Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Caballo is the way to go. Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. These scenic and easy-to-reach New Mexico campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort offers 140 full hook-up sites with big rig, level sites up to 70 feet. 20, 30 and 50 amp service is available. Daily or monthly rates, cable TV, covered patio with picnic tables and BBQ grills by the lounges. Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort offers free Wi-Fi.
BLM land near the City of Rocks entrance
This is a nice shady campground under ponderosa pines.
Sapillo is an undeveloped campground under ponderosa pine and is a favorite of group campers.
No reservations are necessary. First come - first serve. All Gila NF campgrounds have a 14-day stay limit.
There is no firewood available. Please bring your own if you plan on building a fire.
Please "Pack It In, Pack It Out" and do not dispose of trash in the campfire rings.
There are numerous dispersed camping sites in the campground.
When I called about availability we were told there were a lot of dry spots available. Works for us! When we got there the person at gate had no idea where the campgrounds were and would not let us check out sites without paying for day use. The campground had water shutoff on Memorial Day weekend. No bathrooms or showers.
Management aside, this place is gorgeous. We dry camped by lake right under mountains. Would not pay for campground with no water but for $10 to dry camp by the water, love it.
Great T-Mobile service. Easy to access.
There are plenty of nice spots to camp along North Star Road, north of Mimbres, NM. You'll find dispersed campsites with fire-rings all along the edges of the road and on spur forest roads sprouting from it. North Star Road is usually well maintained and most vehicles should make it to at least North Star Mesa.
Nothing in terms of services and amenities, but nice hiking nearby. Very clear skies at night.
As always, please follow LNT principles when dispersed camping.
Nice level Lake view spot. Easy access to site and dump station. Fire pit and shade over picnic table.
Very helpful staff. The place was very clean and spacious. There are plenty of places to hike and fish. Great place to take the family to create memories.
Campground is very nice with great views. Grounds are well kept. Bathhouse is clean. Water in the showers are annoying because it auto cuts off after about 10-15 seconds and you have to keep it going for at least a minute or two to get hot water. Sites are close but separated my some bushes. The Dyrt app says there is WiFi which there isn’t and also that there are sewer hookups which they aren’t. Not a problem but just fyi.
We spent the whole winter here 2021
We were going to dry camp, but there was a windy, rainy storm going on. We pulled in to Elephant Butte RV Park in the dark, called the security number, and he directed us to a spot. It was easy to hook up, to pull in, easy to pull out with our 36’ 5th wheel. Really nice people! 
The park is on the lake it's named after. They have a brand new visitor Center opened yesterday December 11, 2021. There are views of the lake and the nearby mountains. The sites are spacious and spread out on flat level gravel. There are a few tall trees but there are shrubs and some small Juniper and Pinyon tree's. It is not far off of I 25. There is another state park within 10 miles on the other side of the dam. You can sometimes hear highway noise from 817. You can see the traffic on I-25.
Quiet campgrounds a bit on top of each other but the services are excellent
This campground is not far from I-25, not far from Truth or Consequences, with easy access on paved roads. There is a dump and water fill station as well as sites with electric and water, fire pits, a grill, and a pavillion with half walls for shade and privacy. Dispersed camping is available down by the lake near the boat ramp. Cell coverage is iffy, at best. Comfort Stations are clean, toilets have running water. There is only cold water at sink, and sporadic warm but mostly cold water in showers. There are no surfaces to set things down on. Only very few hooks in shower and toilet stalls. Waking up with calls from the cranes across the lake made my day happy! You’ll enjoy the sounds of night creatures, although the noise from I-25, depending on the direction of the wind, can be deafening, especially if you are in a tent. Bring ear plugs! Sunsets are breathtaking! If it were warmer I’d love to go out on my paddle board. I’d come back to this campground again and again!
We travel with 3 dogs, so they moved me from site 23 to site 27. It was a site with plenty of room for our dog fence. It was in a nice corner of the park with immediate road access.
We stayed there for three nights. A very short drive to Elephant Butte State Park. Site was pretty level, very quiet and peaceful. Staff was very easy to get a hold of during business hours. Security patrols the park regularly.
Very clean, well kept resort. Almost full. We were here in early June and the day temperatures were in the low 100’s with very low humidity. Sites are pretty tight with close neighbors. WiFi is good. Didn’t try the cable. Location is convenient to the lake and shopping. Boat rentals are available at the nearby state park. Lake was made from the Rio Grande to furnish water for the area south.
Campsites are well sized and maintained. Bathrooms not open. Beautiful lake. Close to beautiful Gila National Forest. Ride on hwy 152 was awesome. Close to Elephant Butte’s perfect beaches. W/E. There are a few FHU.
Very clean park. Concrete roads and gravel sites. Very nice shower/laundry facility. Sites are a little close upfront and the road noise can be a bit of an issue. Good cell service with Verizon and AT&T. Nice area to visit with the lake and dam close by.
Was a big grass camping area lots of space. Close to the water from camping sites....Grills tables and shade area....
Always worth going
A little rocky but beautiful lake. You can either stay on the north side of the damn where the lake is or stay on the south side where the Rio grande runs. We decided to stay on the river. Decent camp spots. We tried swimming across the Rio Grande. That shot was hard 😂
nice area, near Truth or Consequences. we camped with water and electric for a few days then parked down on the lake and primitive camped for a few more...fire pits, grills, covered picnic tables..clean bathrooms..
I come out here to mostly kayak, fish & walk my dogs. Kayaking is best when the sunrises because you get a beautiful view of it rising behind the mountains. My dogs enjoy exploring the surrounding area.
Great place to kayak especially when the sun rises you will see it over the mountains. My favorite part about caballo lake is floating down from elephant butte to caballo lake in a giant floaty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Caballo, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Caballo, NM is Caballo Lake State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Caballo, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Caballo, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
