Best Campgrounds near White Sands, 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!

Hi! Marking 3 only bc we didn't camp at any of the trailheads. But, I have a lesson learned to share!! After driving through the 3 trailheads in the area--they were kind of crowded & we kept looking. Several little pull-offs showed prior stone fire rings, so we pulled into one of those. On our last day, a very kind BLM officer pulled in to let us know that, just bc our app shows BLM land, it doesn't mean we can park anywhere. We were unknowingly in an arroyo, for water flow, and the acceptable camping areas are the trailheads. Hoping this lesson will help others! Beautiful area and appreciated the officer not requiring us to pack up & move right away!

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.

I checked it out… no. Looked like some “party guys” were there. Right off the paved road. Didn’t look like they were there for the night. Three cars. Just for a party. Further in, there were three other (separated) vehicles - just by the look of the junk outside, I wouldn’t want to spend the night there.

Definitely would NOT recommend CARS going past the 3rd or 4th parking space! But - for higher clearance vehicles: OK. Just drive carefully. I saw a few rocks that I would NOT want to hit at 15mph+. I tried another dispersed camping area, a couple of miles closer to Las Cruces… but it looked like there was a few cars there for a “party”. Ummm… no thanks. Here, at Baylor canyon, it seems more laid back.

As mentioned in other reviews, the road into parking spots is a bit rough. Several places have large stones, sticking up, which could be hazardous to low-ride cars. 😕 As of right now, I am looking at several pickup trucks, one small sedan (too far away to know model), a truck with a towed RV trailer. And, way off in the distance, another couple of small RV’s. I guess you can go farther back, but there was an open spot, so I grabbed it. (About every 40 or 50 yards, there are parking spaces big enough for two full-size pickup to park, sideways, end to end. I wouldn’t want to drive a full sized RV down this rough road. But, the view of the mountains is stunning! Looking forward to sunset!

Excellent campground at a historical site / state park. Because of so much history (pictographs, etc), access to most areas are tightly restricted. Internet access is spotty near campground restrooms, but non-existent at campsites (unless you have Starlink, etc). Ask about tours (limited hours).

Gorgeous views and there was hardly anyone else around - it was great. Stayed at Campsite 25 in my Subaru Outback with my dog. No problems. Composite toilet within walking distance. Walmart 12 mins away.

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

I tent camped at Gap Tank again in January 2025. Awesome time again. It was actually cold then. The sky was dark at night and we couldn’t see any electric lights. Kind of cool so close yet so far from El Paso. No border problems. No javelinas this time, just a jackrabbit. Gap Tank was dry but nearby Mesquite Tank had water and even a little ice on the edges.

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.

Road and camp site were good

My husband grew up in El Paso and came here as a kid, so we decided to stop for a night on our way through the area. They only allow 70 people through a day, so it is not crowded at all. There is an area for self guided tours & an area only for guided tours. We stayed in the campground and did the self guided hike the first day, then decided to book a tour for the next day. Both were well worth doing and the guided tour was only $5 p/person and lasted about 3 hrs. We only intended to stay one night, but just as the tour ended a wicked sand storm moved in, so we asked if we could stay another night. The staff was very understanding and knew it was not safe to send us out in that. They had a spot they reserve for emergencies and put us there. We were very grateful as they shut down parts of I-10, which is where we were headed. The campground sites are pretty level, have electric & water. However, when we were there they asked to conserve as much water as possible & even use our own if possible. There were restrooms, but we did not use them so cannot comment. Very unique place, definitely worth the visit.

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.

Aguirre Springs Campground was even better than expected! The views were stunning and there was plenty of space and privacy at each site. Our favorite spot during our NM/AZ roadtrip!