cars," warns Molly S.
RV length restrictions: Carefully check campground limitations. "Sites were a little close together, but flush toilets and beautiful night skies!" notes Laura about Chiricahua Mountains, where sites can be tight for larger rigs.
Hookup availability: Full hookups aren't available at all campgrounds. "This spot is a diamond in the rough. Its rustic, with full hookups. Just like boondocking on the desert floor with 50amp - water - sewer. You can't beat the value," shares RandomBitsRV about Smugglers' Roost.
Road navigation challenges: Some campgrounds present access difficulties. "Longer vehicles won't make the road. Our RV got a broken [ladder]," warns Patty W. about Sunny Flat Campground's low-hanging tree canopy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Playas, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Playas, NM is Smugglers' Roost with a 4.5-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Playas, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 37 dog-friendly camping locations near Playas, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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