Rules · New Mexico

Dispersed-camping rules in New Mexico

New Mexico sits at the intersection of federal public land, state trust land, and a patchwork of state-park, wildlife-area, and private land. The rules that govern free and dispersed camping vary substantially across those categories. New Mexico requires the New Mexico State Land Office Recreational Access Permit ($35/year individual) for general recreation on state trust land. The federal stay limit applicable to New Mexico is generally 14 days in a 30-day period on BLM and USFS land, after which you must move at least 25 miles to a new general area. Some units within New Mexico apply tighter local stay limits in popular areas. Fire restrictions in New Mexico are issued by the New Mexico State Forestry Division for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. Always check both before lighting anything. The notes below summarize the practical rules most dispersed campers in New Mexico need to keep in mind, with links to the authoritative agency pages — bookmark those, because the specifics change yearly.

State trust land in New Mexico

New Mexico State Land Office Recreational Access Permit. $35/year individual. The authoritative page is www.nmstatelands.org — read the actual rule before relying on a third-party summary, because state agencies update permit terms more often than federal land managers do.

Fire restrictions in New Mexico

Restrictions in New Mexico are issued by the New Mexico State Forestry Division for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. The current statewide picture is published at www.nmfireinfo.com. Always check both sources before lighting anything — even a propane stove can trigger enforcement under Stage II conditions.

Specific quirks worth knowing

Carson and Santa Fe National Forests routinely escalate to Stage II in May and June; check before you leave Albuquerque or Santa Fe. State trust permits are checked actively by NMSLO field staff in popular dispersed areas.

Agencies you'll deal with

• BLM New Mexico
• Carson NF
• Santa Fe NF
• Gila NF
• Cibola NF
• Lincoln NF
• NM State Parks

How this page interacts with the rest of the directory

The rules above govern every campsite in our New Mexico directory. They also govern the regional zones we curate inside New Mexico — see the regions index for the named dispersed-camping corridors. None of these rules override unit-specific orders posted at the trailhead; if a sign says "no camping," that's the controlling instruction regardless of what this page says.