Valley of Fires Recreation Area

Wow - this is BLM?!

We didn't know what to expect when we pulled into Valley of Fires Recreation Area. We chose a partial hookup spot because it had a view of the ancient lava fields.

The campground is well kept, except for the showers. Push button, no temperature control, moldy shower curtains and cobwebs in the shower stall.

Other than that, this place is fantastic. We walked the nature trail every morning and the view from our picnic table was pretty glorious.

There is a small market in town, if you're looking for some real supplies, we liked Wild Herb Market in Ruidoso.

A note about cell service. AT&T showed 5 bars, but was only good for calls, not for data. Verizon was fine.

Great cell reception though. Too short of a stay to give the park it's due justice. Snuck right in with no reservations in late October.

The town was interesting. Feel free to explore for yourself but Allsups is the only place with beer. Some craft brews.

Oh and we pulled in at sunset and dang, good job God and/or science. Nice looking sun.

We've had such great luck with New Mexico campgrounds that I feel a little bit like a broken record.

We pulled in at noon on this beautiful March 2, 2016 day and half the sites were available. There are great views to be had from each site.

Impeccably clean bathroom and huge too. I read reviews from a year earlier complaining about the showers. Maybe they read the reviews too! A year later, and they're hot, but not dangerously so they way they are at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. The shower head was one of the best I've experienced at a park. Good flow, but I don't mind the push button. Makes you more aware of how much you're using which is fine with me. Three shower stalls on the women's side, one handicapped and very roomy. Curtains looked clean to me.

Level, paved sites. Spaced out generously. Lots of wind here on the precipice between desert and lava, so a non-gravel/dirt campground is much appreciated. The tent camping area at the end of the park is in a depression, which is smart. Elsewise they'd just blow away!

We had four bars of Verizon LTE. Pretty great place, super quiet. May stay a few nights!

We went here to join the New Mexico unit of the Airstream Club (WBCCI) for their annual "Glow in the Dark" rally where they visit the site of the first test of the atomic bomb in 1945 (the Trinity Site) which the US Army opens up two times per year. Otherwise we would never have found this delightful off-the-beaten-path campground.

The campground has about 15 sites with water & electric hookups and another four dry RV sites and another half dozen or so tent sites several of which could accommodate a Class B camper. There are plenty of water spigots around the campground for folks in the dry sites. There is a dump station on site.

We had very good TV reception and excellent Verizon data coverage (we were able to stream HI Def video.)

This is a first come first serve campground but there is a lot of daily turnover (many people appear to use this as an overnight stopping point on their way to someplace else) so except for busy holiday weekends you should be able to get a spot immediately or certainly the morning following your arrival. At the time we were here, the campground hosts were very helpful in finding "unofficial" overnight spots for late arrivals.

The restroom and shower facilities are among the best and cleanest we've ever seen in a public campground.

All the sites are paved and level. Each site offers a ramada for shade, grill and picnic table. All sites offer great views of the surrounding lava fields and mountains in the distance.

When we first arrived we thought that this campground was "in the middle of nowhere" and that if it weren't for the Airstream rally we would never come here. Were we wrong! There is the wonderful ski/hike/fish resort town of Ruidoso about 30 miles away up in the mountains, the three Salinas Pueblo Missions, Smokey Bear Historic Park, Three Rivers PEtroglyph Site, Fort Stanton itself and the Forst Stanton Recreation Area, Lincoln State Monument, Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, and on and on all within an easy hour or so drive from the campground. We even went so far as to drive to the Very Large Array (VLA made famous in many films including "Contact" starring Jody Foster) which was about 100 miles away (in New Mexico, a 100 miles drive is not considered "long distance!")

We will definitely put this campground in our "regular rotation!"

would be 5 stars, was last year BUT they switched from ALL first come first serve to at least 1/2 reservation sites...with most of the good sites by reservation only...
otherwise it is a great spot...mile long interpretive trail is great...beautiful night skies...decent room between the sites...small guest center/bookshop...not as many tent sites as rv...a couple reviews mentioned bugs...2 visits and no bug problems..nice camp host...didnt use showers or toilets...

Great Location - Uneven sites.
Don't miss the lava hiking loop in the campground.
Very Quiet, close to the town for food.

Many of the sites are very uneven.
You will need to put several blocks under your front landing gear if you are facing downhill.

This is a very unique place to visit. We are thoroughly enjoying it. Been here since December 30. Very peaceful place. Great sunsets. The nearby town of Carrizozo has a Family Dollar. 20 miles away is Capital which has Smokey’s Country Market, a very organized, reasonably priced store with a good amount of selections to restock your pantry.

Just as heads up, there is an $8 fee to make a reservation which might be worth it as it can be busy. There are some first come first served sites as well. Our site did not have electricity. Easy dump station on the way in. Water access all over the campground. Huge bathrooms with 3 showers. Pit toilets in several other locations. Tenting at the further end. Our site was at a higher spot next to a view point. A bit of wind while we were there. The nature trail was great. Took our time to enjoy all the wildflowers blooming. Never heard a generator. Super quiet except for the wind.

We loved going from White Sands to Valley of Fires – what a contrast! The campground at Valley of Fires is lovely, with very spacious sites spread out so you have lots of space and stunning views of the mountains and lava fields. Each site has a covered picnic area, grill and trash can. Roads are paved, sites are gravel and some can take a little work to get level.

Although we had a reservation, I appreciate that there is a mix of first come/first served and reservable sites. The boardwalk/trail through the lava field with interpretive signs is a must-do and dog-friendly too. Very nice staff at the tiny visitor center/office.

We had 3 bars of Verizon 4G.

We camped at the Valley of Fires campground in late-April with amazing views of the lava flow area and beautiful sunsets. The rate of $9.00 per night reflects our discount using the Lifetime Pass, otherwise the rate is $18.00. Our campsite was a pull-thru with 30 amp hookup, water hookup, picnic shelter, fire ring, trash container, and the paved pad was level. Our campsite was a mere 20 feet from the lava flow area, the trail through the lava flow area was located a short distance away. The visitors center has brochures available with great information about the lava flow area, I highly recommend using this for your hike. The trail is paved and approximately 1 1/4 miles in length. Vault toilets are located throughout the campground, the restrooms and shower facility was spacious, clean, and free hot showers. We had 3-bars with Verizon.