A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Bureau of Land Management camping area

Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area

Bureau of Land Management camping area, Otero County, New Mexico. 22.6 miles from Alamogordo.

Reservations
Not reservable Usually first come, first served. Confirm with the office
County
Otero County

The landscape within the Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area is primarily mesquite coppice dunes that range from one meter to several meters in height. There are over 100 miles of trails that have been developed by users. Although the trails are utilized during organized motorcycle races, other users are allowed to drive cross country if they wish. Currently there is one race per year that the BLM authorizes through a Special Recreation Permit, usually in February.

The description, directions and fees are the Bureau of Land Management’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • off highway vehicle

The land around Red Sands Off-Highway Vehicle Area

The ringed pin is this camping area; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 2, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.