Upper Scorpion Campground, near Silver City, New Mexico, is a free camping spot that offers a unique blend of convenience and natural beauty. With a handful of sites available on a first-come, first-served basis, it’s a great place to set up camp if you’re looking to explore the nearby Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

This campground features clean vault toilets and a few water spigots, making it a decent option for those who want to rough it without completely sacrificing comfort. Campers have noted the peaceful atmosphere, especially at night when the stars come out in full force. One visitor mentioned, “It was very quiet with a spectacular night sky,” which is a highlight for many.

You’ll find yourself just a short walk from the cliff dwellings trail, making it easy to dive into some local history. Plus, there are several trailheads nearby for those eager to hit the hiking trails. Just remember to pack out your trash, as there’s no trash service here, and if you need firewood, you might want to stock up before arriving. 

While the sites can fill up quickly, the friendly vibe and stunning surroundings make Upper Scorpion a solid choice for your next camping adventure.

Upper Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than one mile from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument just off of NM State Highway 15. Drinking water is available, tables and grills are provided at select sites. Vault toilets are available on site. Camping is free of charge and first-come, first-served.

Upper Scorpion Campground

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Gila, NM is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Gila. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.

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The Best Camping Near Gila, New Mexico

This campsite is perfect. There’s about 6-8 spots at this particular site. It’s first come first serve so, get there early because it fills up fast.  There are toilets in the parking lot and they are constantly stocked with toilet paper. Each campsite has a fire pit in the middle and some have picnic tables.  Most of the sites are close to the parking lot so you don’t have haul your stuff very far.  Also, it’s the site closest to the Cliff Dwellings Monument (about 1/4 mile away). We’ve camped here twice and every time it is perfect. Nights in the spring do get a bit chilly so bring warm clothes. 

Our favorite spot

free, first come first serve, camp host at lower Scorpion. 

Really cool

This campground is really nice for being free. There is a very clean bathroom with vault toilets and there are a couple sm water spigots. Some sites have picnic tables and all have some sort of fire pit. It's good to have a trash bag handy to pack out your trash, as there is no trash service up there. Some spots are a little awkward as you might have to walk through someone else's site to get to/from your car. It is within walking distance of several trailheads in the national forest and the cliff dwellings, so that is super convenient. If you want firewood, there is a little store a few miles back down the road run by some very friendly folks. 

Close to cliff dwellings and Gila NF trailheads

The rangers came by to let us know info about the water table and answered all our questions about attractions nearby.

Great Stay

The Gila cliff dwellings are awesome.  Well worth the 1.5 hour drive in from Silver City.  The Upper Scorpion campground is really a parking lot with nearby tent sites.  Campers park in the lot.  With that said I was the only occupant of the campground.  It was very quiet with a spectacular night sky.  The Lower Scorpion campground is the same.  The host was very friendly and helpful.  No services except pit toilets.

Awesome Cliff Dwellings - not a Bad Site

Stayed here for a couple nights in the beginning of September 2023. Weather was upper 80’s during the day and mid 50’s during the night. This site is free and provides a vault toilet (which was clean), water, a fire ring and picnic table. There were about 6-8 sites. I lucked out and ended up getting the last one. The sites were pretty close together but spread out enough. I was able to walk right to the entrance of the cliff dwellings trail from this site in about 5 minutes. I could also walk across street and woods to the river, wasn’t much water though. From silver city on 15, it took me about 90 minutes to reach the campsite. It’s a paved road but gets pretty twisty in spots. I stocked up on food and everything I needed at wal mart in silver city. There was no cell service from silver city to the campground. There is a store, Docs, that will let you use their Wi-Fi. The store has a few things but nothing impressive. It was also difficult finding wood in the immediate area, so either bring wood or stock up along 15 when you’re in the pines. There is also no trash pickup anywhere in the area, so prepare to pack out all trash. The only downside of this site is being able to get a spot. There is also the lower scorpion campsite, plus a few others along the way. There are also plenty of dispersed sites along 15. 

Photos of Upper Scorpion Campground

Real photos from real campers