Best Campgrounds near Ruidoso Downs, NM

We were here for 2 nights. Beautiful sunset you must stay for and see. 5 mins from White Sands NP. No amenities but free. It is right off the highway but couldn’t hear traffic noise. Also please note that the marker from the directions on the app is a little inaccurate. If you’re going West on 70, about another .2 miles down and you will see it on the right. If you are coming East (passing the park), then it’ll be bit before. There is a left lane on the highway to turn into the entrance. We missed it coming out of the park and had to make a u-turn. No big deal but want to give others a heads up!

Beware of the dust coming from the road! The winds can be strong and will sweep the dust into your camp.

Needed a place for a short stay just to hit White Sands NP passing through, this is a great spot! Pretty lake with a great view of the mountains in the background. There are some unleveled areas but also spots for big motorhomes right when you pull in. Also have fire pits throughout.

Only downside is it is right off road so there is car noise and frequent airplane noise being across the street from it.

Would definitely stay here again passing back through.

Campground is a bit elevated just at the bottom of the mountains. This gives a nice little breeze and a great view. Very nice spots with little walking trails through the cactus garden. Only downpoint that most of the sites are exposed with no escape from the sun. Check on satelitte for the ones with shaded picnic table. Very friendly host.

Great free spot with room for many peeps. Lake added great scenery with water fowl with beautiful sunsets

This campsite was awesome! It’s only a 30‑minute drive to White Sands National Park and Cloudcroft. The host is very responsive and helpful via call or text. They even provide sleds and wax for free to use at White Sands. There’s an arroyo behind the RV park to explore, along with some off‑road trails leading toward the mountains and various nearby hiking spots. The laundry room and shower are clean.

Smooth driving into spot - albeit I did not go all the way back. Quiet all night and occasional security driving through. People mostly cleaned up after themselves.

Can be challenging finding a level spot..I ended up on a slight incline in my van.

Nice campground with showers, power and water

Wonderful views from the base of the mountains. We got there around dusk (on a Friday) and it was pretty full. We got one of the last spots, but they have a lot of versatile lots for camping needs. Bathrooms got the job done and had warm water. The sites are pretty spread out, but since there isn’t much vegetation, not a ton of privacy.

Nice area. 3mi from White Sands National Park. About 20 miles from Alamogordo NM. Weekend evenings get a little crowded with photographers but all in all it's a great place to stay. No services.

My second time here. Great sites, and the Dog Canyon hike is excellent. Quiet and friendly!

Visited in late February. Stunning sunsets over the Lake. Even with a lot of rigs, I was able to find my own spot several feet away from others ( although you will be in sight of other rigs) border patrol surveys the area. Fire pit available at some sites. Pretty quiet, some aircraft noise from the base nearby.

They have redone the bathrooms and showers as of about 2023. They also have a very cool ADA compliant scenic trail into the lava flow field.

They have electric and water hookups at this recreation area. They also have about 5 tent spots at the very back. You can reserve online and they also have some that are first come first serve.

Hosts are usually nice. The bookstore isn't always open due to staff shortages.

This campground is not easy to get into. The road access is excellent, but the two dozen sites are about half reservable and half walk up only. So you don't have a clue about the walk up sites until you get there and they don't stay vacant very long. The reservable. sites don't follow a weekday/weekend pattern. Where the weekends are the most busy. I was going to stay a week or two, but somebody made a one day reservation in the middle of my plans for the only site I could find for even four days in a row. The winds can be pretty fierce so watch out for your awning.. There are a couple of gas stations at the intersection of 380 and 58 in the little town of Carriozo.

This site was very convenient and close to town and not far from white sands national park. There were plenty of spots to choose from and fire pits already available! We loved waking up to the Mountain View’s