Budget-Friendly RV Camping: Best Places to Camp in New Mexico

Last updated on February 19th, 2025 at 03:14 pm

Hi! I’m Jamie. As a travel, adventure, and nature enthusiast who spent about 14 months of my five-year, full-time RV adventure in New Mexico, I’m happy to share some of my favorite budget-friendly RV destinations in this gorgeous state.

I consider budget-friendly RV camping spots in New Mexico as places where:
A: It is affordable to park your RV.
B: There are free or affordable things to do while you’re there.

Luckily for all of us, New Mexico offers both if you know where to look!

Generally, across the United States, campground spot pricing varies from ~$15-$20/night at state parks to ~$50-$65/night in some pricier areas, up to $100 or more for the fanciest campgrounds and best locations.

In this article, I tried to keep “budget-friendly” under $55/night and don’t recommend anything higher than $70/night.

However, if those prices still seem high, don’t give up on this article quite yet. Multiple RV spots I’ll discuss offer week—and month-long pricing options, which are a great way to make your RV stay even more affordable!

Alright, with that groundwork laid, here are the best places to camp in New Mexico on a budget:

My Favorite Cheap RV Camping Spots in New Mexico

These are my favorite affordable New Mexico camping spots:

Rio Rancho (Near Albuquerque)

Rio Rancho is right outside of Albuquerque and offers incredible nature all around you in a safe, friendly community. (While some people report having issues with theft in parts of Albuquerque, I never witnessed it myself, and we felt extremely safe in Rio Rancho.)

When looking for the best places to camp, don’t overlook Stagecoach Stop RV Park in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

It’s the top-rated campground in the area, and with all of its amenities and its proximity to Albuquerque and even Santa Fe for day trips, paying $58-$75 daily (depending on how fancy a spot you need) becomes very reasonable.

Those prices may not seem very affordable upfront; however, the significant savings kick in when you stay weekly or monthly, which I highly recommend.

Don’t have a big rig? Don’t even want to plug in for the night? Give them a call. They have a decent-sized parking lot and let my sister pay a significantly reduced rate to stay in her converted ambulance when she visited me.

They have a heated seasonal pool, a year-round spa, and a rec hall with a mini theater and exercise room. (As always, call first to confirm the availability of particular amenities.)

My husband and I thought we’d be here for a month, but we stayed for eight!

From this beautiful location, we took advantage of lots of free or cheap things to do in Albuquerque. You can do the same by staying here or at another nearby RV park or taking advantage of a service like Hipcamp or Harvest Hosts (there’s a nearby site where you can stay at an alpaca farm, amongst other awesome options!). 

In addition to some of the best food I’ve ever had in Albuquerque, this is an excellent location for visiting ABQ Biopark, home to a zoo (with penguins!), an aquarium, and a gorgeous botanical garden (all three are super affordable!). If you are in town for a few days, consider a membership at as little as $39 or up to $134 for a family, which includes unlimited free admission to all three parks.

Note: This is a top tourist destination in New Mexico! Reserve your ticket ahead of time to avoid disappointment. And if you happen to be in ABQ in December, there’s an extraordinary network of holiday lights and luminaries (more than 150 sites participated at last count) that you can visit in the greater ABQ area.

Albuquerque is a sprawling city, and Rio Rancho is also especially convenient for visiting sites like the Petroglyph National Monument, Jemez Historic Site, or Coronado Historic Site.

Lastly, be sure to visit Nob Hill, the retro part of ABQ (my neighborhood of choice if I were to live there). If you are gluten-free like me or just love good food, this city has incredible options, including Paisano’s, which makes fresh Italian food daily! 

Silver City

Silver City is a super unique New Mexico mountain town full of personality! My husband and I booked a couple of gigs there (one Saturday and the following Friday). We planned on spending a couple nights at a fancy-looking local campground (Rose Valley RV).

But between the incredible charm of downtown Silver City and the extraordinary campsites, bathhouse, and other amenities at Rose Valley RV, we decided to splurge and spend an entire week there.

Rose Valley RV charges $53 (back-ins, as we did) or $63 (pull-through) for some of the best campsites we’ve ever seen, surrounded by New Mexico cactus and often so private that you’ll forget you have neighbors.

To make a stay here affordable, stay a while and make Silver City your home base for exploring places like the Gila Wilderness, City of Rocks State Park, the incredible downtown, and its frequent festivals, which has a fantastic park in the midst of it (it’s one of my top five city parks for how ingeniously it’s integrated), and the lovely people.

Weekly stays are $316-$378; monthly stays are $450-$700 plus electric.

We loved the sweet walking trail and the amazing rusty and rustic art everywhere. We appreciated having spaces to work and the cleanest, most private showers we’d ever experienced in a campground.

If Rose Valley RV isn’t within your budget or a state park is more your style, you won’t want to miss City of Rocks State Park as an affordable camping option. New Mexico state parks are some of the best deals you’ll find across the country for camping, with nightly rates at $15-$20 and an annual camping pass for only $300 for in-state residents and $600 for out-of-state residents. 

As for most of New Mexico, we’ve never had a bad meal there! And, as can be common in the mountains, the wifi here is minimal, so download your favorite shows before you get here. 

Las Cruces

Las Cruces, New Mexico, is one of the most affordable cities I’ve ever visited. They have four outstanding museums run by the city, and three of the four are free! This city is full of arts events and classes, museums, great food, nature, and more. Over and over again, I was struck by how everything here is priced to make it truly affordable to everyone. (Maybe even more so than Albuquerque!) This trickled down to things like taking a dance or aerobics class for $3, so private businesses also got in on the affordability during our visits. 

My top museum recommendation is the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. Plan to spend several hours here – trust me!

Affordable RV camping exists at Leesburg Dam State Park and Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park (and if you’ve got a Harvest Hosts membership, you’ll have options, too).

Pricier RV park options include Las Cruces KOA Journey (the cost is high, but the views of the city below from up in the mountains can’t be beaten, and it’s very close to tourist destination La Mesilla).

The area also has other reputable private parks at nearly every price point.

Las Cruces can also serve as a home base for day trips to White Sands National Park or El Paso. Basically, if you visit Las Cruces, you’ll easily find tons of nature, culture, and amazing food and wine, and you can do so at a super reasonable cost. And whatever you do, please, please go get some frozen custard for me at Caliche’s!

Taos

While I wouldn’t say the Taos area is particularly affordable, it is undoubtedly gorgeous, and it has many nature opportunities nearby that are cheap or free to visit. (Don’t miss the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – it’s absolutely stunning.)

As for where to stay at a good price, I’ve heard great things about this little RV Park nearby, as well as Taos Valley RV Park, which has reasonable options, too.

Also, whatever you do, save some money to visit Chokola, home of the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had (as well as outstanding hot chocolates and treats of all types). 

Deming

I assume most people wouldn’t have a visit to Deming on their bucket list. However, as someone who has spent many months living there, I must say this area has a lot going for it! This is especially true if you are on a budget, don’t need a variety of available restaurants, and are looking for a place to be your home base while exploring in a separate vehicle.

During my many months living in Deming, the only challenge I had was the cell or wifi signal, and it got better each year I visited, so I am sure it’s continuing to improve.

From Deming, you can easily make day trips to Las Cruces, several state parks and nature sites, and even El Paso and Silver City, and it’s about a two-hour drive to Tucson, AZ, another fantastic city full of nature (and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which I can’t recommend more highly).

So if you’re looking for a quiet town, don’t eat out much, but want to do some weekend adventuring, Deming is kind of awesome. The campgrounds are cheap, the local supermarket is affordable, and (like the rest of New Mexico) has terrific produce.

The area also has some fun, quirky parks and museums.

There’s even a winery and a small movie theater to explore in town. 

If this sounds like a fun, off-the-beaten-path place to camp, Deming Roadrunner RV Park is run by a lovely family. It has nice views, good facilities, and dog parks. Rates start at only $33/night, and last I checked, discounts are available for more extended stays. 

Bucket List Cheap RV Camping Spots in New Mexico

There are two spots in New Mexico I’ve wanted to camp but haven’t made it to yet.

One is the very popular Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, which changed its name as part of a publicity stunt in 1950.

Formerly known as Hot Springs, it’s a small resort community that remains popular for bathing in the “healing waters” and doing things like yoga, Second Saturday Art Hop, and enjoying the growing foodie scene.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park is only eight minutes away, making it my pick for an affordable place to stay for your visit. Hot Springs Glamp Camp gets good reviews, too, and offers unlimited soaking in their private hot tubs!  

As for the second spot, I’d like to return to the Roswell area, but this time, I’d skip the aliens and tourist traps and focus on the surrounding area’s natural beauty.

Bottomless Lakes State Park just looks magical. I’ve seen friends’ photos from visiting this area and realized I missed out on so much with just a day trip for the aliens and ski town vibes. 

Essential Tips for Free RV Camping in New Mexico

While the only boondocking I’ve done in New Mexico was at a couple of wineries, an alpaca farm, and a zoo courtesy of my Harvest Hosts membership, I’m happy to report that New Mexico is very friendly for boondockers, with many national forests and BLM land that offers free camping, usually first-come, first-served. 

I always recommend researching the options on a couple of sources and having at least two or three backups lined up so you don’t get stranded if no spaces are available. In addition, private parking lots are typically accommodating in New Mexico, so if you like Wallydocking or want to park at a restaurant or casino, those places are also usually an option as long as you spend some money there. 

Essential Tips for Budget RV Camping in New Mexico

Here are my top four tips for cheap RV camping in New Mexico:

Boondocking Between RV Park Stays

A great way to save on your RV parking budget is to mix up your campground stays with free parking options for a few nights between pricier RV park options.

Stay at State Parks

State parks are the best-kept secret for budget RV camping in New Mexico. It’s just hard to beat their rates, the beauty of the setting, and with them being so plentiful, there’s almost always going to be one near your destination, as long as you don’t want to be in the city itself that you’re visiting. 

Shop Like the Locals

Finding local stores, restaurants, etc., can also help keep you on budget. It’s amazing how much affordable recreation you can find in most parts of New Mexico. (In my experience, Santa Fe is an exception, requiring a lot of research and planning, but it felt like there were always some really nice options in most other places.) 

Explore with Google

And see what’s nearby! I’ve found some really funky free parks and trails, incredible homemade ice cream spots and cafes, free museums, and much more just by picking a place, googling “free in ______” or similar, or opening Google Maps and seeing what looks interesting near me. Ask around, and you might get some great advice, too. (Librarians are awesome!) 

How to Find Free (or Cheap) RV Campgrounds

I always start with Google because it gives me the lay of the land in terms of what’s nearby and what I’m looking at for pricing and amenities near my destination. 

Then, I’d turn to your go-to apps or favorite resources. The Allstays apps, a Harvest Hosts membership when all I need is a parking lot, and Roadtrippers (formerly Overnight RV Parking) are great resources I’ve relied on in the past. 

Conclusion: Staying at Affordable RV Spots in New Mexico

New Mexico is one of the coolest states to be in on a budget—truly. The food is phenomenal, whether from a local grocery store or a local restaurant. Most communities place a high value on keeping arts and culture affordable for everyone, which we can benefit from when passing through. The state parks are a treasure; the laws allow you to park in parking lots of businesses you patronize, and the weather makes it a beautiful place to camp year-round.

I hope this gave you some ideas for your next trip. (New Mexico is my favorite state for a reason, and I consider these the best places to camp in New Mexico on a budget!)

You May Also Enjoy:
👉 6 Best State Parks in New Mexico: Picks from a Full-Time RVer
👉 How to RV Full-Time on $1600/Month: 16 Cheap RV Living Tips I Swear By
👉 What is Boondocking? A Detailed Guide.