The best desert camping near Animas

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Campers heading to Animas for desert terrain have over 110 sites to choose from, with prices starting at just $12 a night. Expect hard-packed ground, wide horizons, and a sky that turns electric at sunset. Campfires are allowed at many sites, and you’ll find toilets and pet-friendly spots throughout the area. Hiking the rocky washes, casting a line, or saddling up for horseback rides are common ways to fill your days here. Top picks include Smugglers' Roost (39 reviews), Moksha Sanctuary (17 reviews), and Light Homestead (5 reviews). Each spot offers something a little different—some with thick stands of mesquite for shade, others open to the stars all night. Bring layers, pack water, and get ready for a stark but rewarding camping experience.

95% (64) 19 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Animas

Smugglers' Roost

1. Smugglers' Roost

91%
(49)
0.5mi from Animas · 10 sites
Smugglers' Roost is located in Animas, NM, situated at the site of the infamous Clanton Gang’s hideout along Smuggler’s Trail. The community is positioned along the original Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Winter Route; a short two hour drive from Las Cruces , New Mexico or just 2.5-hours from either El Paso, Texas or Tucson, Arizona. We are located in the Middle of Everywhere, surrounded by wealth of wide-ranging activities and natural amenities which include extraordinary, yet uncrowded state and national recreation areas, caves, mines, ghost towns, museums, historic locations, native sites, observatories, local wineries and micro-breweries. Learn more about this land: Bring your RV and join us at Smugglers' Roost for our warm sunny days and starlit nights! We are a pioneering community which serves as a hub for exploration, creativity, trade and most of all... the passionate celebration of life! We offer 228 Full Hook-up RV Sites with 50-amp electric, water, commercial septic and free high-speed Wi-Fi. Pull-throughs are available and there's plenty of room to spread out! Smugglers' Roost is located in Animas, NM, situated at the site of the infamous Clanton Gang’s hideout along Smuggler’s Trail. The community is positioned along the original Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Winter Route; a short two hour drive from Las Cruces , New Mexico or just 2.5-hours from either El Paso, Texas or Tucson, Arizona. We are located in the Middle of Everywhere, surrounded by a treasure trove of wide-ranging activities and natural amenities which include extraordinary, yet uncrowded state and national recreation areas, caves, mines, ghost towns, museums, historic locations, native sites, observatories, local wineries and micro-breweries. BIRD WITH US! We offer an onsite birding station and three additional affiliated and nationally acclaimed birding sites, including one at the mouth of the famed Cave Creek Canyon in Portal, AZ only a short drive away. EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE! Our dead-dark night skies are nothing short of awe-inspiring, so come explore with our onsite star guides with telescopes!
Pets
Full hookups
from 
$40
 / night
Moksha Sanctuary

2. Moksha Sanctuary

91%
(28)
44mi from Animas · 4 sites · Tents, RVs
Hello, we have acreage that we are allowing travelers to stay on. We are 15 miles from Chiricahua National Monument, located along the ‘Wilcox Loop’. Along the loop is also Cochise Stronghold and many wineries! If you travel south from here, we are 45 minutes from my favorite town Bisbee. Stars galore! Attention: as the area can be dry we do not allow fire pits, however a stove/grill for cooking is expectable. Thank you
Pets
from 
$12
 / night
Chiricahua Sunsets

3. Chiricahua Sunsets

14mi from Animas · 1 site
Unplug and unwind in our thoughtfully outfitted 26’ Rockwood Mini Lite, tucked away in a secluded setting with stunning mountain views. Perfect for a couple’s getaway, this roomy RV sleeps two in a private bedroom with a queen-size bed, fresh linens, and its own TV. The RV features a full bathroom and a well-stocked kitchen with cookware, dishes, a toaster, coffee maker, and basic spices. You’ll have a three-burner stove and oven (no microwave), a full-size RV refrigerator and freezer, ample pantry space, and a Berkey water filter for great-tasting water. After a day outdoors, relax in the living room with a TV/DVD player or enjoy the electric fireplace, which provides extra warmth alongside the propane furnace. Guests also have access to a variety of on-property amenities, including free laundry, a DVD and book library, a game room with a pool table, darts, board games, and jigsaw puzzles, a small gym, and a peaceful labyrinth. Fresh chicken eggs are often available. The property also includes an equestrian center with accommodations for horses, mules, and donkeys. Located just 20 minutes from the Chiricahua Mountains and about 25 minutes from Cave Creek Canyon—often called “Arizona’s Yosemite”—this area is a paradise for birders, stargazers, and nature lovers. With dark skies and exceptional biodiversity, it’s an ideal basecamp for exploring southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, or simply soaking in the quiet beauty of the high desert.
Pets
Toilets
Showers
from 
$95
 / night
Coronado National Forest

4. Coronado National Forest

80%
(46)
National forest 116mi from Animas · 479 sites
If you think southern Arizona is nothing but parched desert, think again.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
THE OLD WEST

5. THE OLD WEST

100%
(4)
15mi from Animas · 1 site
Built in 1917

Campers heading to Animas for desert terrain have over 110 sites to choose from, with prices starting at just $12 a night. Expect hard-packed ground, wide horizons, and a sky that turns electric at sunset. Campfires are allowed at many sites, and you’ll find toilets and pet-friendly spots throughout the area. Hiking the rocky washes, casting a line, or saddling up for horseback rides are common ways to fill your days here. Top picks include Smugglers' Roost (39 reviews), Moksha Sanctuary (17 reviews), and Light Homestead (5 reviews). Each spot offers something a little different—some with thick stands of mesquite for shade, others open to the stars all night. Bring layers, pack water, and get ready for a stark but rewarding camping experience.

95% (64) 19 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Animas

Smugglers' Roost

1. Smugglers' Roost

91%
(49)
0.5mi from Animas · 10 sites
Smugglers' Roost is located in Animas, NM, situated at the site of the infamous Clanton Gang’s hideout along Smuggler’s Trail. The community is positioned along the original Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Winter Route; a short two hour drive from Las Cruces , New Mexico or just 2.5-hours from either El Paso, Texas or Tucson, Arizona. We are located in the Middle of Everywhere, surrounded by wealth of wide-ranging activities and natural amenities which include extraordinary, yet uncrowded state and national recreation areas, caves, mines, ghost towns, museums, historic locations, native sites, observatories, local wineries and micro-breweries. Learn more about this land: Bring your RV and join us at Smugglers' Roost for our warm sunny days and starlit nights! We are a pioneering community which serves as a hub for exploration, creativity, trade and most of all... the passionate celebration of life! We offer 228 Full Hook-up RV Sites with 50-amp electric, water, commercial septic and free high-speed Wi-Fi. Pull-throughs are available and there's plenty of room to spread out! Smugglers' Roost is located in Animas, NM, situated at the site of the infamous Clanton Gang’s hideout along Smuggler’s Trail. The community is positioned along the original Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Winter Route; a short two hour drive from Las Cruces , New Mexico or just 2.5-hours from either El Paso, Texas or Tucson, Arizona. We are located in the Middle of Everywhere, surrounded by a treasure trove of wide-ranging activities and natural amenities which include extraordinary, yet uncrowded state and national recreation areas, caves, mines, ghost towns, museums, historic locations, native sites, observatories, local wineries and micro-breweries. BIRD WITH US! We offer an onsite birding station and three additional affiliated and nationally acclaimed birding sites, including one at the mouth of the famed Cave Creek Canyon in Portal, AZ only a short drive away. EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE! Our dead-dark night skies are nothing short of awe-inspiring, so come explore with our onsite star guides with telescopes!
Pets
Full hookups
from 
$40
 / night
Moksha Sanctuary

2. Moksha Sanctuary

91%
(28)
44mi from Animas · 4 sites · Tents, RVs
Hello, we have acreage that we are allowing travelers to stay on. We are 15 miles from Chiricahua National Monument, located along the ‘Wilcox Loop’. Along the loop is also Cochise Stronghold and many wineries! If you travel south from here, we are 45 minutes from my favorite town Bisbee. Stars galore! Attention: as the area can be dry we do not allow fire pits, however a stove/grill for cooking is expectable. Thank you
Pets
from 
$12
 / night
Chiricahua Sunsets

3. Chiricahua Sunsets

14mi from Animas · 1 site
Unplug and unwind in our thoughtfully outfitted 26’ Rockwood Mini Lite, tucked away in a secluded setting with stunning mountain views. Perfect for a couple’s getaway, this roomy RV sleeps two in a private bedroom with a queen-size bed, fresh linens, and its own TV. The RV features a full bathroom and a well-stocked kitchen with cookware, dishes, a toaster, coffee maker, and basic spices. You’ll have a three-burner stove and oven (no microwave), a full-size RV refrigerator and freezer, ample pantry space, and a Berkey water filter for great-tasting water. After a day outdoors, relax in the living room with a TV/DVD player or enjoy the electric fireplace, which provides extra warmth alongside the propane furnace. Guests also have access to a variety of on-property amenities, including free laundry, a DVD and book library, a game room with a pool table, darts, board games, and jigsaw puzzles, a small gym, and a peaceful labyrinth. Fresh chicken eggs are often available. The property also includes an equestrian center with accommodations for horses, mules, and donkeys. Located just 20 minutes from the Chiricahua Mountains and about 25 minutes from Cave Creek Canyon—often called “Arizona’s Yosemite”—this area is a paradise for birders, stargazers, and nature lovers. With dark skies and exceptional biodiversity, it’s an ideal basecamp for exploring southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, or simply soaking in the quiet beauty of the high desert.
Pets
Toilets
Showers
from 
$95
 / night
Coronado National Forest

4. Coronado National Forest

80%
(46)
National forest 116mi from Animas · 479 sites
If you think southern Arizona is nothing but parched desert, think again.
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
THE OLD WEST

5. THE OLD WEST

100%
(4)
15mi from Animas · 1 site
Built in 1917

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

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