Best Dispersed Camping near Vadito, NM

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Vadito, New Mexico

123 Reviews of 39 Vadito Campgrounds

• 

  Hayley K.

  Legend

  

  Feb. 14, 2020

  Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

  Quiet beauty

  Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is BLM land so it is all dispersed camping. You will need to make sure you aren't on someone's property or nearby any roads. There are plenty of turn offs. 

  This isn't a "get away" more like a stopover spot. I stopped here on my way back North to Colorado to see the bridge over the Rio Grande and so I wasn't so high up in elevation that I would freeze. 

  But if you can find a quiet place it is a beautiful dispersed spot where there is civilization nearby and toilets at local businesses  and picnic areas that you can use. See map on review. 

  Be careful roaming at night. The drop into the river is quite deep so offroading isn't just ill advised for keeping the flora and fauna safe…but you as well. 

  There are picnic ares around the monument too, just not established camping spots.

• 

  Esperanza R.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2022

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Great Boondocking Spot!

  Great boondocking spot @15 mins from downtown Santa Fe.

  Zero amenities but clean, huge open areas, and safe.

  Your are behind a huge solid waste transfer station but you’d never know besides the huge hill. No smell or garbage anywhere.

  Pros-

  -HUGE open area -WIFI is great (pull in and go to the left down by the cattle coral) -Clean areas -Safe -Bathrooms (Didn’t Use) -Tons of hiking -15mins tops to downtown Santa Fe -Free

  Cons-

  -Windy -Dusty -No water -No Dump Station

  We got water at the dog park up the road with our water bladder bag. Try to go during dusk as it is way less busy with fewer spectators watching and wondering what you’re doing, we had zero issues! 😊

  It’s a great Free spot for a night or two weeks also surrounded by BLM land so you can’t really go wrong.

  This area is well big enough for any size rig, just stay to the right on the gravel road pass the cattle guard where the road is gravel and smoother for sure!

  Enjoy! 😊

• 

  Dan G.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 6, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Santa Fe BLM

  This is dispersed camping with mostly RVs, some vans, and a few tents and teepees. There are no hookups but near the entrance there is a building with two enclosed bathrooms. There is no trash collection so you must carry out everything you bring in. This is great free camping or just free overnight parking if you are self sufficient with your own water and solar power. There is lots of space but it seems like a lot of people just pull in and find spots near the front. We camped in August 2021 and days got up to 90 degrees. We hung out in SantaFe until about 8pm and it dropped to 80 and the breeze picked up. It is dry in the desert so 80 is very comfortable. Another nice thing about desert camping is there are some flies, and a few mosquitos but compared to the moist midwest we seem fine without having to use a lot of bug repellant. We will stay here again.

• 

  Ron G.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 9, 2023

  Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

  Tres Piedras area

  The location on Dyrt maps is wrong, forest service is NW of 285 & 64. Beautiful dispersed camping spots plentiful. Park ranger Melissa was the top notch. Couldn’t have been more helpful and friendly. Definitely stay there again.

• 

  Ben R.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 29, 2023

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  I mean, it was free

  The area is right next to a landfill which worried us at first but turned out not to be a problem, I imagine it gets worse in the warmer months. You can drive around and find some cool and private spots but there is trash seriously everywhere. We even found shot gun shells a little further out all over the ground. When you pull up to the area you can either turn right into the blm land or go straight past the signage into the National park area. I think it said El Camino Real. This is where the toilets and shelter is. The toilets were actually well kept. There were some nice people but I can imagine if you drive further out away from people it feels a little sketchier. It wasn’t the best, but it was definitely free.

• A

  Amanda V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 17, 2023

  Caja Del Rio Dispersed Camping

  Great Spot

  Perfect dispersed camp spots close to town but very quiet. Except a few evening fun shots. Lots of spots scattered with plenty of privacy.

• L

  Loren A.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 6, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Perfect dispersed camping spot

  This is a massive dispersed camping area. I’m not really sure how far in the camping spots go, but so far I’ve seen over 100, with about 1/4 of them taken right now. Many, but not all, are level spots. Roads vary depending on which spots your getting to. Great cell service. Great views. And minutes away from stores and gas stations.

• J

  Jacqueline L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 15, 2022

  Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping

  Roads, the real name, but great views!

  All camping spots here are right off the roads where you can find one or two spots that are less close. Arroyo Seco is the town close to the camping, but you keep going straight from the coordinates to get to Cuchillo de Medio and Cuchillo. It’s not truly “dispersed” camping because there aren’t many sites and your pretty close to your neighbors. Cuchillo Del Medio does have some fire pits, picnic tables, and a bathroom. You do get to camp right on a clear river that is beautiful!

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 9, 2023

  Cow Creek Dispersed Camping Area

  Beautiful fall colors

  There are a few tent spots and car camping spots, and it’s right along a creek where you can fly fish. It was a longer drive out there than expected, but there’s a sign that lets you know your in the National forest and out of peoples private property. You probably want 4WD because the road was rough, but definitely worth it with the fall colors! We loved this spot!

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2023

  Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

  Cold and quiet with good views

  There are a bunch of different roads you can turn off to camp on if you’re driving from Taos to Durango. We mapped Forest Road 578 and it took us to a dirt road with a lot of flat spots you can camp on. We spent the night there and it was very quiet and peaceful. If you keep going to Durango you’ll get to Carson National Forest, which is not too far from the coordinates on The Dyrt. That’s where more people are camping, you can pull off right before the 64H road marker. You’ll keep passing camping spots as you drive to Durango so you can really go almost anywhere!

• 

  TheCampingNerd ..

  Guide

  

  Oct. 21, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Huge Free Camping Area That Feels Safe Near Santa Fe

  There are a ton of campsites here, and even more options if you have a high clearance vehicle. 

  If you have a low clearance RV I recommend taking the first road to the left after crossing the cattle guard. That road leads around most of the camping area and you can avoid the side roads with the steep entrances. 

  It is right next to a landfill which is interesting but there were no flies or smells in October. 

  For a free camping area right next to a city the area felt safe and was surprisingly clean.

• 

  Jeanie P.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2021

  Pajarito Springs (Dispersed)

  Close to Bandelier and Los Alamos

  We stayed here 3 nights over Memorial Day weekend. Got in Thursday night and there were plenty of sites to choose from. As other reviews have said, the sites are spaced out well and there were always sites available throughout the weekend. We camped on the road that immediately turns to the right. Along the entire length of this road dispersed camping is allowed. If you go to the left (high clearance is good to have but could make it with 2wd) dispersed camping isn't allowed till you're about a mile in (see map picture). There are some fun single track trails (Water Canyon and Perimeter Trail) accessible from the campsite if you plan on mt biking or running/hiking. Bandelier National Monument is about 15 min drive away and is a fun place to checkout and climb in some cliff dwellings.
  Just as a side note we saw 3 coyotes our first night in and heard them howling in the AM and PM, so keep pets leashed if you bring them and keep small kiddos close!

• 

  Jeff B.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 28, 2020

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Nice stopover on the way to Flagstaff

  Lots of open space for dispersed camping

• 

  paige L.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 10, 2021

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  quiet and simple to find

  Overall, this is a good spot to camp. It was simple to find, there was plenty of space for dispersed camping, and was a quiet place.

• G

  Garret M.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 15, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Santa Fe Overlook

  Dispersed camping on the edge of Santa Fe. Easy access. Some former homeless camps and trash scattered around. Go further in for a more scenic vista on high ground.

• 

  Jeff K.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 14, 2021

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  Multiple spots to choose

  Not too far out of Santa Fe. There are multiple places for dispersed camping along the same road, including a few trailhead campgrounds like Diablo Canyon (rock climbing hot spot).

• H

  Hunter

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2021

  Pajarito Springs (Dispersed)

  Great spots, but a little too close to other people.

  FSR 181 B is a dispersed corridor, and on the little stretch of road there are like 6 sites. They aren't super close, but closer than I expected from dispersed camping. Travel further down 181 across the little canyon and there are more spread out sites, but they are also more exposed.

• K

  KC H.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 25, 2023

  Caja Del Rio Dispersed Camping

  Lots of Open Space for Dispersed Camping

  20 mins from Sata Fe, lots of open roads and land for dispersed camping. Can get a bit crowded and hard to find a spot away from people, but plenty of room.

• B

  Bruce L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 13, 2023

  BLM Orilla Verde Recreation Area

  Nice campsite on the Rio Grande river

  We stayed one night in Rio, bravo, Campground. This campground is not dispersed camping, because there is water and electric in some sites. There are a few sites where a 30 foot or larger rig will fit.

• 

  Shavit L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 7, 2019

  Arroyo Seco Dispersed NF Camping

  Beautiful and free river side camping

  No amenities except some great river side places.

  Dispersed camping along the road (though it’s not a busy one, especially not at night so not noisy) right on the river.

  First coms first served with mostly tenting spaces.

• D

  Desi T.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 25, 2022

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Great spot

  My first time dispersed camping was a success! Enough space for people to spread out, little trees help with privacy. Freezing here at night but it is winter! Beautiful views and just enough service for t-mobile! Couldn’t ask for more really! Just remember Leave No Trace as I did see some litter, nothing crazy tho. Awesome spot.

• 

  Dare To Everywhere .

  Ranger

  

  May. 27, 2024

  Pajarito Springs (Dispersed)

  Amazing views!

  Stayed: May 26, 2024 Cost: FREE Site: 35.84243° N, 106.37266° W Cell Service: Solid LTE AT&T and T-Mobile Equipment: Forester / Tent

  Different apps give this different names. It is Forest Road 181 within Santa Fe National Forest, directly off of Highway 4.

  This is some great National Forest camping. Seemed like plenty of room when you first turn in and the you can go left or right. We went left and continued to the end of the road. There were a few sites along the drive back, but we pulled up the satellite map and wanted to keep going. It gets pretty rocky and you’ll need a bit of clearance in some spots.

  To get to the end of the road site, when you pull off Highway 4, take a left and then eventually a right at the fork in the road further beyond (~1.5 miles from Highway 4). There were a couple more sites along this road, not very level, so we continued on and are so glad we did! About 30 min from Hwy 4 to end of this road. Elevation is just over 8,000 feet at this point.

• 

  Todd J.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 22, 2021

  Santa Fe BLM Dispersed Campsite

  Easy Dispersed Camping

  Easy to get to just outside of Santa Fe. It’s BLM dispersed so no facilities at all and a bit of a Nomadland vibe. Some folks were pistol shooting in an arroyo until dark. We were able to find a spot with adequate privacy but not isolated, although one could certainly go further in. A truck with just running lights came through during the night and a BLM LE officer came by in the morning. It was cold af in mid-Dec. I would stay here again.

• 

  Niecey P.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 21, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Great boondocking experience

  Spacious sites, great cell reception and very close to town. Will definitely boondock here again!

• 

  Todd M.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 2, 2021

  Sante Fe National Forest BLM-Road 62 Dispersed

  Good Dispersed Camping Spot

  For Dispersed Camping this is good. We are a 45’ DP with 30’ trailer and found a place shortly after we came into the gates. I had rained the day before but had no issues as ground soaked it up. The area did a have several other campers all about a football field apart. Cell was 3-4 bars on ATT and Verizon. If you look on google maps you will see it is close to the landfill but we experienced no issues from that.

• 

  Delite P.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 18, 2017

  BLM Orilla Verde Recreation Area

  Loved this spot!

  Such a great spot! Several small camp loops along the river. Each offers different amenities. We were in the arroyo hondo loop and it was primitive camping...no water acces, no power, pit toilet. There are showers and potable water at the second camp loop on the road( less than a mile away.). The leaves were turning, we could walk down to the river right from our campsite, we could see a million stars at night, and we loved our time there.

  No cell service for several miles near this canyon so plan accordingly.

• 

  Jacob W.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 21, 2022

  Carson NF - Forest Service Road 578 - Dispersed Camping

  Primitive dispersed camping

  I tent-camped off of Carson NF Forest Service Road 578 in mid April 2022. FS 578 is south of Tres Piedras about 5 miles on the west side of Hwy 285. There are several dirt road turn offs but FS 578 is clearly marked with a brown NFS sign (see photo) and has no gate but there is a cattle guard/grate. Here is a NFS road use map that shows dispersed camping along FS 578 and many other NFS roads: https://www.fs.fed.us/r3/gis/mvum/Carson/CarsonTresPiedrasCanjilonElRito.pdf (see also screenshot). My Tacoma had no problem on the dirt road, which has ruts and might be tough for an RV. There were few clearings suitable for dispersed camping but I found a nice spot with a small fire circle in a small clearing on the south side of the road just past a fork in the road. I carried two black boulders over to serve as a table and chair. I didn’t see anyone else camping or driving by. The forest is a nice mix of sage, juniper, and pine trees. I saw two elk across a swath of sage. I could see the snow capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo range on the eastern horizon when I walked farther up the road. It got cold at night, like 27 F. It was a nice waypoint on my trip between Gunnison CO and El Paso TX but it didn’t look like many people camped there. I had intended to drive to Taos the next day on Hwy 64, but didn’t.