★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Otero County
Drive-up · public land · Otero County, NM · 32.98618, -105.81458
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A secret primitive campsite at the top of a steep hill that requires four-wheel drive. Grassy at top. Not used for camping often, but remnants of an old fire ring. Good cell service. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Nice views. Your presence visible from well traveled forest road so even though accessibility is challenging it is not completely private. Fun secluded spot. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 6,625 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel3 mi
- GGrocery3 mi
- @Mail3 mi
- DDump5 mi
- MMechanic9 mi
- HHardware9 mi
- LLaundry9 mi
- +Urgent care9 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- AAir-up23 mi
- ShShower48 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: fuel & food sit about 3 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Water, Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
6,625 ft
County
Otero County, NM
Coordinates
32.98618, -105.81458
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureSalado Canyon (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townMountain Park · ~2.5 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelHigh Rolls General Store · ~3.0 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~12.6 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~5.3 mi
- GroceriesHigh Rolls General Store · ~3.0 mi
- PharmacyWalgreens · ~10.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicCHRISTUS Health Alamogordo · ~8.2 mi
- HardwareRocky Mountain Supply · ~9.6 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletTrestle · ~4.4 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPines · ~4.8 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletLower Fir · ~4.8 mi E · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletSlide · ~4.9 mi SE · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Slide Group Campground~4.9 mi
- Lower Fir Group Campground~4.9 mi
- Deerhead Campground~4.9 mi
- Apache Campground~5.1 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Otero County, NM). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →