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Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and Campground offers horse-friendly camping in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The campground features 55 sites that accommodate both tent and RV camping with ample space for horse trailers. Each site includes a covered picnic table, fire ring, and grill, with multiple sites offering level areas suitable for setting up portable corrals. The campground's location against the mountain backdrop provides natural shelter for horses while offering spectacular views across the Tularosa Basin. Sites are well-spaced to provide privacy even when the campground is busy, making it suitable for campers traveling with horses. Several sites can accommodate larger rigs, though BLM recommends nothing longer than 23 feet.
The campground connects directly to multiple trail systems suitable for horseback riding, including a 4-mile loop trail and more strenuous options for experienced riders. Water for horses is available only at the host site near the entrance gate, approximately 3 miles before reaching the campground, so equestrians should bring containers to transport water to their sites. The road to the campground features switchbacks and steep sections but remains paved and one-way throughout, making trailer access manageable with proper planning. Gates close at 6 PM during winter months, requiring early arrival. The $7 nightly fee (cash or check only) provides excellent value for equestrians seeking trail access in a scenic desert mountain setting. The campground's elevation offers cooler temperatures than surrounding areas during summer months, making it more comfortable for both riders and horses.
"Close to the water from camping sites....Grills tables and shade area...."
"My favorite part about caballo lake is floating down from elephant butte to caballo lake in a giant floaty."
"Southeast New Mexico has mountains believe it or not. The camp is nestled up against one. It’s Memorial Day weekend and not too crowded. Highly recommend for the price (basically free)."
"I've been on a nationwide roadtrip for a few months that now and I have tent camped alone in many sites from Florida to Arkansas to, now, New Mexico."
"Nice area to visit with the lake and dam close by."
"Nice level Lake view spot. Easy access to site and dump station. Fire pit and shade over picnic table."
"Additionally, the sites are quite close to another nearby main road that is primarily parallel to the road you camp off."
"Able to get our 39’ toy hauler into this location without any issues."
"So the road in is at the 151 Mesquite Exit off IH 10. First 2 miles were blacktop, then 2 miles of 2.5 vehicle wide gravel road then 2 miles of single vehicle gravel road."
"Lots of side by sides rip ridin around"
"When you turn off Highway 61, you go through a gate. There are multiple pull-outs along the road. Great views, desert terrain. I have good cell service, and my home fi hot spot is working great."
ScoutTried to camp here and drove in late. There’s two entrances to this area per Google Maps. Both entrances had gates that both said New Mexico State Park Boundary Line. Ended up having to find a hotel because there’s not many other places to camp in this area other than in the parks. Maybe try to look when it is brighter outside for a different entrance.
ScoutIt really is beautiful here. Southeast New Mexico has mountains believe it or not. The camp is nestled up against one. It’s Memorial Day weekend and not too crowded. Highly recommend for the price (basically free). If you are tent camping and low maintenance this place rocks. If you have a huge rig I’m not even sure I would want to make the drive up the road to the camp site. Spots are small, so you would need to find the best spot if you have an RV or Trailer.
TravelerI've been on a nationwide roadtrip for a few months that now and I have tent camped alone in many sites from Florida to Arkansas to, now, New Mexico. I chose Aguirra because of its close proximity to White Sands National Park. It is a First Come First Serve site and you must pay in cash. I was lucky to find a site in the afternoon. There are many sites. Over 40. I lucked out with 43 because it is huge! It's a jilly Rocky site with no one around me and several stone fire pits, a BBQ grill, and animal proof garbage can. There are Porta John's in close proximity. I have not found any water yet. Not sure. No RV hookups. But what do you expect for 7 bucks a night. I was here over Easter weekend so it got noisy with Fiesta music and someone throwing up across from my site at midnight! Whole families come here, jam their music etc. It's Easter so whatever. There is a covered picnic table and lots of tree cover to deal with the intense NM sun. I love how this place is at the end of an ascending, remote, windy road though. It's large enough that no rangers come and bug you for trivialities.
LegendStayed in #43. Most sites are uneven and short. BLM recommends nothing more than 23' long. Water available at host site near gate before driving about 4 or 5 mi to campsites. Road IS narrow and winding and steep in place but pave and ONE way (don't turn wrong direction). Toilets were clean and mens toilets all had soft-close lids. I am told womens do not. Campground was clean, great 4 mile loop hike, and other much more strenuous/technical options for mountain climbers. Mountain crags remind me of a mix of Tetons, Patagonia and Sawtooth in Idaho. Great views to Sacramento Mountains to the east (Ruidoso/Cloudcroft area--Sierra Blanca covered in snow early Nov.). White Sands nearby along with White Sands Missile Range Museum). Met some BLM peeps who were very nice, helpful and provided great information re: geology of the area and other points of interest. We brought our own 5 gal of water and were fine for 3 nights.
ALSO: shout out to New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors who were doing trail rehab./maintenance work while we were in area, yay!
RangerI had originally planned to stay at the Sierra Vista trailhead, but by the time I got there, all of the dispersed sites appeared taken. (It was well past nightfall on a Saturday night.)
Luckily I saw this campground on the app and took the half hour drive over. Even though it was Saturday, there were plenty of sites available.
The thing to know about this campground is that there are two loops, the second loop does not even show up on google maps, but it’s there and you’ll see the sign for it once you exit the first loop. The road in and out of the campground is one way, so it’s a big loop itself, so you cannot NOT see the sign for the second loop.
That being said, because the road in and out is one way, if you see a site that might work for you, TAKE IT. Or else you will most likely have to go all the way down the mountain and back up to fully circle back around. The road up is only about five miles, but the switchbacks are short and tight, which can make for an annoying drive when you’ve been on the road all day and are exhausted already.
All of the sites seem to be situated a little differently. I stayed in site 47 in the second loop. There wasn’t a tent pad, but there was a nice worn down, level spot for a tent behind the picnic area, under a tree. The view of the valley below from this site was a beautiful sight in the mornings.
This site was also right across from the bathroom and trash cans. I thought that might make for a lot of noisy foot traffic, but it did not and I was happy to have the convenience. The toilets are vault toilets and they were clean and well maintained.
I did not personally spot any wildlife while here, but had a nice talk with a birder, so if that’s your thing, it’s apparently a great place for birds. There are also a few trails accessible from the campground. White Sands National Park is about a 45 minute drive away and Las Cruces is about 20 minutes away.
For $7 a night, this place is a steal! I would def stay here again!!
TravelerBeyond amazing campsite tucked up against an incredible expanse of towering mountains. Great hikes nearby. Clean out toilets. Sites are very well spaced—I felt like I was the only one around!
GuideI’ve stayed at many BLM sites, and this was by far the worst experience I’ve had. Multiple people parked inside my designated campsite rather than using the nearby trailhead parking. As a solo traveler, I did not feel comfortable with strangers choosing to park directly next to my camper.
There were several hunters who were openly disrespectful and appeared annoyed that I was camping there, despite the fact that I stayed inside my camper and did not interact with them. The only noise from my site were my dogs barking when people got too close. They also took issue with my Ring camera, which continued recording because they were standing very close to my camper.
After hunting, they left animal remains outside my camper and made comments hoping my dogs would get into it. As they left, they ran over and destroyed the fire pit. I contacted a BLM officer, who said they would come clean it up, but no one ever did.
The views are beautiful, but I would not return. The roads are very rough, and only a few campsites are camper-friendly unless you have a high-clearance vehicle.
GuideWe loved this place. We have a small 24’ trailer. We were worried about getting up to this spot but we were just fine. Our site #16, was not level and we had to do quite a bit to get situated but it was so worth it! The trail near by was lovely with amazing views. The rocks of the Organ mts turn pink at sunrise so be sure to get up early. Lots of bugs. Jurassic grasshoppers and lots of wasps. There were wasp nests in one of the bathrooms. Bathrooms were clean though.
GuideGreat campsite right outside of las cruces. Very pretty drive in but easy to fly by if you’re going too fast on the main highway. Good spot to stay if you want to hike any of the trails in the Organ mountains
Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and Campground sits nestled in the Organ Mountains at 5,700 feet elevation near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The campground enjoys cooler temperatures than surrounding desert areas, typically 5-15 degrees lower than nearby Las Cruces. The mountain location creates varied weather conditions throughout the year, with occasional high winds in spring months and afternoon thunderstorms during summer monsoon season.
Sunrise viewing at White Sands: From Aguirre Spring Recreation Area and Campground, campers can see across the Tularosa Basin to White Sands National Monument. "I could see all the way across the Tularosa Basin to Lincoln National Forest, probably 80 miles away! The sunrise was awesome! I could easily see White Sands National Monument in the distance," notes Craig G.
Hiking the Pine Tree Trail: This 4-mile loop trail starts from the campground and provides moderate hiking through mountain terrain with desert views. "There is a lovely 4 mile hike that loops up in the mountains by the sites," reports Kara S., who stayed at Aguirre Spring.
Lake activities at Caballo: Caballo Lake offers water recreation just 30 minutes from Salem. "Great place to kayak especially when the sun rises you will see it over the mountains. My favorite part about caballo lake is floating down from elephant butte to caballo lake in a giant floaty," shares Christy L.
Mountain biking nearby trails: The rocky terrain around BLM Dispersed camping along B059 provides access to desert riding routes. "Several hiking trails into the Mountain range," notes Dan M., who explored the area during a 4-day stay.
Natural privacy between sites: Despite being an established campground, Aguirre Spring offers good separation between campsites. "Sites are close together but there is good privacy between spots. The views are amazing!" notes Julie F. about the campground layout.
Cooler mountain temperatures: The elevation at Aguirre Spring provides relief from summer heat. "We happened to arrive on one of the rare rainiest days of the year. Almost every site was open except for 2-3 other campers. The road was well paved and clear, and there's really not a poor spot on the loop," explains a camper named mads.
Desert wildlife viewing: The varied terrain around Oregan Wilderness Dispersed camping areas supports diverse wildlife. "Lots of dove and some quail. A few cows in the area," reports Dan M. who spent time exploring the area.
Stargazing opportunities: The remote location away from city lights makes for exceptional night sky viewing. "Saw many stars and satellites," notes a camper who stayed at the BLM dispersed area, adding that there was only "Light noise to the south from El Paso/IH 10."
Water availability limitations: Water access is restricted at Aguirre Spring. "Please note-no showers or sinks!" warns mads after staying there. Water must be transported from the host site near the entrance gate.
Road conditions for dispersed camping: BLM Near City of Rocks requires careful navigation. "This is open BLM land. When you turn off Highway 61, you go through a gate. There are multiple pull-outs along the road. Great views, desert terrain," explains Michael D.
Bathroom facilities vary widely: Aguirre Spring has basic toilets but no running water. "The bathrooms are AWFUL. There are so many flies in the toilet it's actually impossible to go, so bring your own LNT toilet and a tent for it since everyone will see you otherwise," warns S E. during a busy period.
Weekend crowds at popular sites: Oregan Wilderness area fills quickly on weekends. "Lots of dispersed sites but looks like a very popular area we passed over 20 campers before finding a spot. Spots are pretty well spaced out with lots of vegetation inbetween," notes Tessa T.
Bring adequate water supplies: With limited water sources at most campgrounds, families need to plan accordingly. "We brought our own 5 gal of water and were fine for 3 nights," shares Mark M. about their stay at Aguirre Spring.
Consider campground noise levels: Some areas experience unexpected noise disturbances. "It was extremely windy when we stayed here, and boom/explosion sounds all night made for an uneasy night, especially for our dogs," reports Laura M. who camped at Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort.
Select level sites for easier setup: Many dispersed sites require careful positioning. "Sites are not level so be prepared," advises Dan M. about BLM dispersed camping, an important consideration for setting up family tents or small trailers.
Research cell service coverage: For families needing to stay connected, coverage varies by location. "I have good cell service, and my home fi hot spot is working great," reports Michael D. about the BLM area near City of Rocks, while another camper notes, "Good T-mobile reception. Watched end of Chiefs-Rams football game on iPhone."
RV length restrictions: Larger rigs need to carefully research access roads. "Only vehicles up to 23 ft," confirms Christopher P. about Aguirre Spring, matching BLM recommendations.
Road quality assessments: Many dispersed camping areas have challenging access roads. "The road is a bit rough but we found a great spot to spend the night," shares Teresa A. about Oregan Wilderness Dispersed camping, adding that they "woke up to a light dusting of snow."
Site spacing considerations: At Aguirre Spring Recreation Area, RVers will find adequate room despite size limits. "Each camp space has a fire pit with a nice picnic table, you could easily park a 20+ft RV on the parking space," notes Amziah Z.
High clearance requirements: For horse campgrounds near Salem, New Mexico, vehicle ground clearance matters. "Road is a little rough 4x4 definitely recommended," advises Tessa T. about accessing the Oregan Wilderness area with larger vehicles or trailers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Salem, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Salem, NM is Caballo Lake RV Park with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Salem, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Salem, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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