Best Dispersed Camping near Wagon Mound, NM

This canyon is a too little known gem tucked away in a corner of the state too few travel, as the near ghost town of Roy demonstrates.  for those wondering why I'd part with secrecy and reveal a local treasure, that's why: we've far too few tourists, unlike Barcelona. 

Back to the canyon, the key attractions are the river, often a rippling stream, and sometimes mere puddles, but still, water in a dry land, and the ruins of a thriving orchard and stagecoach stop, complete with an impressive hotel.  The hotel is the largest ruin, abandoned after a flood destroyed the business more than a century ago.  There are other stone buildings scattered about for those motivated to hike around the valley. 

The canyon remains hidden until you reach the rim and peer down (an excellent method for spotting ruins), and the first Forest Service campground is there, and best for those with larger trailers or lower clearances.

The second Forest Service campground is by the river, complete with picnic tables, iron fire rings, and vault toilets.  Both are free as of this writing.

I've never seen any explicit regulations beyond the obvious (don't do damage that gets us all a bad name) and 4x4 paths exist to get one further up and down the canyon for dispersed camping. 

I'd certainly camp away from large or loud groups if I needed, but neither campground gets a rowdy crowd, or, indeed, much of a crowd. 

p.s.  If you read this far, I'll throw in some nearby treats: Charette Lake, Fort Union, Pecos National Monument and Sugarite State Park all offer insights into the history and natural beauty of this part of NM.

Really, really loved this spot--such a beautiful area. Just a handful of sites on this short road--one side of the road is fairly open but has the creek/river flowing nearby; the other side of the road is more in the forest and offers some shade and privacy. The melting snow has the ponds and river overflowing, so many of the sites are flooded and inaccessible at the moment. We had camped towards the end of the road near the turn around spot due to most sites being flooded. The animals are really coming out though--lots of birds and frogs chirping, ducks were swimming in the ponds, and we even had some elk pass through our camp! Cell service is sporadic in this area. Of course, no amenities here so pack out what you bring in.

Each time we make a trip to the area, I look into different dispersed areas, but always come back to this one.

The road can be a little bumpy, but there was numerous spots along the way. Decently sized, mostly flat areas to set up for the night. Some spots the entrance is steep, so be wary of small cars if it’s muddy.

This area hasn’t ever been super busy when we come, there are fire pits at most sites, and a good amount of downed branches/small sticks for fire wood.

We always look forward to coming back this way when we are in the area.

Ps. There are cattle in the area, but they’ve left us alone each time, they can be quite curious looking across the creek bed.