Raptor Lake (Holloman Lake entrance) | Wild Camping

United States

Details

Verified:
4 days ago
Altitude:
1196.0 masl
Website:
None
Contributor:
eranzohar

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
No
Water:
No
Toilets:
No
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

Something not right?

Description

A little busy with lots of RVs but if you keep driving down the road you can get a little further away from the crowd. However, keep in mind this is essentially a beach so there is no privacy between sites.
Also a little noisy from the military base/airstrip. Multiple take-offs/landing heard though they seemed to stop at night.

All in all, convenient location, free, but not really the feel of an isolated campsite if that is what you're looking for. Great sunset over the lake though!

I saw three species of ducks on the "lake". Road in is easy to miss. Just one vehicle wide over a cattle gate. Start watching closely after you pass White Sands NP, if you are travelling East.

Photos

Why? By checking in after you’ve visited a place you let others know this place is still functional. You can also add or correct any information.

Add To Favorites

Latest Check-Ins

Great spot to stop.
We had a nice level spot overlooking the lake. We were almost to the end of the road. Only heard one airplane from the base, but kind if hoped for more.

Report Check-In

Not much more to say that hasn’t been said. It’s ridiculous here. The jets taking off all day can be a challenge for some. We found it interesting. There was a military drone flying around one of the days here. Again, we geeked out. The “lake” can have an odor, depending on the direction and speed of the wind (I assume) but I don’t know that I’ve seen sunsets better anywhere else? Yep, that’s a bold statement. But come find out for yourself.

The gate to get in is fairly snug. So “nice and easy”, and you should make it through. Lots of spots, most are level. And more spots past the second gate. We ventured that those spots are for the folks that want a little less action around (comings and goings/generators)

We saved this spot on our GPS because (as far as I know) you can’t save on this app?

Report Check-In

Lots of noise from the fighter jets but quiet later at night. This spot is right next to an Air Force base so expect some noise. Lots of campers but a great spot for a good nights sleep.

Report Check-In

Nice boon docking site not far from White Sands National Park. As you enter use caution, gate poles are close together with an immediate turn to the right, bit tight, but I got my big rig & toad in using slow caution. Coming from south turn in better angle, from north tuen in is sketchy, and the poles show evidence of impacts. The road in is in good condition, relatively smooth, not a lot of bumping along. There are several large areas for camping near the entrance, and best suited for larger rigs. Further along the road there are several more large sites, however they can be lumpy bumpy and not level, but they are close to lake and a bit less crowded. Some have fire rings. As you progress along the road in you will come to another set of “gates”, I cruised my Jeep back in to see what’s there, only two medium sites, near a swampy inlet stream, and then further along the road only a few small pull offs better suited to vans and truck campers. They are more private, but limited size & access. When I arrived on Saturday afternoon there were multiple larger rigs around the lake in the front area, I moved a bit back so as not to crowd anyone, found a spot near road - not down on lake, to park. Took a bit to get level, but site was okay. Quiet weekend. At beginning of week people cleared out and I moved to a nice site on the lake edge. (Pictured) it was more level, away from busy road, and sitting out in chair I didn’t feel on display in the middle of all the activity. Lots of people coming and going. No one seems to stay long. I’m staying two weeks. Location is a bit windy with storm moving through, but lake minimizes dirt blasts. During week lots of jets playing overhead from AFB near by, this is AFB waste water reclamation lake. Stay out of water, keep pets away from water. It doesn’t stink, there are ducks in it so doesn’t appear toxic, but no idea what’s in it. Very quiet at night, can see Highway from site, but road sounds during day very minimal. Anything you need …. Pack it in - pack it out, only thing on offer here is a place to park.

Report Check-In

Ok place. A lot of people there Last night i drove in with like 4 other campers. If you drive further there is space and less people.

Report Check-In

Yes the entrance is tight but feaseable with a 32 ft travel trailer, I was coming from the north, so I need to turn Wide to pass the gate. Lot of place, I was near the small river coming in the lake. We have a small private beach with bieutifull view of the mountains, nice reflection pictures.

Report Check-In

Stayed 2 nights, a lot of options, also a lot of vehicles. Had two nights at the waters edge, beautiful views, really quiet for the number of people around. The second night we drove past the 2nd gate and found a more remote spot. Either wash it was a great place to stay

Report Check-In

Very convenient place to visit White Sands. Fair number of people here in the beginning of February, but still room for more. Others mentioned the gate, and yeah you need to pay attention and watch your turn, especially coming from the north; bit of a backwards angle. Highway noise, yes. Lake somewhat pretty with the mountains, but be aware it's a wastewater lagoon of some sorts (you might glow if you touch it, who knows). I am 32ft plus a car and had no problems. Occasional sonic boom to rattle your windows

Report Check-In

Awesome spot. Great views. 2-3 tmobile 5G bars. Drive past Holloman Lake after the cattle guard which is dry(lake), and the camping is next to Raptor Lake. Use satellite map to see entrance to the area better.

Report Check-In

Other reviews are spot on. Great place to camp when going to White Sand Dunes, decent amount of people but it’s spread out enough that’s it’s still very quiet

Report Check-In

An awesome place to stay when visiting White Sands. Just a few minutes down the road from the park entrance and a quick drive to stores/gas. We parked right on the waters edge and had an incredible sunrise reflecting off the lake. Quiet at night and about a dozen other campers.

Report Check-In

Google Maps DOES NOT know the turn into the campsite. So it stops on the highway and indicates you need to walk into Holloman Lake. Since this is a high-speed highway this confusion can be dangerous.

The real turn the campsite is at (32.8039665, -106.1228744) or "Holloman Lake (Public Access)" in Google Maps.

Report Check-In

Entrance with gate with cattle guard angled so you need to line up right when coming off of the highway, especially if pulling a trailer. We are pulling a 30ft 5th wheel and made it through slowly. Lots of pulloffs. The further back you drive, the rougher the road. We
stopped at the front near the signs and leveled easily. Only 2 miles from White Sands. Pretty views of the mountains.

Report Check-In

Drove pass the Holloman mark, half way between that mark and raptor lake there's a really nice big spot with no other one close by so you're by yourself. Sunsets are insanely beautiful. Spent a few days here. Days are warm and nights are cold.

Report Check-In

nice area with plenty of spots, met Jess and Nate here in 21

Report Check-In

This place was wonderful! it's safe and had an amazing view on the lake ! we will definitely go back at this place

Report Check-In

je suis ok avec les commentaires ,nous y étions vers le 15/12/2023 ne pas louper l entrée et arriver de jour c est mieux pour les trous
,pas d eau ni wc ni poubelle
a 6km du visitor center des dunes
assez calme aprés minuit car il y a la route et des camions

Report Check-In

Lots of RV's big and small are coming and going. But relatively quiet. Some Ducks are on the lake. Great sun sets.

Report Check-In

Pretty nice place, got a nice lake with some ducks, kinda noisy from the jets taking off from the base, but I like watching them. Over all I like it, Not a bad view either, waiting on the sunset. Not a bad birthday at all...lol

Report Check-In

Parfait pour dormir.
Nous étions une quinzaine, ça ne se ressentait pas. Très tranquille. Aucun service, excellent réseau

Report Check-In

Very close to white sands and had a beautiful sunset. Not a ton of privacy and can see the highway but was great for one night. I didn’t notice the smell the further back we went.

Report Check-In

Entrance is tight, especially if making the right hand turn in a larger rig. White Sands NP no longer allows camping so this spot is perfect after visiting the park. Nearly 360 views of mountains and close to the base to watch jets. There are more spots down the road leading around the lake. Wouldn’t recommend attempting to find a spot at night.

Report Check-In

Pulled in just after sunset. Definitely one of the more popular spots. It’s nice, peaceful, but also kinda funny it’s a poopoopeepee lake. Stay right on the gravel road until you see a spot on the left to go to. This way you avoid rolling through peoples camps and the rougher road. A little hard to get potty privacy in daylight since people are right on top of each other.

Report Check-In

Beautiful spot right next to White Sand NP. We heard some noise making us think they’re might by rats or something around tho… don’t know for sure.

Report Check-In

A bunch of RVs but everyone was inside. Quiet and dark. No noise from the base next door. Near White Sands NP. Will stay again.

Report Check-In

Great spot for the night! Arrived after dark and had no issues on the dirt road or accessing a site. Was surprised by the lake and mountains this morning!

Report Check-In

Great spot that’s super close to White Sands NP! Nobody around us and was real quiet outside of the 3 fighter jets we got to watch take off before bed! 🤙🏼 We only got a whiff of the pond one time briefly. VZW pulling 55/20Mb. Cool mountains all around the distant view.

Report Check-In

A cattle guard pull off right off the 70, a great place to stay for a couple of nights. We stayed for 1 night and the stars were amazing and the view of the lake was great. The sulfur smell wasn’t bad only happened once, in the morning and then went away. Only two other cars came, pretty late and then left early in morning. Flat, dry, and opened for wind. Great place for a quick stop.

Report Check-In

Following coordinates, arrived at the Lake on Monday at 8pm, catching a beautiful Sunset & set up camp, only one more RV on site, land is pretty flat easy to level my rig for the night, turning the generator.
Access was tight but enough for my trailer, 2 internet Bars, we could barley hear traffic on highway.

Report Check-In

Very convenient if you're heading to White Sands. Several places for both large and small rigs. Google Maps was spot on for the entrance. It's little rough the first 500ft, but smooths out quickly. Stick to the trails/roads because there are soft spots. When we pulled in around noon, we were alone, but by 3pm a few more folks have come out. Plenty of space.

Report Check-In

Awesome spot near white sands. Quiet and with weboost 5 bar att signal. Off roaded a bit to find a nice spot, but that's not necessary.

Report Check-In

Stayed here for one night as it was so close to White Sands. Great spot and perfect place for sunset. The air base is close by so during the day you can hear the planes but at night it was pretty quiet. There were a few others here, but the space is spacious so we all had our own areas, felt safe.

Report Check-In

Great place. Relaxing. Beautiful sunset with the lake on one side, mountains on the other. Can hear road noise but it’s still very nice. Would recommend getting here before dark tho as the spots seemed to fill up quickly

Report Check-In

This is a great place for a night. The sunset is fantastic, it’s relatively quiet since it’s far enough from the freeway. We were a little concerned it might be smelly at this warm weather but it turned out to be no issue. It’s only a few minutes from White Sand National Park.

Report Check-In

Amazing spot right next to a decent sized lake! Stayed only one night but would absolutely stay again. Far enough away from the road you can’t hear passing traffic, enough room for quite a bit of RVs and travelers. Only six others stayed near us last night, we all had our own little area, but what a stunning view to wake up to and watch sunset at!!

Report Check-In

Nice place. Very windy. But this is a vety beautiful place. 5 minutes from White Sands National Park.

Report Check-In

Not far from the road but peaceful. Lots of rv and tent campers. Lake didn't smell at all. Nice sunset!

Report Check-In

Amazing location!!!!! 5 min away from white sands national park but far enough away that it’s peaceful. The spots closest to the road didn’t smell and were more level, the further in we went around the back side of the pond had some odor so we just stayed up front. The wind is unreal here though, like we are so dried up and couldn’t set up anything outside because it would just blow right away. No shade but the wind keeps you cool even on a hot day. It was so nice we didn’t want to leave! Camp sites are semi close but not too bad. It’s worth it 100%

Report Check-In

Conveniently located right next to white sands national park. Pretty crowded. Lots of bugs and kinda smelly. Overall nice place for the night. Pretty view at sunset. Felt safe!

Report Check-In

Great space, stayed a couple nights. Lots of rigs. Gravel road goes super far in and is passable with 2WD and low clearance. Lots of spots and some roaming cows!

Report Check-In

We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were here for a few days in early April. There are only a handful of other campers here on a Monday afternoon. It was quite windy the day we arrived with wind speeds of 25 mph and gust up to 40 mph, which kicked up a little dust from time to time, but the weather was beautiful otherwise. Much the same forecast for tomorrow, but the wind is supposed to die down a fair bit on Wednesday. As others have mentioned, getting to some of these back sites can be a little rough, but if you go slowly, it’s not too bad, even in our rig.

AT&T coverage was quite good, with 3 Bars of 5G service and speeds up to 4.5 MB/s. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 5 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.

Report Check-In

There are about 5 other RV here at the same time. fire rings near the lake. No trees. No shade. Very windy. Far enough from the road that you can't hear it. Good place for overnight.

Report Check-In

great couple of days, busy lots of RVs and vans. not smelly. saw 4 species of ducks and got great pictures. Entrance off the highway is easy to miss. It is just one vehicle wide and enter over a cattle grid. start watching as you pass White Sands NP

Report Check-In

Good place for the night when visiting white sands! packed with campers but bunch of spot to park!

Report Check-In

windy today, but sunny. backing up to the lake is a nice view. okay spot.

Report Check-In

Came here late Sunday night during March break. Found a spot easily. Be aware of the warnings about the water on google maps reviews. Do not touch it! Beautiful sunset regardless and quiet respectful overlanders around.

Report Check-In

A great place for overnight close to the NP of White Sands. Many RV are here. Safe and quiet

Report Check-In

Great spot, close to White Sands, a bit crowded.

Report Check-In

GREAT SPOT!!!!! Stayed here 3 nights w/o any issues. Had great weather for my visit to White Sands but the next two days was chilly & rainy. No bad smell, no bugs & everyone around was friendly. Pack in , pack out!! No amenities.

Report Check-In

This was a super solid spot to stay overnight. Absolutely beautiful views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Not crowded at all and very quiet at night. We saw big rigs, vans, trailers, and truck toppers.The skies are amazing at night. Definitely will stay here again. A 5 minute drive to White Sands NP! Can’t beat that.

Report Check-In

Right by the lake. As everyone else said, just 5mins out of WhiteSands National park and before you get to Holloman Air Force Base, hang a left past the lake and up the dirt road. Find a spot by the water and watch the sunset. Jet noise during the day but quiet at night.

Report Check-In

Beautiful lake, with even better views. No smell, there was a quite a few people out here though

Report Check-In

Nice place and the only one near White Sands National Park. The sunset on the lake is wonderful. But it is noisy: we hear the truck on the highway, lot of
fighter jet are doing trainings and Predator drone are flying. There are also lot of RV. In short it is practical to go to NP but it is not a dream place.

Report Check-In

Great spot for several rigs including large. Entrance very tight S curve. Just made it with our 38 ft with toad. Recommend approaching from the west. Easier on the way out. This is a waste disposal evaporation pond so some sulfur type smell but nothing crazy. Amazing sunsets! Not far from White Sands NP.

Report Check-In

Quiet spot, near the park. No amenities. 1 bar of 5G, enough to work.

Report Check-In

Earlier descriptions are accurate. Easy access. Room for lots of rigs.

Report Check-In

Endroit parfait près du parc White Sands couché de soleil magnifique ... perfect spot near White Sands NP

Report Check-In

No smell, gorgeous lake with no trash and no signs against staying the night. Not super crowded, found a great spot with no problem, but could be because it’s winter? Free, safe, pretty & close to the national park. 👍🏻

Report Check-In

Stayed 2 nights, never noticed any bad smells. 2 bars Verizon.

Report Check-In

Great place to stay while visiting white sands, plenty of room even though there were lots of other campers. Beautiful views at night and in the morning. Jets taking off a bunch but I thought that was cool. No smell and free can’t beat it

Report Check-In

Perfect spot for getting to White Sands early or arrive late. Literally 4 min drive.

Report Check-In

Busy but quiet, chill and safe. Okayish terrain. So conveniently close to White Sands. Would stay again!!

Report Check-In

Wow! They aren't kidding about the sunsets. Truly something special.
There are quite some RVs here, but you can get a bit of privacy if you head in further.
I had a bit of trouble finding the road in - navigate to "Holloman Lake (Public Access)" on Google and head north on that road, if you aren't sure where the road is.
PS it's still evening but no smells yet 🤞

Report Check-In

Hollaman is CLOSED right now. There was a sign posted on the gate (and gate is locked) saying it would reopen on 10/7 after removal of salt cedar and a prescribed burn. Stopped 10/24/22. Went to dog canyon dispersed site outside of state park about 20 minutes further and it’s chill!

Report Check-In

New paper posed says closed for safely concerns. Gate locked

Report Check-In

I was a bit nervous staying the night, because part of the road around the lake has been blocked off with huge boulders and there are signs that say “no off road use by any vehicle”, and while the camping spots seem to be accessible by well used paths, they aren’t really “roads”. Dont know how long those signs have been there, and maybe the camp spots don’t count. I don’t know. Didn’t see anyone patrolling at night or in the morning, so probably fine. There was already one other van there when I got to the actual campsite at the edge of the lake, so when I saw them I felt a bit better.

Only had a smell from the lake for about 30sec, and other than that didn’t smell anything. There are birds that call through the night, and slight road noise, so if you are a light sleeper it might not be the best spot. I’m a pretty heavy sleeper and slept great. No natural shade, so plan accordingly, but depending on your setup it could be a great spot for you when visiting WSNP.

Report Check-In

Spending a night here was ok, we first arrived in mid afternoon but decided it was too hot to set up. Came back at sunset and it was lovely but very windy. We had the whole place to ourselves when we went to bed but woke up and saw other rigs on our way out. I will say… there wasn’t a smell at night, but in the morning it was overpowering. I would recommend just spending the night here and bouncing first thing.

Report Check-In

This is a very great place we got in yesterday afternoon and stayed the night left around 8 AM.. Amazing sunrise, amazing sunset, we we did have a slight smell but nothing harsh are overwhelming.

Report Check-In

Gate has a sign that says it always remains unlocked. So even if the gate is closed, you should be able to open it. It was open when I got there. Beautiful little spot. No bad smell when I was there.

Report Check-In

Gate was closed 4/23/22 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Report Check-In

Was honestly turned off by all these reviews about the smell but we gave it a shot anyways. I’m so glad we did because we did not experience any sewage smell! Maybe it was just the desert goddesses doing us a solid because we also were gifted this beautiful sunset. Just here to say go for it!

Report Check-In

We came here after visiting and seeing sunset at white sand NP. We stayed 1 night, arrived late and there was space enough. No bad smell for us, I guess we were lucky. No good reception with t-mobile. Nice flat spots with front lake. Bm.aroundtheworld from Switzerland

Report Check-In

camped here for a night in our 37' travel trailer and truck. plenty of room for even bigger rigs. We felt fine leaving it to go play at white sands during the day and had no issues both times. White sands does have RV parking in the park, or big enough spots I should say. we would have had no problem taking the trailer. The smell is horrible. and I do mean horrible. I can handle a lot but the smell here pushes me to my limit. One night is long enough. The actual turn off is before Google map says so keep an eye open.

Report Check-In

Pulled up and after two minutes of that god awful smell we decided to try different dispersed sites. No idea how people were out there looking over the “wastewater evaporation pond” (as the signs at this “lake” call it) and breathing in that disgusting smell. Probably the worst scent I’ve ever smelled. 0/10 do not recommend.

Report Check-In

Not the nicest camping area, lots of people around, the lake smells like sewage. It is quite unpleasant. You get lovely wafts of sewage smells. I would just make the drive to Las Cruces to stay there and skip this campsite. It was a nice sunset.

Report Check-In

We stop here with our RV. It is a wastewater evaporation pond and it smell so awful. To bad the view is nice but not able to stay with that smell

Report Check-In

This looks like a great spot for a nice lake view if you are self- contained in a van or RV. I, however, had a tent and came in on a super windy day - between the wind itself, the immense amount of sand that it was kicking up, and the fishy smell of the lake that was whirling around, I ended up unable to stay here. I opted for Dog Canyon, where the wind was also bad but there was definitely a noticeable improvement in the intensity vs. being right on the lake, if that matters to you. I also felt like I had a lot more privacy at Dog Canyon, as Holloman Lake is more of a large sandy beach area where you can see other vehicles pretty clearly (not much shrubbery for privacy). And seriously, the toxic lake freaked me out a bit - you can tell it's not a healthy color and it just smelled so fishy. Maybe could be a good option if the wind isn't too bad

Report Check-In

Drive west on the highway until you spot an open gate to your right. Not a place for privacy but it was safe and the sunsets are pretty. If it's windy, I'd avoid - this is a wastewater area and the smell is real.

Report Check-In

Rainy today but looking forward to a cool day tomorrow, lots of campers but plenty of room and space between everyone.

Report Check-In

Stayed here in our tear drop during our visit to White Sands National Monument 3.5 miles away. Gorgeous views of the sunset on the man made lake. We didn’t notice any smell. It was very windy during some points of our stay. Great view of the AFB and we saw about 5 takeoffs an hour.

It is suitable for big rigs, RVs and tent camping. I would get there early though as they fill up quickly.

Report Check-In

We were able to conduct video (zoom) calls on both Verizon and AT&T. Lake is beautiful and disgusting, but didn’t smell while we were there (it was cold and snowed so I’m sure that helped). There was a a lot of broken glass around, so we made sure the kids always wore shoes when outside.

Lots of people, so get there early and expect people to camp right by you (we could have high fived the folks that pulled up next to us 3 of the 4 nights). There are a few sleds to borrow at the entrance.

Cloudcroft is a fairly close drive and has an awesome brewery! Do the Pistachioland tour if you like farms!

Report Check-In

A bit crowded, but otherwise fine. Wind kicked up the (toxic‽) dust in the morning, so I didn’t finish cooking breakfast outside (fortunately I was able to brew my coffee).

Report Check-In

great location for White Sands. I can't really add much else that everyone hasn't already said. If the front looks full, keep driving down the road. plenty of spaces on the lake and back off the lake.

Report Check-In

Great spot, can access more private spots with 4x4 or high clearance vehicles. Great Verizon signal and no traffic noise. Free!

Report Check-In

Awesome camping spot! We drove towards the back and parked overlooking the water. No smells, 30* temps probably helped with that. Gorgeous sunrise and mountain views. We parked late at night and saw 2 or 3 jets take off from the base but that was it. Peaceful and quiet at night.

Report Check-In

Great place! Close to White Sands. Close to Walmart. Some spots by lake. Air Force flys during day. Stops at 5. And not on weekends.

Report Check-In

Great place to stay for a few nights. Lots of other vans/RVs. 5 minute drive to White Sands

Report Check-In

Popular spot, even in January on weekdays. Several Class A’s and fifth wheels, along with a handful of vans in every style. It’s the desert, so there’s no privacy. Though enough space that my closest neighbor is in shouting, not speaking, distance.

There’s noise from the airfield next door during the day, but not heinous - jets aren’t launching over the lake. Verizon LTE 2-4 bars depending on spot. Finding a level spot is tricky if the first few spots are taken.

Report Check-In

Nice peaceful spot off the highway - amazing sunsets!

Report Check-In

Second time here. We rolled in around 6pm and there were still spots. Doesn’t seem to be buggy this time (December)

Report Check-In

Easy to find and easy to get in. Large enough for a class A towing a vehicle if you stay around the lake. Great sunrise/set. If the wind is blowing right there is a slight silver smell to the lake but nothing too bad.

Verizon bounced between LTE and 5G with 3-4 bars of service.

Report Check-In

Spent 3 night here when I was in the area checking out white sands . I recommend it.

Report Check-In

Great area once again the driveway is a little tight for bigger rigs. Good cell coverage right outside of town easy to get supplies. Limited lake front parking up front make you way to the back if you want to park by the lake. Didn’t see what the stay limited was. But I would guess the average 14 days rule.

Report Check-In

Pulled in after visiting white sands on a Tuesday. Most spots on the “lake” already taken but found a great spot just in time for a great sunset. Good LTE signal.

Report Check-In

Great location to stay when visiting White Sands NP. Large campsites, fire pits, and beautiful sunsets. We found trash and evidence of people using the area around the campsite as a toilet, so we cleaned up as much as possible. Please respect our shared resources!

Report Check-In

It’s a quiet spot right off the road. I wouldn’t advise swimming in the lake. There are ducks swimming and the sunset is beautiful. There were a few others camping here. It use right down the road from white sands national park. Debating on staying here another night.

Report Check-In

Great place to camp right off the highway. Beautiful at sunset. Lots of room and could tent camp here.

Report Check-In

Don’t know why it’s marked as Closed, because there are several campers here right now. The gate right off the highway to the gravel road had a sign saying, Gate shall remain unlocked at all times.

Report Check-In

Great spot! Easy pull in/out, dirt road with some potholes, and plenty of space for multiple RVs. We had no problem finding a spot on Saturday at 6pm. Three A Classes were already parked when we arrived. No smell, great breeze, and a beautiful sunset.

Report Check-In

We stopped at Holloman Lake (in route to White Sands NP) to conduct a recon mission for a future trip. Audubon.org identifies the site as an important bird area in the state and region (https://www.audubon.org/important-bird-areas/holloman-lakes). The gate at the head of the access road was OPEN so we drove up the 1/4-mile dirt road to the Lake. We already missed the migration so there weren't birds to speak of, but there was water in the lake and plenty of room for vehicles to space themselves out if needed.

Report Check-In

Stayed here in 2018, and it was a beautiful if smelly experience. The lake is treated sewage and was shut down in the summer of 2020 due to pollution and high levels of toxic contaminants. The state of New Mexico is suing the Air Force to try to get them to clean up this lake along with a few others near other bases. You can Google it if you want to read more, but expect this spot to be closed for years until the situation gets sorted out.

Report Check-In

Still closed. We had hope. But no luck. It looks like it would be a great place to crash for the night.

Report Check-In

Gate is locked and sign states "Closed per State Police".

Report Check-In

Gate is locked and sign states "Closed per State Police".

Report Check-In

Tried to stay here but Cather hate was closed with a sign saying the campsite is no longer open

Report Check-In

We were there yesterday. We had little dinner, the place was empty but we didn’t spend the night. There was a light “fishy”smell,probably from the lake.

Report Check-In

flat, open, easy access. only one other vehicle here. you can hear the road but it's not too loud. the lake smelled bad for a bit but I guess the wind changed and then it was okay. not a bad place to spend the night!

Report Check-In

Spectacular lake sunset. However does resemble a little bit the smell of the Salton Sea

Report Check-In

We stayef there 2 nights. Wonderfull. It is only sometime closed.

Report Check-In

We came too late for enter the white sand national monument. The monument police advice us this place. It's a free place from the Navy for camping at the lake side. They told here is nobody patrolling.
When we arrived there where a lot of other campers and there is a lot of space.
Very quiet, clean, dirt road. In the night very cold. Nobody bothered us.

We don't know about the actual status of contamination of the lake.

Report Check-In

CLOSED

Ordered closed due to contamination of the lake. Entry is now gated.

Report Check-In

Ótimo lugar para dormir, super tranquilo, com uma vista linda, um amanhecer e entardecer top. Fica a poucos km do Parque Nacional White Sands. Grátis.

@nossakombieumaviagem

Report Check-In

I decided to car camp here last night after my tent blew away in the desert mini storm that I got stuck in at White Sands.

The entrance is right off the 70....if you are driving at night, drive slowly as the entrance is easy to miss (small steel gate ).

I ended up not staying for 3 reasons:

1. there was a lingering bad odor that bothered me (it was a musty odor...maybe I was parked close to the water?).
2. biting insects. this was the primary reason. it was hot and humid and I would have to sleep with my window slightly open and I didn't want to get surrounded by these pests.
3. I was dog tired after multiple hikes yesterday with the last one involving running away from the storm before I got hopelessly lost in the dunes!

ended up staying at a motel in alamogordo.

Report Check-In

Quiet spot with a great sunset over the lake. Super close to the white sand NM and very flat. Will definitely stay here again in the future.

Report Check-In

Last Update: Air has cleared. No smell at this moment. Maybe I was being cropdusted by my partner before.
Update #3: Ignore my initial comment and 2nd update. There's definitely a smell right now.
Update #2: Ignore my previous comment but not my initial comment. Smell went away. I can breathe again.
Update: Ignore my previous comment. I think I smell something.
The spots are spread out so you have some privacy and distance from your neighbors. We didn't notice a smell.

Report Check-In

We do had the bad smell the weekend, but since this spot is 5 minutes from the national park, we used only for overnight. Easy to get in with our 32' RV. good verizon signal. 3 other RVs where there and 1 tent. very calm place.

Report Check-In

Nice spot as described, lots of folks here as of ~4 pm but plenty of space. There’s a definite, low-laying smell resembling that of a porta potty coming from the lake. It’s not enough to make me leave but I could see how it might get bad on a really hot day. Can’t beat the access to white sands

Report Check-In

Yup no smell for me either. Great site & a beautiful lake close to white sands and for being so close to the freeway it isn’t that loud either.

Report Check-In

Great spot about 7km for White Sands NM. Look for the road with the brown sign with binoculars & 61. Lots of other campers! Cool to watch the fighter jets fly above.

Report Check-In

Good place to visit white sands, many others use this spot as well but overall really quiet.

Report Check-In

No bad smell today. Great view of San Andres mountain. Easier for small rigs. Good for at least one night. Brown sign on highway 70 showing no 61 and binocular.
Pas de mauvaise odeur aujourd'hui. Vue magnifique sur les montagnes de San Andres. Plus facile d'entrée pour campeur VR 24 pi et moins. Indication sur la route 70: affiche brune avec un icône de jumelles et no 61

Report Check-In

nice view, no smell. would recommend.
40 words

Report Check-In

A great peaceful lake for overnight camping close to Alamogordo and White Sands National Monument.

Report Check-In

Really wish the admin note about the smell wasn’t pinned to the description of this spot, it’s really off putting. No smell at the time I visited, absolutely lovely! Could not get any closer to White Sands outside of tent camping in the park, literally 5 minutes away. Occasionally jet engine noise from the air force base next door, otherwise very quiet for being so close to the road. Tons of room for rigs of all sizes. There were 5 or 6 other vans/cars/rvs while I was there and we were all easily able to keep distance from one another. Sunset views over the lake are stunning.

Report Check-In

As the last person said. Great camping spot with an stunning sunset over the lake. No smells this time of the year.

Report Check-In

We loved this place, close to town, great views, base police in regularly. Occasional smell from vegetation rotting in the hot sun depending where you park but wasn't consistent. Will definitely return. Get in early, the good spots are taken quick.

Report Check-In

Camped on the very north end of the lake and had some privacy. Nice place for a night, no smells with usable Verizon cell service.

Report Check-In

Large loop to follow. Parking available in a lot of pull off spots along loop.
Was crazy windy this evening shook the bus the whole night!

Report Check-In

Beautiful lake, plenty of other vans and campers when we were there. No smell either.

Report Check-In

Money spot. 6-7 other people here. Amazing view of the sunset over the mountains and water.

Report Check-In

Nice and quiet, no amenities, just outside the park, lots of room and a great view of small lake.
Can hear traffic in the background and occasionally a jet fighter.

Report Check-In

No weird smells here today - just nice views, peace and quiet right beside White Sands! Great spot for the night

Report Check-In

Easy and convenient free spot near white sands park. No weird smells while we were here (probably because it was cold). Big parking area with lots of room.

Report Check-In

Great place out of town. Quiet and serene. No smells in winter. Several others were with us.

Report Check-In

No smell during 2 cold nights in early November. Quite a few other campers there but lots of spots available and it's a great place to stay when visiting White Sands. You'll probably hear aircraft noise from the AFB next door - I loved it!

Report Check-In

great place, no smell, not too big noise from the road.

Report Check-In

Nice quiet spot near white sands.
The only bad point is odor due to seaweed and water on hot day

Report Check-In

This place smelt so bad today it was uninhabitable. There were no other campers here, which I was quite surprised about, until I exited the truck. Despite it being 8:15pm at night we had to leave to drive to another place as there is no way anyone could cope with that smell. I have no idea what it was from.

Report Check-In

A little busy with lots of rvs but if you keep driving down the road you can get A little further away from the crowd. However keep in mind this is essentially a beach so there is no privacy between sites.
Also a little noisy from the military base / airstrip. Multiple take offs/landing heard though they seemed to stop at night.

All in all, convenient location, free, but not really the feel of an isolated campsite if that is what you're looking for. Great sunset over the lake though!

Report Check-In

Good for a night. Free and quiet with a few other people

Report Check-In

Free, public overnight parking next to a lake. Usually a couple of cats every night.

3 miles East if White Sands, turn at the sign reading “61” and a pair of binoculars.

Report Check-In

Free Camping at Hollowan Lake near White Sands National Monument. This is a big area with many places. The highway didn't disturb us.

Report Check-In

Nice place in the front of the lake (some sewage smell time to time). We stayed 3 nights.
Close to white sands and Alamogordo.

Report Check-In

Lots of free spots along the eastern edge of the lake. We stayed last night and will again tonight. The park employees suggested we camp here. Be careful as we saw a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake along the concrete blocks that are on the shoreline.

Report Check-In

Free campsite. No amenities. Some noise from trucks on the highway.

Report Check-In

Nice place for a night or so. Lots of people but there's plenty of space for everyone. Some people had noisy generators running all night. Minutes from White Sands. Legal, free, no amenities.

Report Check-In

Great place. No smells. Some airforce activity above us. Stayed for 4 nights.

Report Check-In

Nice spot by the lake just off the highway. Access for all vehicles. Fire rings, nice sunset. Some highway and plane noise (airforce base right next door), some trash.
Level, no shade, legal, free. Had a very cold night.

Report Check-In

Beautiful sunset, quiet and nice spot. No smell, probably because it was freezing cold.

Report Check-In

very nice, quiet spot near white sands national monument. we were able to watch the sunset and easily pull in here for the night.
the only down side is that it smelled horrible (sewage type smell) for about an hour at sundown. almost enough to make us leave late night, but it went away. I'm glad we didn't leave because it is a great spot, but that was pretty gross.
all in all, a perfect free spot to visit white sands.

Report Check-In

Amazing place with 3 other campers and 2 cars. Miles Great view over the lake and mountains

Report Check-In

Lovely dry camping spot at the lake. 3 other RVs, each parked well away from each other so everyone got a private sunset over the mountains. FREE

Report Check-In

Nice and open right by the lake. Free. Easy to get to and right near a town. Alamogordo. I'm pretty wide and 38' plus a tow car and made it in no problem.

Report Check-In

Nice free place at the lake. We didn't see other people. Lake is not for swimming.

We asked at White Sands NM where we can stay over night. They said with tents you are allowed to sleep inside the park but with the car not. Then they recommended this place. So it is quite offical.

White Sands NM is very beautiful, especally in the evening when the sun is lower.

Report Check-In

Free camping near the lake.

Report Check-In

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.