We ventured down here for Christmas break, stopping at the Red Sands OHV area near Alamogordo, New Mexico and after realizing we would not be able to make it into the entrance of Red Sands, due to curvy driveway, Sand Dunes and loose sandy soil, we pressed on to the Haystack Mountain OHV area near Roswell, New Mexico and wow, I was impressed with not only this OHV area but also the Primitive campground that is onsite, I’ll talk more about that below…
Haystack OHV area overlooks the Pecos river and the area offers around 1900 acres of off-road riding opportunities from novice trails to expert trails. Although, from what I experienced, most trails are on the novice side of things. The OHV area is around 20 minutes north and east of the city proper of Roswell, nice if you are camping here and forgot something at home and need to run to the stores in town. Roswell has everything you need!
The OHV area is located at over 3500ft in elevation in the Chihuahuan Desert and it does get warm in the summer months and stays relatively dry, My recommendation is to visit fall, winter or spring to beat the heat. There is very little snowfall, average of only 9” falls in Roswell (closest reporting), and with highs in the 60s when we visited near Christmas, it was perfect!
There is a small entrance fee, but at the time of this article, It was only a $3 day-use pass and included camping! Very affordable. Although I could not find info in the short time while planning, I did purchase a New Mexico OHV sticker, which is only available online to Out of State visitors and I purchased the 90-day option.
Continue reading below for more details…
Entrance to Haystack Mountain OHV area.
The Trails
Overlooking the riding area from ontop of the ridge near the trail entrance.
The trails in this riding area are very diverse, ranging from novice to expert, though the majority that we encountered were, I would say medium difficulty but the area is very scenic and fun riding. There is debris left behind from what I assume was some kind of accident, as you can see in the photo below, shows you these trails are steep and sometimes difficult. The ground in the area is very hard, very rocky. In other words, you won’t sit and spin the wheels trying the get up the hills for the most part, there is plenty of traction.
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Some debris left behind after someone had issues, or i’m assuming rolled on their side while attempting to make it up some of the hills in the park. [/caption]
The trails are “marked” with numbers, but the trail signs are sometimes hard to find, but because you’re in a river valley, you can always look around for the cell towers near the parking area, which is high atop the hills to the south of the riding area, to find your way back! You can see the towers in the section below…
Cellular Connectivity…
That is another awesome benefit to this ohv area, it has cellular coverage. Not many places, especially BLM areas have cellular connectivity… That said, I have Verizon so your connectivity will vary based on your carrier. It was reassuring to know I had cellular just in case, so many places I visit do not. Again, these towers can be used as a navigation aid to help you find your direction back to the camping / parking area.
You can see the cell and radio towers in the background…
Videos…
Primitive Campground…
Most of the Campground sites overlook the riding area below in the valley…
I wanted to mention the Campground on-site, I will have a separate review of the facilities but I wanted to show a little of the campground here.
I have to say, this is one of the best looking Primitive BLM campgrounds I have ever seen. The views of the riding areas below the campground are really nice to see and this would be a great place to stay for whatever duration you can stay. You are far enough off US hwy 70 that traffic noise is no issue. There are basic facilities, clean no-flush toilets, the camp sites are level and provide a picnic table and shelter. Only issue is the sites are limited, I think there was only 5 or so sites there, but you are able to camp in the parking area and with tents along the trails with your OHV.
Conclusion…
The Haystack OHV area is a great place to unwind and enjoy the scenery of the area, even better if you are camping here, especially at one of the campsites that overlook the riding area. Would a great place to spend a week just relaxing at the campsite and occasionally heading out to ride on the various terrain. Very fun, this would be one I would return to for sure!
Again, I would recommend visiting this OHV area in the Fall, winter or spring due to the warm conditions.
Monsoon Season…
I would recommend watching the weather closely, in the summer time. The summer, usually from June 15th to September 30th is prime-time for monsoon season in this area. Flooding is a real danger especially as this OHV area as it is in a “big bowl” or river valley.
Alternative Campground…
While I would have loved camping at Haystack Mountain OHV area, It was not possible due the unseasonably cold nights during December when we visited. I needed electric hookups, So, we ended up at the Red Barn Campground, just minutes outside Roswell, great location really. Close to town and within a half hour drive to Haystack OHV area.
Very friendly staff and pristine facilities offered at this campground make this a top choice for those needing hookups.
Related Links…
Haystack Mountain OHV Area Purchase Day Use Passes Online New Mexico Monsoon Awareness page
