Mesa Campground is a Camping Ground listed in Silver City, New Mexico, reached through the Gila National Forest pages of the U.S. Forest Service, which publishes it at fs.usda.gov. The listing carries a 4.7 score drawn from 160 reviews, and the phone number on record is +1 575-388-8201. This Mesa Campground review does not add a visit that never happened; it gathers what the listing columns and the posted visitor reviews say so that a camper can judge the place before packing.
What emerges from the reviews is a small, elevated campground near Lake Roberts where the strongest recurring praise goes to the setting and the cleanliness of the restrooms, and the most frequent cautions concern water service, the dump station and how to approach the site by road.
Mesa Campground at a Glance
The record places Mesa Campground in Silver City, NM 88061, in the vicinity of Silver City, with coordinates of roughly 33.03 latitude and -108.16 longitude in the America/Denver time zone. It is categorised as a Camping Ground, and the activity column also references camping cabins, comfort and well dispersed camping as well as RV camping that allows RV camping. A Google Maps link and place identifier are on file for navigation, and the listing includes a photo.
The payments column lists both debit cards and cash only, which is worth reading carefully before arrival rather than assuming one method. The accessibility column records a wheelchair-accessible car park and a wheelchair-accessible entrance, the parking column lists on-site parking, and the pets column states that dogs are allowed. The amenities column lists a public toilet and restroom, a public shower entry, and a Wi-Fi reference, though reviewers describe the connectivity situation very differently, and that gap is covered below.
What Do Visitors Like About Mesa Campground?
Across the 160 reviews behind the 4.7 listing score, the sentiment skews clearly favourable: most of the sampled reviews are five-star, with a handful of four-star entries and one notably critical two-star account. Reviewers repeatedly praise the lake views, the quiet of the campground at night, and the restrooms, with several describing them as among the cleanest they have encountered while camping. The camp hosts also draw consistent positive mention, described as friendly, helpful and welcoming. Dissent centres on missing showers, an out-of-service dump station, limited bathroom capacity, and weekend noise and rule enforcement.
1. Lake views and a quiet, elevated setting
The view is the single most repeated compliment. A reviewer whose stay was planned for five nights described extending it to ten, praising the lake outlook and noting that some sites look over the water and are large enough for a 30ft rig, and that the campground sits elevated above the lake with a road down to the water for kayaking and fishing. Another reviewer called the views outstanding and the campground quiet, while a further reviewer described it as quiet with a capital Q.
The setting is confirmed by other accounts too: one reviewer, Nafis Sazeed, wrote that the campground is gorgeous with great views and very quiet at night, and that it is very close to Lake Roberts and reachable by a short walk. Samuel G. Sarabia likewise noted a beautiful view of the lake together with a clean campground. A dissenting note, however, comes from Ellen F. Hedman, who observed weekend gatherings and reported that neighbouring reviews about late noise matched what she experienced, and recommended other area campgrounds for anyone seeking calm and quiet.
2. First-come-first-serve, with hookups on an inner loop
Several reviewers describe the operation as first-come-first-serve, and two of them advise arriving early because it fills up quickly. One reviewer explained that the inner circle offers power and water hookups at $25 per night while the outer circle has no service at $10 per night, adding that a Beautiful the America Pass halves the rate — a statement attributable to that reviewer, not a published tariff in the listing data.
Site capacity comes up repeatedly. One reviewer described a spacious dry-camping site number 15 as perfect, David Wilkins noted that sites are spaced well apart and fairly level with most suited to 24' and smaller campers and only a few able to take something larger, and karoline spengler-moore reported that most dry sites were not big enough for a 33ft fifth wheel. Ellen F. Hedman observed that spots with water and electric tend to fill up first. Walter Rothe observed that the campground operates first-come-first-serve and advised coming early.
3. Restrooms and clean grounds draw steady praise
Cleanliness is the second strongest theme. One reviewer called the restroom amazingly clean, another named the restrooms the best and cleanest seen at any campground, and a third said the campsites were very clean and credited the rangers who maintain them. Ellen F. Hedman confirmed flush toilets and mentioned a garbage container that looked very full after a weekend.
Not everyone was satisfied with the facilities. Armychuck 2000, the two-star account, described the campground itself as very nice but the bathroom facilities as very limited. Manny Torres also wished for showers and found the dump station out of service. The camp hosts still receive warm mention across several reviews, including ERE, Belem Flickinger, EJ Tapia and Emmanuel Pinon, who described them as friendly, accommodating and helpful during their stays.
4. Water, dump station and connectivity caveats
Practical warnings appear in more than one review. karoline spengler-moore reported a sign at the check-in station disclosing that the water is not safe for drinking, and noted there is no dump station; David Wilkins and Ellen F. Hedman both found the dump station out of service, with the latter paying to dump at a private campground nearer Mimbres. Zoe Nicholas stated there are no showers and no internet or cell service, and ERE confirmed no service and no Wi-Fi at the campsite.
On connectivity, karoline spengler-moore relied on satellite service and reported being told by other campers that the nearest cell signal is in Mimbres. This sits at odds with the Wi-Fi and public shower references in the listing's amenities column, so it is fair to treat connectivity and showers as uncertain rather than guaranteed. Solar performance was described positively in most sites by karoline spengler-moore, with shading a factor to plan around.
5. The approach road matters more than expected
Road advice recurs with unusual consistency. karoline spengler-moore recommended using Hwy 35 via Mimbres for anything larger than a van or an RV over about 25 ft, and cautioned that locals drive the Silver City road quickly around blind curves. Ellen F. Hedman gave the same steer for larger RVs, describing the Silver City road as very winding and steep in places. Angi Morgan, while calling the scenic drive pleasant from either direction, advised against SR15 in snow or rain with a camper because of one-lane sections and hairpin turns.
Nafis Sazeed put it plainly: the drive up is a little dangerous, so be cautious. Set against this, reviews also describe scenic drives and easy access to lake trails and a short walk to the water. The practical read from the reviews is that route choice should be matched to vehicle size and weather rather than treated as an afterthought.
6. Fishing, trails and nearby Gila attractions
Recreation around the campground features in several accounts. Brittany Jimerson described a birthday trip with beautiful views and fun trails that coincided with a free fishing day, with a host grilling and serving everyone. ERE reported an okay fishing outing with a few bites, a late-evening catch released, and a reminder that a fishing licence is needed before heading up, purchasable online. karoline spengler-moore relayed fishermen saying the fishing there is good.
Zoe Nicholas described the surrounding area as incredible, with more hikes than one could choose from, free and interesting cave dwellings, and a hot spring reachable by a hike of about half a mile from the visitor centre — details offered as that reviewer's account of the wider area rather than campground facilities. ERE also cautioned that surrounding trees were very dry and fire risk high, asking visitors to be careful. Armychuck 2000, by contrast, reported ground fires being banned during a May stay and alleged that rules on fires, leashes and charcoal grills were not enforced on site.