Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Carlsbad, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. Finding a place to cabin camp near Carlsbad is easier than ever. The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect cabin rental near Carlsbad.
From the KOA website: Kick back with family and friends at this beautiful desert oasis built in 2000. This award-winning KOA is big rig friendly: All sites are huge 30/50-amp pull thrus with free Wi-Fi and free cable TV. The staff will spoil you as you enjoy the 2,000-square-foot community room, meals delivered to your site, a beautiful commercial laundry, outstanding restrooms, a fenced dog park and a heated pool. From this KOA in the heart of SE New Mexico, visit Carlsbad Caverns, Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park, Sitting Bull Falls Recreation Area, Roswell's International UFO Museum and White Sands National Monument. Check out the Robert H. Goddard rocket collection at the Roswell Museum and Art Center and the "Billy the Kid" history at the campground. A horse hotel also is available. See how this KOA is going green with the help of a wind turbine. Pool: March 15 - October 15. Max pull thru: 75 feet. Your hosts: Scott, Susan and Brian Bacher.
With the Best RV park amenities in the area, Bud’s Place RV Park offers green lawns, large pull-through RV spaces, city water/sewer/power hookups, a stocked fishing pond, children’s playscape, 24-hr laundry, bathroom, and shower facilities, and cabins for those without their own motor home. Conveniently located across the street from the renowned Carlsbad Softball Complex, hosting some of the largest softball tournaments every year in the U.S., Bud's place location serves as a strong attraction for families traveling through the area, softball tournament participants, and longer-term visitors who appreciate the park’s central Carlsbad location and lifestyle amenities.
Bud's Place offers 98 total RV spots, with 30/50 amp, direct city water, and sewer hook-ups, and 28 cabins (2 -ADA compliant cabins) year-round on our spacious park that's pet friendly, with a dog run, fishing pond, and spots with grass and trees in most spaces. It is perfect for families looking for a clean and economical RV site, sports tourney stays, and adventurers looking to explore.
$25 - $45 / night
Accommodations for overnight guests or monthly rentals. Washington Ranch offers lodging in three motel rooms, two single-room cabins, a spacious bunk house, dorms capable of sleeping 20 people each, three 30-Amp RV sites.
RV: 30 AMP electric, water, and sewer dump, shower facilities are available, pets are permitted on a leash
$50 - $150 / night
Campground is first come - reservations are taken and appreciated. You must call for the campground.
White’s City RV Park and campground offers the closest RV and Tent camping near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. You can’t get any closer! The RV Park has all the necessities including water, sewer, and electric hookups as well as free Wi-Fi. We have both pull-thru and back-in spots, and can accommodate most any size RV or trailer.
In our campground area, we have beautiful pine trees surrounding it as well as covered picnic tables, BBQ grills, and fire rings. Laundry and vending machines, as well as recently remodeled showers, bathrooms, are also available on site. The park is well managed and maintained and receives high customer ratings on many travel sites.
$25 / night
Ranger
If you haven't yet discovered the beauty of the chihuahuan desert, the Carlsbad KOA is a great place to hang your hat while you explore.
I often stay in camping cabins at KOA's while on road trips with my children. We like having a bed to spread our sleeping bags out on sometimes, access to AC after a hot day of exploration and the kids like a chance to 'plug in' while we are unplugged....
Carlsbad KOA is big, but it has adequate bathrooms and showers for the size, and they were in very good shape when we visited in June 2016. There is a pool, laundry, all the amenities you need if you are RVing, a game room and food on site. If you like camp cabins, the cabins had grills, picnic tables, the usual double + set of bunks (bring your own bedding), and AC.
Campground was peaceful. The great tailed grackels were courting and whistling, quail wandered through and rabbits romped around our cabin.
If you are in this area, visit the Living Desert State Park and Zoo and of course Carlsbad Caverns - stay and watch the bats fly out in the evening.
The only drawback on this KOA was that the wifi signal was spotty at our cabin, and I had some work to do. If you are taking an ACTUAL vacation, it wouldn't be an issue!
LegendThis KOA was a great property in thy it was very clean and had a lot to offer for families with kids, and even adult only patrons. They had a really big “Rec Room” for kids and adults to play ping pong, or a video game. They also deliver food to your site, and they smoke their own BBQ on site! It’s less than an hour from Carlsbad Caverns, and only 15 minutes from Carlsbad proper, in case you need some supplies or want to go find a place to eat in town. The only downside to this place was the sulfur/propane smell from the gas/oil wells in the area, and the fact that there wasn’t much to block the wind.
GuideCrowded, charming, typical KOA. Located about 30 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Quaint store, great play room (super nice staff- left the playroom open for us an additional hour due to downpour!) Accommodated our family as our reservation was deleted and we had nowhere else to go! :) Great clean restrooms and showers.
LegendExcellent full service RV park. The hook ups are in excellent repair. This particular KOA offers hot food delivered to the sites in Lou of eating inside the facility. Despite the name, it is quite a hike from Carlsbad Caverns if that is your destination. It is very close to Beantly Lake and a very quiet setting. The pads are gravel but level. Excellent staff. Would stay again!
Legend
Let's start with the fact that there are few actually camping areas close to Carlsbad Caverns or Guadalupe National Park. Assuming travelers are coming to Carlsbad to see these great places, the location becomes a major player. Fine print: there is a small campground (absolutely no amenity campground) in Guadalupe National Park which is first-come, first-serve (aka: full), and there a campground in White's City--although having driven past it, I don't think I want to stay there.
Carlsbad RV Park is primarily an RV Park. In fact, while we were there, they were bulldozing their only tent sites and I'm not sure if they are upgrading them or replacing them with more RV sites. So the "tent" site status is tentative. As with most RV Parks, the RVs are crammed in, side by side, and really the place is like an RV parking lot with amenities and hook-ups--but they do appear to be mostly pull through and the staff will show the way to go to pull through without hiccups. These are not spacious by any means. We stayed in one of two cabins, which were very reasonably priced, esp. when comparing to Carlsbad KOA. They even came with a cable and a fridge.
The RV Park (like all of the RV Parks in Carlsbad) has overall become a residence for the oil field workers, so be prepared to try and sleep through the 4 a.m. traffic rush out of camp to oil field. However, the neighbors are pleasant and quiet to have, even if they must drive away before the roosters announce the coming of the sun.
The park has gated access and we felt very safe during our stay. There is a playground that was being bulldozed with the tent site; I am unsure if it is being upgraded or eliminated. There is a camp store, a pool, a game room, showers (which were ok), laundry, a dishwashing sink, picnic tables at the cabins, and universal fire pit. Please note that I am inherently biased against parking lot style RV parks--so 2 stars from me for an RV Park is quite a compliment.
Carlsbad RV Park and Carlsbad KOA direct comparison: we have stayed at both the Carlsbad KOA and the Carlsbad RV Park. The KOA is NOT actually in Carlsbad, and is over an hour away from Carlsbad Caverns and 30 minutes from town. On the other hand, the RV Park is at the southern end of town and only 30 minutes to the Caverns. While the KOA lots are more spacious, they offer no more and no fewer amenities than the RV Park…well the KOA sort-of offers meals but the RV Park is right in town, so delivery is an option. The basic, no frill KOA cabins cost double the RV Park charges. Additionally, the KOA staff was not as friendly or as helpful as the RV Park staff, imho.
While in Carlsbad check out Fiesta Drive-In for one of America's few remaining drive-in movie theaters.
GuideThis KOA will start texting you in advance of your arrival, which I found a bit tedious, but it came in handy during our stay.
Check in was simple and informative. The pool is open and was clean. It definitely came in handy during this heat!
The campground is based about an hour away from Carlsbad Caverns, which worked for us so we could drop our rig and make the drive the next morning. Only about 20 minutes from the town of Carlsbad.
On our second night, there was a wicked storm and we started heading loud booms. The park was thoughtful enough to text everyone after hours to reassure us that the pecan fields up the road use air cannons to prevent hail. Not sure about the effectiveness but was so glad to know what was happening.
We would certainly return if we ever need full hook ups in the area.
GuideArrived here, after 6PM, on a last minute reservation Severe thunderstorms in area Check In was smooth and friendly. Staff advised us game room would remain open all night, In case tenters wanted to have a dry place Ownwer offered us A Deluxe Cabin for $12.00 more We took the offer due to the weather Yea! Cabin was cleanand well stocked, complete with porch swing. One downer Bed needs to be replaced unless rolling to the middle is fun for you . Tent sites are close together with little shade Showers and toilets are great A little less than an hour to Carlsbad Caverns. Bring groceries with you, as the campground store has a limited stock of necessities. $38.00 per night for a tent site with no utilities.
LegendCarlsbad Caverns is amazing! Going during bat season is even more incredible, unbelievable almost. Make no mistake about the location, however. As so many KOAs are not in the town that bears their name, this KOA is no exception. It is not in the Carlsbad limits, it is 30 minutes north of Carlsbad and 1+ hour north of Carlsbad Caverns. ( not sure why another reviewer stated it was only 30 minutes away—maybe they were mistaking it for Carlsbad RV Park, which was formerly a KOA(?) no disrespect meant—people should know before they go, google maps will confirm).
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of cram them in RV parks, but there are few options for camping around Carlsbad and they are all RV parks except for the first come first serve campground at Guadalupe National Park which stands a really good chance of being full before I could ever roll in. This KOA has all the amenities including a pool, clean showers, store, laundry, and hot meals—if you can order hours in advance. The RV sites are spacious for being an RV Park, but by no means “spacious”. They had excellent and easy pull through options and many cabins. The cabins were pricey, but cross between the camping/hotel ease of lodging; of course, visitors bring their own sleeping bags and linens.
We found the staff was neither overly friendly nor rude. It did seem to take a very long time to process anything, however, because anytime we went into the store/check-in, we had to wait, awhile (20+ minutes). While this held true for the weekend we were there, maybe it isn’t typical? Overall, it’s a place to hang one’s hat and enjoy a campfire under the night sky. It’s also a good middle ground between Carlsbad and the Roswell area attractions if that is the goal. If the only plans are to see the national parks (Carlsbad and Guadalupe), I’d recommend considering Carlsbad RV Park—which is right on the southern edge of Carlsbad. While in town, consider checking out Fiesta Drive In Theater. It’s one of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters.
GuideA very nice campground with brand new bath houses. Nice laundry facilities. Gift store with ice cream, yes. Very convenient to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and to Carlsbad, New Mexico. Nice indoorheated pool and a family-friendly environment. Treats for your dog and several dog parks fort off leash fun. We managed to get one of these shaded sites for our pop-up trailer.
ScoutThis RV spot is right in town on the Main Street. It is gated, has friendly staff, two cabins, tent spaces, a store, super clean and nice bathrooms/showers, laundry facility and pool.
This is not typical wooded or beautiful camping, it’s a place to park your RV or tent and that is just about right. If you are making a quick stop over or heading to Carlsbad Caverns then what more do you need?
We stayed in the cabin because we didn’t want to get all our camping stuff out for a quick overnight before we head to our destination (SW CO). It was only $15 more than tent camping so it made sense. It was also raining hard when we got here so we were double grateful. The cabins have a double bed and a bunk bed. It has a TV that we never turned on, a fridge, microwave and AC. The mattresses are like the ones you find at camp, wrapped in plastic but we just put our bedding and memory foam on top of it and it was just fine. I’d recommend it because it was just what we needed on our way and at a good price. Also the shower/ bathrooms are probably the nicest I’ve ever seen at a campground.
ScoutThere’s a store in the office with RV supplies, snacks, drinks, toiletries, and other necessities. A restaurant is located in the office that will deliver to the sites. Someone escorted us to our spot when we arrived. They were mostly pull through slots with full hookup. It was a huge space with a lot of amenities: a community room, dog park, playground, etc. There are also cabins for rent and tent spaces. We paid about $53 per night.
GuideNice campground in the desert, pool, hour or so to Carlsbad caverns, full hook ups, shade shelters
Traveler
Not the best rv spot or town . Kind of a one nighter place while you visit the Carlsbad caverns. Sprayed the grass with some lethal green chemical. 🤢
ScoutDecided to stay here while on our way to Tucson. Great location to launch to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountain National Parks. Indoor heated pool. Very nice staff throughout the park. Definitely recommend
RangerHonestly, I'm just not a fan of KOAs. They're not scenic, and I always regret not just going camping. but I do have to admit, Carlsbad was AMAZING. So beautiful, just not a fan of the campgrounds.
TravelerWe stayed here while visiting Carlsbad Caverns and GIadalupe MoIuntains. Overall this is a nice place. Everything was very clean and the staff were kind and helpful. Be careful if you drink their water, I think it made us sick.
GuideOk so this is an older rv park. It’s a little rough around the edges but they are remodeling the bathrooms, and the laundry room is great. The employees are as nice as can be!
This worked out great for a visit to Carlsbad Caverns which were phenomenal .
RangerThis was a really large campground - there was hundreds of campers. It actually looked like an old KOA. We choose it for proximity to Carlsbad Caverns.
Level, gravel lots with picnic tables. There was a decent amount of trees. I only saw one dog area but I think there is more. The dumpsters were located all over in enclosures.
The laundry room was pretty spacious and had some recreational options, but the bathroom, which was fairly new looking, seemed small for the size of the campground. I didn’t see any playground - we did peek into the pool building and it looked kind of sketch.
I appreciated the ease of the late check-in and how we could use showers and laundry at any time by using a key card. I didn’t love the registration system (form email), but in the end, it worked just fine.
I don’t get the sense that there are destination campgrounds in Carlsbad so I think this is a pretty good option.
TravelerVery open campground (not a lot of privacy) with easy access to showers. They have a great little convenience store on site and a little cafe/burger style eatery. Make sure you bring the majority of your supply needs in as the nearest store is about 18 miles into Carlsbad.
Guide
We moved from our free dispersed campsite to fill up, charge up, shower and do laundry. Very friendly staff and clean facilities. It appears to be heavily used during peak season at Carlsbad Caverns. We treated ourselves to a delicious burger at the Cactus Cafe after our last tour the the caverns.
TravelerCheck in was a breeze, the camp hosts escorted us to our site, which is nice and big. No issue parking the F150 behind the 36’ RV. Pool was closed for yearly maintenance. Very nice gift shop and 4 clean dog parks. Quiet even though it’s near the road. Turn in to Carlsbad Caverns is 12 miles away.
GuideA very nice park. Stayed here a month to explore the local area. The staff is very friendly, responsive and helpful. Sites are gravel, but plenty spacious. Bathrooms are brand new remodeled as of Nov 22 so don't let the older pictures fool you.
The Riverwalk in Carlsbad is a must see. Lovely!
Will definitely stay here again.
GuideThis place was clean and easy to reach. Large place with plenty of sites for hookup. Only con is that sites were very close to one another. We stopped here to go to Carlsbad caverns. It’s about an hour away from this KOA, so be sure to wake up early and arrive early to reserve first come first serve tickets for the caverns!
Ranger
There are only a few sites with water and electric hookups. The dump location is directly in front of a site so you may need to dump elsewhere (we did because it was blocked by another camper at the time).
There’s a nice lake and walking paths. The place is dated but, the folks are friendly and nice stop for a couple of days.
We camped here on our way to Carlsbad Caverns.
LegendThis place makes a good basecamp for Carlsbad Caverns NO, Guadalupe Mountains NP and more. Even Roswell is less than 90 minutes away and Living Desert Zoo State Park is close, too. Staff does a good job with upkeep and the bathrooms seem new, they are really nice. Laundry room well maintained, as are the sites, which are mostly level gravel. Road noise near front can be a bit annoying, but the front sites seem bigger and nicer, so worth the trade-off.
RangerWe stumbled upon Camp Washington Ranch when looking for someplace to stay near Carlsbad Caverns. It is an interesting property. While it was originally a ranch, it was purchased in the 1980s by a non-profit that serves adults with disabilities. There are group homes on a corner of the property but they also rent the property as a wedding venue and have four RV camping sites. We were surprised by the ponds and creeks running through the property (since its in the middle of a desert) but figured out that it receives excess water from the springs that service Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
You can walk from Camp Washington to Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area (part of the National Park), which was a neat adventure. The picnic area was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and you can visit the springs and see the irrigation system developed by the CCC. Rattlesnake Springs provides all of the water to the National Park and, we figured out, also explains the ponds and creeks in Camp Washington Ranch!
It seemed like we had the whole property to ourself during our stay. We made our reservation and paid over the phone, and didn't see any staff or residents while we were on the property. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing a place to stay before heading to the national park for a cavern tour.
LegendWe were here several years ago and thought this place looked run down. Granted it was late December which was not the best time. It is very much improved since that visit. Almost 290 large sites. Most have water, electricity and sewer. 3 dog areas. Shower and bathroom areas were clean. Laundry facilities. Heated indoor pool. There used to be a card operated security gate that closes at night. About 20 mikes to Carlsbad Caverns and 50 miles to z Guadeloupe Mountain NP. Would come back if we are in the area.
Cabin camping near Carlsbad, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of comfort and adventure, making it an ideal getaway for nature lovers and families alike.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Carlsbad, NM is Carlsbad RV Park & Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 34 reviews.
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