Dog Canyon Dispersed Campground

Meh . As dispersed camping goes. Small location with a good bit of trash. It's close to Alamogordo which is nice. The road to the site is fine but inside they are a bit rough and washed out. I made it in and out with a 32' tow behind. Some areas flooded out after a light rain so choose your location with that in mind. The location, views and sunsets did make up for some of it's short comings.

Oliver Lee campground was our first choice because it’s not very expensive and we could take showers and use their restrooms but it was full. Dog Canyon dispersed campground is five minutes down the hill from Oliver Lee and works fine for self-contained campers. The closest spots are easy to access with any vehicle. We came during spring break so it’s fairly crowded but with four-wheel-drive you can get into spots that are a little more private.

This was an awesome spot to camp. We turned left off the main road at the little silver sign that said "Bureau of Land Management," [before you hit the cattle guard on the road leading up to the Oliver Lee Memorial state park] and proceeded down the gravel path past a number of possible campsites, but we set up shop just past the two old fenceposts with rusty wire wrapped back around the posts. Wifi: spotty but available (I have suddenlink) Bathrooms: None, but we brought a bucket toilet with a privacy tent, and it worked great. Showers: none, BUT you can simply roll up the hill to the state park, pay for a $5 day pass (for EACH day you stay - they will check) and use their bathhouse and dumpster. There was plenty of hot water, but the shower pressure in the handicapped shower was infinitely better, fyi. There's a lot of wind, so make sure and bring plenty of cord to tie down the tent. I was worried about there being enough space in this dispersed area during busier times (we came during spring break, and Oliver Lee was completely booked out) but I shouldn't have been concerned. There was SO much space. I will definitely camp here again 🧡✨️

It's a compact desert campground with more hills than flats. There is no quiet. Only a bombardment of generators. The ground is hard, "caliche", so securing tents is almost impossible. Don't expect to dig a latrine either. The most positive word I could use to describe this spot is "pragmatic".

very chill place to camp. $free. very quiet and peaceful and there are lots of other vehicles parked up on the site but it's spread out enough that everyone has a decent amount of space and privacy. I would stay here again.