Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp near White Sands? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your New Mexico excursion.
Welcome to southwestern New Mexico, where public lands offer an amazing diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities. The BLM's Las Cruces District Office manages 5.4 million acres of public land and over 10 million acres of Federal mineral estate from the western side of the Guadalupe Mountains to the Arizona border, and from Sierra County and the southern edge of the Gila National Forest to the Mexican border. These public lands include majestic, scenic mountain ranges jutting from the desert floor, and towering over the surrounding desert. The confluence of the Chihuahuan desert, Rocky Mountains, great plains, Sonoran desert, and Sierra Madre make the area the most biologically and recreationally diverse region of New Mexico.
Las Cruces Rest Area offers a large roadrunner sculpture made entirely of recycled materials
Traveler
Not bad at all. Not far off the main road. Paved road to it. Gravelled grounds. Pretty level. Quiet. This isn't a huge campground but we had no trouble finding a spot.
Scout
Parked in graded gravel parking area at base of a Organ Mountains. Fairly level.
Scout
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ScoutSierra Vista’s Back Side Dispersed camping offers a pristine, serene outdoor experience. Its remote location provides ample space and minimal distractions, ideal for those seeking solitude and natural beauty. Proper preparation is key—bring sufficient supplies and be ready for self-sufficiency to fully enjoy this hidden gem. rv park rio hondo
Scout
I stayed here for a night and it's really windy. It's a wide place and great for offroad vehicles. slope game
Legend
This whole valley is just… something! A disappearing and reappearing lake, ancient human and mastodon footprint fossils, the birthplace of nuclear reactions and aerospace exploration -- all this AND hills of white gypsum sand upon which you can sled year round? Not bad for the middle of New Mexico, between two mountain ranges.
However, camping nearby leaves something to be desired, even in the RV parks – which is never our thing. However, during a couple of visits we’ve spent the night at some BLM areas just a few miles to the east of the main entrance to the National Park. We’ve spent nights on either side of the highway, but the better boondocking area is on the north side of the highway here at Holloman Lake (not for swimming, read other reviews for details). You’re right on the border of the air force base, so expect a lot of activity nearby. In December, there were maybe 6-8 other RV's nearby, but lots of space to spread out. Road in was good (a little rough in spots) but overall pretty easy, even for our 67 year old camper. The sunsets are always spectacular, even better if it's a bit windy as the fine grains of gypsum sand are in the air, creating gorgeous color.
There’s nothing in the way of services at this place, just a good, quiet place to park for a few nights. But, the wide open range has everything you need for solar power and Starlink.
Outdoor activities outside of the park can be found up in the mountain ranges to the east of Alamogordo, or to the west in the mountains closer to Las Cruces.
Alamogordo is just 15- 20 minutes away where you can get anything you might need, food, groceries, gas, laundry etc. Oh, and go to the New Mexico History of Space Museum...super fun for kiddos of all ages!
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Guide
Many great spots available and easily accessible by low clearance vehicles (we have a camper class B van). Very close (less than a mile?) to the state park, and about 30 minutes from white sands NM. Very quiet. Cell signal. Dog friendly.
GuideSuper convenient (maybe 4 minutes) to White Sands National Park, the "lake" is reclaimed waste water from the nearby Air Force base and the whole area can kinda intermittently smell like stale farts. Fairly decent amount of flat space for RV's, but turning around might be tricky based on congestion.
ScoutFound the location on Google. During my time there the lake had a bit of a funk but not too bad. Some reviews said there wasn’t anything while they were there but alas I was not so lucky
No amenities, just an empty lot, but decent enough for a night while exploring white sands. Gravel access road is pretty good and my low clearance sedan had no trouble with it
ScoutDO NOT go in the water. There is currently an ongoing lawsuit against the USAF due to the amount of PFAS in the water from firefighting foam. That being said, it’s a great little spot if you’re planning on hitting White Sands NP. Was fairly packed during my visit last month but I still found a spot. Very quiet and peaceful!
GuideGood spot to camp near white sands. Very busy- but most people seem to stick to the large lot near the entrance. If you follow the road around to the west side of the lake there are additional spots that are a bit more secluded.
The Air Force does regular flyovers throughout the day on weekdays. Very loud.
TravelerQuite busy and noisy with people running their generators. No privacy. The redeeming factor is the sunset was spectacular over the lake!
TravelerStayed for 3 days and only saw a few cars pass by that whole time. Felt very private and had plenty of space. Lots of beautiful birds and some bats flying around at dusk! Tmobile service was pretty good, mostly had 5G but did lose 5g service a couple of times. Starting to get hot in April!
RangerPretty crowded on a Wednesday night in April. Had a little trouble finding a level spot far enough away from others but otherwise no complaints for this free camp spot, great sunset views!
Guide
This was our first campsite on our cross country road trip. We arrived around 10pm and saw one other camper on the way in. It was pitch black outside so we were very pleased to wake up and see the giant mountain behind us the next morning. There were cows roaming about as it’s free range here. The road to the campsite was bumpy but not too bad. We were in a 2wd and had no issues. I’m hoping we can return to this campsite at some point but will be difficult as we live in Georgia 🥲
ScoutLittle more than 3 miles from White Sands Natl. Park easily found rough road. Quite, didn't find to m8ch trash
RangerEasy to access, plenty of spots along the main road and other spurs going off from it. Drove the whole way until it dead ends into State Park land (fenced) then turned around and went down a spur on the left to a great spot. Verizon service, starry skies.
TravelerSuper close to white sands, sunset and sunrise were great. It was relatively busy but the sites are far enough away from each other that it still felt private. At night you can hear the sounds from the highway and see the lights from the base/city. Also as an FYI, not sure I saw this ahead of time, the lake is actually a wastewater treatment pond so steer clear from the actual water.
ScoutI stopped here just for the night on a longer road trip, but this was a very nice camp. Very quiet with lots of privacy. I made it to a campsite in a prius even though the road is rocky (if you have 4wd you’ll have a smoother ride, but 2wd makes it just fine). There was no wind the night I stayed.
Traveler1990 Winnebago Chieftain towing a '95 Wrangler from LA > FL
Got here late last night driving from Albuquerque and since it's essentially just all dirt/shrub, you're able to park wherever you can (just don't block the worn in dirt roads obviously). Had about 30 other RVs, campervans, 5th wheels, tents and cars parked all around. Any type of camper is welcome and their space respected. Quiet, everyone was respectful of one another. Mostly families with young children and retirees. Woke up to a beautiful lake. A bit windy though, for anyone thinking of tent camping or has a tall vehicle.
TravelerThe road is pretty rocky, take it slow and you’ll be good though. 4wd not needed, I managed fine in a 2wd Escape, wouldn’t attempt going too far in with low clearance as some rocks are pretty big. There were quite a few Campers and 5th-wheels further down the way, but I found a good spot with venturing too deep. Person not too far from me pitched a tent, I car camp so can’t say how tent conditions would be, but saw him with a tent pitched & staked! I was up at 7am and they were gone, imagine they must’ve been pretty cold, temps drop quite dramatically and the winds whip up there. Heard coyote’s howling pretty nearby around 1:30am, and in the area again at 3am-ish. There was also lots of scat around, pretty large piles, thinking it’s cow as there’s several cattle ranches very close by and they seem to get loose often-be cautious when driving around, they pop out of nowhere on the main road to Baylor. Sunset is breathtaking!! I don’t recommend arriving here after dark whatsoever. Stars are surprisingly visible too- there’s a lot of light pollution from Las Cruces down below, but it didn’t seem to have much effect on star gazing while I was there. Will definitely return!
ScoutI got up the top trail fine in my f-150, it is kinda sketchy though so be careful , but the views up top are great , spaced out a lot better
GuideThis was easy to find, the road in is a bit rocky, but I saw All types of vehicles make it, just watch for a few rocks. Beautiful views and easy to get to hiking.
Traveler
In the chill of November 2023, I found myself drawn to the desolate expanse of Dispersed Camping off Corralitos Rd on I-10, near Las Cruces, New Mexico. There, amidst the haunting shadows of dead horses scattered like forgotten relics, I lingered for a mere half-hour. This eerie spot, shrouded in mystery and decay, whispered secrets of forgotten tales amid the howling winds. A grim reminder of life's fragility, nestled just off the beaten path, where the line between the living and the dead blurs into obscurity.
ScoutThis was my husband and I’s first experience boondocking and we were looking for a location close enough to the White Sands National park that wouldn’t be to far of a drive and this location was perfect. Clean, Quite and Beautiful. We enjoyed seeing all the rock trails that have been created from previous visitors.
TravelerNumerous sites with fire rings and clean. The turn off from the paved road is difficult to spot and the unpaved road is rough. High ground clearance recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near White Sands, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near White Sands, NM is Sierra Vista with a 4.7-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near White Sands, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 dispersed camping locations near White Sands, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
