Raptor Lake Dispersed / Holloman Lake, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, is a unique spot for those looking to camp close to the stunning White Sands National Park. This area offers a free, no-frills experience where you can park your RV or pitch a tent amidst the wide-open spaces and enjoy breathtaking sunsets over the lake.

While amenities are minimal—no drinking water, toilets, or trash services—visitors appreciate the quiet atmosphere and the chance to spread out. As one camper noted, “It’s a great little spot if you’re planning on hitting White Sands NP.” The access road is decent, making it manageable even for lower-clearance vehicles, and the surrounding landscape is perfect for solar setups and stargazing.

If you’re up for some adventure, the nearby mountain ranges provide excellent hiking opportunities. Alamogordo is just a short drive away for any supplies you might need, including food and gas. Just remember, the lake is actually a wastewater treatment pond, so it's best to keep your distance from the water. With its convenient location and stunning views, Raptor Lake is a solid choice for a camping getaway.

Raptor Lake Dispersed / Holloman Lake

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Holloman Air Force Base, NM has a lot to offer. Holloman Air Force Base is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your New Mexico camping adventure.

Holloman Air Force Base

The Best Camping Near Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

A very nice spot to stop on a road trip. There are no amenities here, and surprisingly there was no trash at all. There is a gravel road off the highway that leads into the campground. There is a lot of open space for you to pick and just set up camp. Here I used a tent.
Theres no need for a permit or checking in. A state trooper drove in in the morning for something but didn’t stop to interact with anyone. There was just me and two other van campers. The gate seems to be open all year round.
Can be found as Lake Holloman on Google.
In the morning I woke up to fighter jets flying from the Air Force base that is near by. A beautiful sight to wake up to. Would stop here again

Easy to Access, Clean & Safe

Had a great time here! (October) At night it was so windy that the tent was basically flat on top of us, but it was fun. We had to move campsites to be a little further from the lake then we were originally because of the bugs. This was a great place to stay after visiting the sands, it’s free, and I highly recommend it! Beautiful stars too

Wonderful stay

We just pulled in today and it’s a beautiful spot. Took a couple tries to find a level spot, but not too tough. Thanks so much to the person who gave directions on how to find this place. It was so helpful.  Turning into the place and going through the gate is tight with our 36’ fifth wheel, but we made it in the first try. There’s about 6 others campers here, but plenty of space for us to all to spread out. The sun sets right over the lake. Good Verizon and AT&amp;T coverage.


Beautiful spot

Decent site easy to find with easy access to white sands 

White sands visit

Easy to find and close to white sands! Towards the back, the road gets pretty rough. You’re parking in gravel next to the water. I stayed on a week night, and this place was PACKED. It had beautiful views of the mountains. I had decent phone service here. There is no bathroom here and it is not private at all. 

Close to white sands

Stayed here two night, very close to town and the white sands national park. Lots of spots for all campers, some pre-existing fire rings. I can see where a big rig might have an issue navigating the gate, so if your rig is large check your angles. Wind can get up and since this is a wastewater evaporation lake it can get smelly, also worth noting that you should keep all animals and kids away from the water. 

Beautiful spot 

I pulled in around 5:30 in the evening. There were quite a few larger RV units around. Some areas are fairly uneven surfaces. I have a small teardrop trailer so it wasn’t an issue for me. I found a spot right by the water. Was super windy the night I was there.￼

Decent area close to White Sands National Park

Holloman AFB BLM.... aka... Raptor Lake Dispersed 


Great spot....but... as others have said, it IS a tricky entry for bigger rigs, especially if you are traveling South on 70. 

Sharp right turn, immediately into 2 gates with a slight curve between them, slight dip after the 2nd gate and then another curve going uphill.

We're only 34' long STD width, and used the left turn lane to turn right and get straightened before entering. I'm  glad we did an RV park the 1st night to dump, pump, and resupply. It gave us a chance to drive out and see the entry 1st hand before towing in the rig. 

Once you're in, it's  a nice spot. Verizon  &amp; ATT both work great 3-4 bars. We got 23 OTA channels. Area was pretty clean.. Not as spread out as some places, but not on top of each other either. Stays reasonably busy even in February. 

Winds were up some on arrival. Parked accordingly and had no problem. Ground is another issue. Firm enough for parking etc, but if it rains I imagine the silty texture might turn to peanut butter. 

All in all a nice spot with the lake, mountains,  and the jets from Hollowman AFB to watch. Road noise not noticeable inside the rig.



Watch the entrance 

This place was packed! It had tiny bumpy roads and only one good spot was left. We weren't able to get right on the water because all the smaller rigs and vans were there. The water is toxic so its pretty to look at but you cant do anything, no fishing, swimming or kayaking. There is military training near by so HUGE blast shake your whole rig and its scary. 

It was really clean here and had no bad smells. 

  

We did feel safe and it was all free. We ran our generator at night with no issues. Everyone is pretty spread out so we didnt disturb anyone. 

  

Also the areas are all unlevel so have your leveling blocks ready.

Crowded with Rough roads

Many reviews mention rough roads. I was able to drive all the way to the end with my FWD vehicle (Transit Connect) and my neighbors were in sedans. Many sites, pretty quiet, and convenient location.

Good free camping 

This area is very easy to access and has plenty of RV sites all with great views of the lake and surrounding mountains. ATT and Verizon service are both very good here, and White Sands NP is only a few minutes down the road. There is the occasional fly over from the nearby Air Force base, but other than that, very peaceful. We stayed here for just under a week and have worked remote full time from our location without any issues.

Plenty of sites and Beautiful Views

Pros - Free camping, gorgeous sunsets. Plenty of available spots. 

Cons - the lake is sewage from the Air Force base. It’s stinks here, badly. 

We stayed here for one night. I think that’s all we could take. We got out of here as soon as we could. We love free camping as much as the next person, but we were kind of disgusted that we were sleeping next to a lake of pee and poo. 

Stay here if you must, if you can find another campsite, do it.

Free and Pretty

I thought this was a good little camp site for a day or two. The view is nice but the area is kind of a mess. You can’t swim in the water its sewage or something from the air force base and there are many signs saying no swimming. The best part about the site is it’s 5 minutes from white sands. The entrance is right off of us 70 you come in and cross a cattle gate and there is a bunch of signs saying no off road driving from the Air Force. Just go back there 100 yards. There is plenty of room and will most likely never fill up. 

Good spot and close to white sands

We arrived at night and didn't have difficulties finding it. you must look for an open  gate on US 70, just few miles before the exit to White Sands National Monument. The road is perfectly fine at the begin ing and quieckly turns bumpy so we decided to ivernight just before the dust road becomes mire challengi g for a non 4 wheel car. At night we could hear cayotes. The place didn't smell bad, as noticed several time in the previous reviews so I guess it must depend on the wind ! And of course it's not a place you can swim in : the lake is a wastewater evaporation pond but as long as you know it ,it just makes sense. The highway is not that far so it can be a bit noisy for light sleepers.

Nice spot by White Sands 

Arrived at 830 pm on 8/25 and stayed just one night. No smell at all. Only 2 other RTT. When it cooled down at night there was a very slight smell. To me it was kind of like low tide at the ocean. Totally bearable. Plenty of flat spots if you have a RTT but also plenty of space in general. Was very quiet as well. AFB stopped flying around 9 pm. There is a little bird watching sign just before the turn off 70. 

Good spot despite reviews

Nice place, we found a perfect flat spot. It smells sometimes, but not often. 
The highway was very loud but such a pretty sunset and we saw lots of stars. 
A little trash, we found some metal and glass.

Nice quick stop

Biggest draw is that this place is only about 3-5 miles away from the entrance to White Sands. You can see the lights from the highway, but it is very quiet, especially after dark. Only 4 other campers when we were there and plenty of room to spread out. There are fire rings, but nothing else. Sunset and sunrise over the lake were nice. The smell that others have mentioned was only really apparent after the sun went down and the temperature dropped, it’s just a marshy smell, nothing that terrible, imo.

Closest you can camp to White Sands in an RV

nice view easy setup, white sands spots apparently still closed due to covid in 2022. tell that to my job! haha

good spot

It’s a good spot. I didn’t smelt anything. It’s accessible with any car and it’s a nice place for tent. 
Very close to the national park (5min)

To get inside there is a sign “camp” in the freeway. 

Little dirty but it’s not that much. 

Go for it !

It’s not bad ! 

This was actually one of our favorite stops. Breathtaking views, especially sunrise and sunset. Clean, easy access, and peaceful. Plenty of space and several fire rings. Bring your own wood. 

Great No Frills Spot 

Campground is right off the highway. Easy to get all kinds of campers, Rvs, trailers, ect into the campsites. No services, pack in, pack out. Only a few sites right next the to water and all fairly flat. There are plenty of more sites off the water. Only a 5 minute drive to White Sands National Park and about a 20 minute drive to groceries and restaurants. 

Best free camping outside the National Park 

This is our first time on BLM land. We didn’t really know what to expect. We pull a 36’ fifth wheel and was a little apprehensive about coming to a place like this for fear of being too large. After getting through the gate though, there is plenty of room. We got a nice spot right on the lake. There are a few other campers but it’s not crowded. We have enough distance between us to let our dogs off leash. The only advice I have is if you’re pulling a trailer and approaching from Alamogordo you should make a wide right turn in from the travel lane. Turn on those flashers and slow down. When you see the gate. Make turn as wide as possible. I pulled off the highway first and had a hell of a time getting straight enough to get through gate. From direction of las cruces. You’re fine. 

Raptor lake dispersed camping

We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in early April. There are only a handful of other campers here on a Monday afternoon. It was quite windy the day we arrived with wind speeds of 25 mph and gust up to 40 mph, which kicked up a little dust from time to time, but the weather was beautiful otherwise. Much the same forecast for tomorrow, but the wind is supposed to die down a fair bit on Wednesday. As others have mentioned, getting to some of these back sites can be a little rough, but if you go slowly, it’s not too bad, even in our rig. 

  

AT&amp;T coverage was quite good, with 3 Bars of 5G service and speeds up to 4.5 MB/s. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 5 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.

Well dispersed campsites, only a handful of others, aka Holloman Lake CG

Easy access, gravel road in a class a or lower vehicle can travel on without a worry. Beautiful view of the sunset over the mountains on one side and the sunrise over the mountains on the other.

Beautiful lake site for FREE

A big parking area For RV r's looking for a place to spend the night. No facilities at all.  3 miles from white sands National Park.

Great easily accessible overnight spot. 

It’s meh. The water is a wastewater evaporation site so it’s kinda gross looking. No smell in April though. Lots of open land to park on. 0 privacy. 

Worth it to be so close to the park

Plenty of spots, it was a busy Saturday night and we arrived after 10pm and still saw plenty of spots. It was very basic honestly, I would not want to spend much time here.

Pretty bright city lights across the lake so no stargazinf

Not a place to spend time but easy access to the park

Super close to the park only 3 miles. Easy to find, easy to navigate with small cars and even some rvs. Lots of spots that are spread out. Great views of sunset and sunrise. Windy and no amenities of any kinda. Good for just sleeping 

Good easy spot

Super easy to find. Empty when we arrived around 7 PM. Clean and never had any visitors. Great location from White Sands NP. 

Easy location, convenient to the park

Stayed here 04/26/23 for an overnight stop after visiting White Sands National Park. Great views of the lake and plenty of other vans/RVs around but everyone was very quiet and respectful

Perfect for Dispersed Camping

1990 Winnebago Chieftain towing a '95 Wrangler from LA &gt; 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. 

Perfect Spot, plenty of space

Super 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. 

Not Bad At All

Little more than 3 miles from White Sands Natl. Park easily found rough road. Quite, didn't find to m8ch trash

Windy. 

Pretty 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!

Busy but great location for White Sands

Quite busy and noisy with people running their generators. No privacy. The redeeming factor is the sunset was spectacular over the lake!

Busy but convenient and great sunset

Good 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. 

Convenient but Noisy

DO 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!

Decent spot

Found 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

Good spot for boondocking White Sands

Super 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.

Convenient to white sands

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!

Location + Free + Spectacular Sunsets = Great Option Near White Sands NP!

The road is a bit lumpy getting in, so bigger rigs will have to take their time. But once you’re in, there’s good spacing so you’re not on top of everyone. Lake is very peaceful in the morning and evening, but wouldn’t swim in it. 


Windy at night, but lots of room and views

Visited in late February. Stunning sunsets over the Lake. Even with a lot of rigs, I was able to find my own spot several feet away from others ( although you will be in sight of other rigs) border patrol surveys the area. Fire pit available at some sites. Pretty quiet, some aircraft noise from the base nearby. 

Beautiful lake area - lots of space 

Nice area. 3mi from White Sands National Park. About 20 miles from Alamogordo NM. Weekend evenings get a little crowded with photographers but all in all it's a great place to stay. No services.

Photos of Raptor Lake Dispersed / Holloman Lake

Real photos from real campers