New Mexico

New Mexico annual camping pass

On the New Mexico annual camping pass:

Caveats are well-expressed by trailertraveler:^[1]

We have stayed in many of the New Mexico State Parks. A couple of things to add to the information in the video. The New Mexico State Park regulations state "Campers may reside in a park for a maximum of 14 calendar days during any 20-calendar day period unless the director extends, decreases or waives this limit. Campers shall completely remove camping equipment and gear from the park for six calendar days during the 20-calendar day period." So you can not just leave for a day and return to the same park, you can move from park to park every 14 days. Primitive sites ($8) at many of the parks, do not have a picnic table or prepared parking area. The sites with covered picnic tables referred to as primitive sites in the video were I think considered developed sites ($10). Some parks do take reservations for both developed sites with no utilities and developed sites with utilities. There are some parks with no sites with electric (Eagle Nest and Cimarron Canyon come to mind) and there are several parks with no water/electric/sewer sites other than the camp host sites. Some parks do not take reservations year round, Some parks shutdown loops in their off season. Vacant reservation sites can normally be occupied for at least one night as one can not make same day reservations.

A note of warning/clarification:

you can take the first-come, first-served campsites for free but if they’re full or you want one of the others, you have to pay the $4 reservation fee - even if you show up when the office is open and there are sites available.^[2]

About the economics:

The break even point is the same whether you stay in a $10 dry campsite (free), $14 electric site ($4) or an $18 water/electric and sewer site ($8). The pass covers up to $10 of the nightly camping fee. So the break even point for non-residents is 225/10=22.5 or 23 nights. For residents it is 180/10=18. If one stays only in the primitive areas it would be 225/8=28.125 and 180/8=22.5.^[3]

CRVL video on the pass

• Bureau of Land Management >New Mexico
• AllStays >New Mexico
• Campendium >New Mexico
• FreeCampSites.net >New Mexico
• Camping USA >New Mexico
• KOA >New Mexico
• The Dyrt >New Mexico
• Boondocker's Bible >New Mexico rest area rules and New Mexico rest area map
• iExit >Rest areas in New Mexico
• RVShare >Guide to RV Camping in New Mexico
• Recreation.gov >New Mexico - recreation areas, camping, day use areas, and points of interest
• See the Finding parking page for additional information.