Valley of Fires

Valley of Fires Recreation Area, P.O. Box 871
Carrizozo, NM 88301

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 4 to 6 miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

From a distance, Valley of Fires looks like barren rock, but as you walk through the nature trail you'll see many varieties of flowers, cacti, trees and bushes typical of the Chihuahuan desert. Animals include bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barberry sheep, and lizards. It's also a birdwatcher's paradise, with the chance great horned owls, burrowing owls, turkey vultures, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and golden eagles.

Directions

Four miles west of the Town of Carrizozo on US 380.

Reviews

Valley of Fires campground is praised for its stunning volcanic and lava flow views, spacious and clean campsites, and well-maintained facilities including restrooms and showers. Camp hosts are consistently described as friendly and helpful, enhancing the visitor experience. Informative walking and hiking trails add to the site's appeal. Occasional issues noted include uneven campsites requiring leveling blocks, maintenance problems with water faucets and restrooms, reservation system complications, windy conditions, presence of bugs like gnats, and some noise from a nearby highway. Despite these concerns, the campground is considered peaceful, scenic, and well-managed overall.

Beautiful volcanic and lava flow views

Spacious, clean, and well-maintained campsites and facilities

Friendly and helpful camp hosts

Informative and scenic hiking and walking trails

Peaceful and quiet atmosphere

Uneven or sloped campsites often requiring leveling blocks

Water faucet and restroom maintenance issues

Reservation system glitches and occasional double bookings

Windy conditions especially at higher sites

Presence of bugs such as gnats in warmer weather

400 reviews

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279

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Jaquie G

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Reviewed 9 days ago

What a wonderful suprise!! So much better than expected and the weather was perfect!

Kelly P

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Reviewed 15 days ago

Beautiful park.

Linda B

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Reviewed 16 days ago

This park is a true hidden gem! We stopped here for one night while traveling from Williams, AZ, to Amarillo, TX, and we genuinely wished we could have stayed longer to enjoy the area. The night sky was incredibly clear, making for world-class stargazing. We also highly recommend the Malpais Nature Trail; it’s a must-do experience that brings you up close to unique desert botanicals and stunning rock formations. This is a must see for all nature park lovers.

Kevin C

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Reviewed 17 days ago

A nice campground. Had a really nice walking path that explained the lava field

CARL B

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Reviewed 19 days ago

Good for overnight stop when traveling. Close to White Sands and Three Rivers Petroglyphs. Near Fort Stanton and Veteran Cemetary. At the dump station, fitting on the washout hose is not a standard hose fitting. So the washout hose is not compatible with most rv trailer black tank washout connections.

Andy B

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Reviewed a month ago

Easy access to online reservation and clear calendar availability for camping spots. Access to map of the campground to easily see what is available is not as effectively developed

Keep your options open

Watch for a matching campsite across monitored campgrounds in Valley of Fires.