Valley of Fires Recreation Area
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 15:36 UTC
- A night
- $15–$25Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 26All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 12 notices
In the agency’s own words
Valley of Fires recreation area is located immediately adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States. The Bureau of Land Management maintains and manages the Valley of Fires Recreation area, which is located four miles west of Carrizozo, NM, on US Highway 380. Keep reading
Valley of Fires offers both camping and day use. 13 of the campsites have 30- and 50-amp electrical hookups and water hookups, all sites have picnic shelters, tables, trashcans and barbeque grills. Two of the RV sites are accessible, as are the restrooms. Showers are provided in the main restroom/shower house. An RV dump station is also available. Two group shelters are accessible and available for rental. The 3/4-mile Malpais Nature Trail offers a close-up look of the lava surface.
Recreation
Camping: Valley of Fires Recreation area offers opportunities for RV Camping (both full-service and primitive camp sites), tent camping and day use. Each campsite and group shelter is equipped with picnic shelter and picnic table(s) for the public's enjoyment. Some of the campsites offer online reservations through Recreation.gov - Camping, Cabins, RVs, Permits, Passes & More . Malpais Nature Trail: The Malpais Nature trail offers a unique experience of getting trail users out into the lava. The trail is paved and accessible. Wildlife is commonly seen on or from the trail during the warm months, especially in the early morning and late evening hours. The interpretive signage along this trail and the hilltop vista at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area has been updated. These new signs provide updated information, including photos and artwork, about the lava flow, its inhabitants, and the surrounding area. Kipuka Trail: The Kipuka Trail is the latest addition to the Valley of Fires Recreation Area. This gentle dirt path meanders through the interior of the "Kipuka," an island of soil and vegetation encircled by the lava flow. Starting at the Visitor Center and ending at the southern edge of the recreation area, this out-and-back trail spans over a mile, or 2 ¼ miles if you walk the trail back to the starting point. While the Malpais Nature Trail offers an up-close view of the ecosystems flourishing in volcanic rock, the Kipuka Trail provides a unique experience as it takes visitors off the concrete path and into the diverse wildlife of the Chihuahuan Desert. Take sunscreen, plenty of water and watch for rattlesnakes which are sometimes seen along the path during the warmer months of the year. Valley of Fires Junior Ranger Program: The Junior Ranger Program offers young adventurers an exciting way to explore the lands and resources managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Children and their families can embark on a learning adventure with the Valley of Fires Junior Ranger activity book. Visit the bookstore to start your journey and get acquainted with these remarkable public lands! To call the Visitor Center ahead of time, please call 575-648-2241. For more information visit: Junior Ranger | Bureau of Land Management Facilities Each camp site features picnic shelter and picnic tables, tent pads (tent camping area), pedestal grills, campfire rings (most sites) as well as a trash can. There is a shower house with flush toilets centrally located within the campground, as well as accessible vault toilets and water spigots scattered throughout the area. Showers are included in your camping fee, or can be used by non-campers for a fee of $6. The on-site dump station charge is included in camping fees * or it can be utilized by non-campers for a $30 fee. Dump Station open from 7 AM to 7PM. To dump at other times please make arrangements with Camp Host. * One dump allowed per visit. Additional dumps will be charged $30/dump. Please be able to provide proof of payment to Camp Host or other BLM staff to be permitted to utilize dump station. The bookstore and gift shop offers information on the recreation area, wildlife and other nearby activities as well as offering the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of stuffed animals, books and other recreation area keepsakes.
Natural Features
From a distance, Valley of Fires appears as barren rock but when you walk through the nature trail there are many varieties of flowers, cactus, trees and bushes typical of the Chihuahuan desert. Animals include bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barbary sheep, and lizards. It's also a virtual birdwatcher's paradise with great horned owls, burrowing owls, turkey vultures, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and golden eagles.
Nearby Attractions
Carrizozo Land Partnership **The Carrizozo Land Partnership vehicle pass page is temporarily unavailable and the Roswell Field Office is currently unable to issue vehicle passes to cross private lands while collection policies for personal identifiable information are updated. All other open BLM lands remain accessible during this time. For more information, please contact the Roswell Field Office at 575-627-0272.** The Carrizozo Land Partnership provides access to recreators wishing to enter public lands managed by the BLM, between the Carrizozo Lava Flow and the White Sands Missile Range which can only be reached by crossing private land. The CLP, a partnership between the BLM, private landowners and ranchers of this area, has arranged for public access to BLM lands in this area by a vehicle pass process. Once on the BLM lands in the area, the public is allowed to hunt, camp, hike, observe wildlife and other appropriate recreational activities. This partnership provides access to many miles of roads and thousands of acres of public lands for recreational enjoyment. Terrain is from flat to rolling, with some bluffy/hilly country overlooking the lava flows. High desert plant species inhabit this area, ranging from desert shrubs, multiple varieties of cactus and cedar/juniper trees. Other nearby camping/recreation opportunities: Other nearby fee areas include campgrounds in the Lincoln National Forest, and the BLM Rob Jagger's Campground Rob Jagger's Campground | Bureau of Land Management . There are numerous private RV Campgrounds in the area as well. Additional nearby attractions include Capitan, Lincoln, and Ruidoso. Capitan, located 24 miles east of the Valley of Fires on U.S. Highway 380, is known as the birthplace of Smokey Bear, and features a popular visitor center. Lincoln, located 37 miles east on U.S. Highway 380, is famous as the site of the historic Lincoln County Wars as well as the exploits of Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett. Ruidoso is a popular resort town that features a horse racetrack, the Ski Apache skiing resort, and the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino. The BLM's Fort Stanton National Conservation Area, located approximately 27 miles east of the Valley of Fires on U.S. Highway 380, has 93 miles of sustainable horseback, mountain biking, and hiking trails that wind through open meadows and canyons. Trails are marked with flexible fiberglass markers with the trail name or an arrow attached to the marker. Cross-country horse and foot travel is allowed. Mountain bikes are strongly encouraged to stay on established trails to protect the rider as well as the landscape. The trails offer great views of the surrounding Sacramento and Capitan Mountains. The majority of the trails start at the Rob Jaggers Campground on NM 220 where you will find excellent camping opportunities, water for your animals, and vault toilets. Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area | Bureau of Land Management
What the agency tells you
To check campsite availability or for Valley of Fires specific information please call Valley of Fires Visitor Center 575-648-2241 or the camp host 575-973-3094. BLM staff CANNOT make or change Reservations. This must be done through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.
No fuel wood cuttings; bring charcoal and/or wood from home. (Please be aware of and follow current fire restrictions)
Fireworks are prohibited at all times.
Everything else this campground posts · 9
Please check with camp host or call (575) 627-0272 for current fire restriction information before lighting campfire or grill.
Reservations must be made 24-hours in advance. OPEN campsites may not be reserved the same day.
Visitor's Center/Bookstore: Is currently open daily from 9AM-11am and 1PM-3PM (CLOSED Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Dates and hours are subject to change, Visitors Center Phone: (575) 648-2241.
Dump Station: The on-site dump station charge is included in camping fees * or can be utilized by non-campers for a $30 fee. Dump Station open from 7 AM to 7PM. To dump at other times please make arrangements with Camp Host. * One dump allowed per visit. Additional dumps will be charged $30/dump. Please provide proof of payment to Camp Host or other BLM staff to be permitted to utilize dump station. *
Pets must be leashed and cleaned up after.
Quiet time is from 10 PM-6AM.
For more information on Pecos District BLM-Roswell Field Office, click here
RESERVATIONS: Check-out time is 11:00 AM and Check-in time 2:00 PM MST.
Changing from a reserved campsite is not allowed. Other campsites may already be reserved. Please stay in the campsite you have selected.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 26 · 7 tent-only
- Hookups
- 13 electric, 15 water
- Longest rig
- 40 ft
- Paved pads
- 16 of 26
- Accessible sites
- 3
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- VAULT TOILETS on 27 of 27 campsite records, ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 27 of 27 campsite records
- Showers
- Accessible Showers
- ACCESSIBLE SHOWERS on 21 of 27 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- DRINKING WATER on 15 of 27 campsite records, WATER SPIGOT on 6 of 27 campsite records
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
Around the campground
- On the water
- River, Meadow
- Hiking
- Picnicking
- Visitor center
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 44th darkest of 164 in NM
- Bortle 2
- Cell signal · Cell signal · BLM says
- Yes
3 of 29 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 15:36 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 16
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $15–$25 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 15:36 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
27 records · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 26 mapped sitesAll 27 records
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 26 of the 27 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 26 of the 27 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Valley of Fires | Group Shelter 1 | day use | yes | 159 ft | 3.8 mi | 211 ft | $35 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Group Shelter 2 | tent only nonelectric | yes | 535 ft | 3.7 mi | 925 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 1 | rv nonelectric | 20 ft | 133 ft | 3.8 mi | 350 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 10 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 95 ft | 3.8 mi | 295 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 11 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 95 ft | 3.8 mi | 385 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 12 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | yes | 105 ft | 3.8 mi | 482 ft | $25 |
| Valley of Fires | Site 13 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 48 ft | 3.8 mi | 461 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 14 | rv nonelectric | 20 ft | 48 ft | 3.8 mi | 414 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 15 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 121 ft | 3.7 mi | 294 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 16 | rv nonelectric | 20 ft | 89 ft | 3.7 mi | 173 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 17 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 89 ft | 3.7 mi | 101 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 18 | rv nonelectric | 20 ft | 164 ft | 3.7 mi | 204 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 19 | rv nonelectric | 40 ft | 226 ft | 3.7 mi | 422 ft | $15 | ||
| Valley of Fires | Site 2 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 120 ft | 3.8 mi | 220 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 20 | tent only nonelectric | 302 ft | 3.6 mi | 465 ft | $15 | |||
| Valley of Fires | Site 21 | tent only nonelectric | Accessible Vault Toilets +1 listed | $15 | |||||
| Valley of Fires | Site 22 | tent only nonelectric | 223 ft | 3.5 mi | 175 ft | $15 | |||
| Valley of Fires | Site 23 | tent only nonelectric | 153 ft | 3.5 mi | 68 ft | $15 | |||
| Valley of Fires | Site 24 | tent only nonelectric | 94 ft | 3.5 mi | 205 ft | $15 | |||
| Valley of Fires | Site 25 | tent only nonelectric | 94 ft | 3.4 mi | 257 ft | $15 | |||
| Valley of Fires | Site 3 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 92 ft | 3.8 mi | 131 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 4 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | yes | 92 ft | 3.8 mi | 91 ft | $25 |
| Valley of Fires | Site 5 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 104 ft | 3.8 mi | 351 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 6 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 104 ft | 3.8 mi | 252 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 7 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 105 ft | 3.8 mi | 144 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 8 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 105 ft | 3.8 mi | 99 ft | $25 | |
| Valley of Fires | Site 9 | rv electric | 40 ft | 50 amp | 132 ft | 3.8 mi | 162 ft | $25 |
The agency files 1 more record here that isn’t a site for the night. It files it as day use. It’s in the table above, marked for what it is, and it isn’t counted as a site.
25 of 27 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Monjeau LookoutLincoln National Forest · 21 miSkyline CampgroundLincoln National Forest · 21 mi
Oak Grove CampgroundLincoln National Forest · 22 miSam Tobias Memorial Group CampgroundLincoln National Forest · 26 miTravel four miles west of the town of Carrizozo on U.S. Highway 380. Valley of Fires recreation area is on the left.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Carrizozo, NM
Typical weather
Typical October night 41°F, day 73°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 23°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Junes are colder than the June line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Valley of Fires Recreation Area is in New Mexico’s 1st congressional district. Its representative, Melanie Stansbury (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“the agency's own site records list "CELL PHONE SERVICE" on 27 of 27 campsites here”