Best RV Parks & Resorts near Clayton, NM

Black Mesa State Park in the panhandle of Oklahoma. Farthest point you can go in the panhandle and it borders Colorado and New Mexico. It’s the only part of Oklahoma that’s on Mountain Time.
The park was great. We stayed in a tent but also had a trailer that we carried everything in so we were able to stay in a RV spot. We went in the summer and it was not crowded at all. Most others stayed a night or two, but we stayed 4 or 5 days. By the weekend more people were coming in. There was electric and water at our site but I don’t remember if they had sewage hookups as we didn’t use that. There are restrooms on site. The showers could have used a real good scrubbing but were usable. The park ranger maintained the grounds well. The views are gorgeous and if you get up during the night to see them, the stars you can see out there are amazing!! There are some trails to hike around the camp and even some fossilized wood. There is a lake right there too and at least one lookout spot over it which was perfect at sunset. We hiked Black Mesa and took a trip into New Mexico to see Mount Capulin Volcano. The park was peaceful and beautiful. Not a lot of shade trees but there were some areas in the campground that had some. A great experience. We definitely want to go back.

Clayton Lake State Park near Clayton, New Mexico turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It is a small state park with several small camogrounds spread around the reservoir which is popular for fishing. Our campground had about a half dozen sites overlooking the lake. The opportunity to see dinasaur tracks and attend star parties make this park unique. The campground host is an amateur astronomer who regularly hosts very well-attendedstar parties. Water and electric were available at our campsite, but the park does not have a dump station.

New mexico state parks nearly all online reservations now. Funny I had no printed copy and nobody checked me. Pretty area in the middle of open prairie. Well spaced non electric sites but it can be a long walk to toilets.

There are very few developed sites for RV campers, but there are plenty of primitive sites. The restrooms and showers are dated, but the do everything that you need. The dinosaur tracks are a true bonus and the information that they have posted with the tracks are very informative. The park ranger and camp host are great and most of all, you can’t beat the New Mexico State park prices.

First off, you will be completely off-grid. There is no cell reception, WiFi, or cable or antenna tv. There is also no dump station or fill station, so plan on making a stop at the loves truck stop. Limited electric/water hookup sites so be sure to reserve ahead of time. No fires allowed and boat ramp is closed. It was peaceful and quiet. Pretty neat to see the dinosaur tracks!

Clayton Lake State Park, Clayton, NM…5200 ft elev.

Beautiful oasis nestled away in the windswept high plains of NE New Mexico. Not only for today's travelers but for yesterday's pioneers we take the Cimmaron Cutoff from the Santa Fe trail. We pitched tent at Chicano Beach site #2 (there are only two on that ridge), far away from any crowds upon a knoll overlooking a western "dog-leg" of the 170 acre reservoir. Even though the man-made Clayton lake was down from 32' to 19' depth…it was tranquil and bustling with wildlife. Coyotes barked in the distance, strutting turkey's gobbled, jackrabbit's darted, fish jumped and mule deer grazed the shoreline grasses and taking in late night and early morning drinks. Bring your binoculars to glass the shore and ridge lines. Fascinating park, the sandstone formations were varied and interesting…worn away by generations of rain. The rock garden is worth a scramble…very cool columns…(R4 campsite is nestled deep within them and the most highly coveted tent site). Highlight: The dinosaur tracks (uncovered at the spillway around 1982 after a flood) at the spillway are of particular interest. Informational signage lines the spillway and the small pavilion atop the levy. The 471 acre state park was quiet and peaceful. Mark, the park ranger, is full of great information of the area…and incredibly helpful, having spent his entire life in these parts…truly as nice a man you could meet (and the first ranger to ever return my phone message when calling for last minute availabilty). The visitor center and every other aspect of this park is spotlessly clean and meticulously maintained. The visitor center, though small, utilized every inch to bring you desired information of the park's history. New signage and informational displays were going in as we left. A heated restroom/ shower house was a wonderful creature comfort. Plenty of very new and clean pit latrines and water spigots dotted throughout the campground. If you don't want crowds avoid the fishing tournament the second weekend of June when about 900 campers descend to camp and fish…and most summer holidays. Other than that there is room….and no bad spots. I'd recommend using the online reservation portal. Tent sites are cheap($10 developed/$8 primitive)…actual too cheap, in my opinion…the state parks are nearly bankrupt, if not already so. Skeleton staffs are underpaid, yet they worked tirelessly to keep the parks to the highest standard. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/claytonlakestatepark.html

•A nearby highlight is the Capulin Volcano National Monument an hour away up Rt 87. The walk around the rim of the dormant volcano offers epic views of the surrounding high plains, Sante Fe trail and the jagged snow capped mountains to the West.

Small little park but if you’re looking to completely check out and chill, this is it. There’s a cute little river with swim bitch, nice private shower, and beautiful spacious sites. Every day we saw deer and wild turkey. There’s a nice lake, hiking, and dinosaur tracks. RV sites have 30amp and water. Most hookups are on the passenger side, so make sure your hose and cable are long enough.

We stayed here when state of New Mexico scheduled my vaccination nearby here rather than nearby my home. Otherwise, who knows when we would have discovered this place.

The sites are easily accessible, and probably best before it gets too hot.

The amazing part is the hike to the dinosaur tracks. The story of their preservation is worth the visit all by itself.

We stayed one night on the way to Colorado and this is such a great place to camp. We had primitive site C4 which provided Mr 8 with boundless adventures scrambling in the rocks. The dinosaur tracks were also a bit hit.

Showers & toilets were clean albeit a bit dated.

The lake is a big attraction and we also chatted to a fellow camper who had a large telescope with him. We got to see Jupiter and it’s 4 largest moons at dusk. This whole area of New Mexico has really dark skies at night with so many stars visible

First, the 10-mile road to this park is fine.  After reading the one review calling the road horrible, we were braced for the worst, but it turned out to be completely fine, not so much as a pothole.  So disregard that.

Second, this park is actually a hidden gem.  It's quite large, with multiple camping sites spread down one side of the lake.  The one location for electrical sites is a bit tightly packed, with not much space between sites, but if you're tent camping or boondocking there is plenty of room in this park at other camping locations to spread out.  And when we stayed mid-week there were only a couple of other trailers in the electrical section, so we didn't feel too crowded ourselves.  The lake is pretty with what seems to be good fishing judging by how many locals were there casting lines in the water.  The sunset views are beautiful, and the night sky is absolutely superb.  We had an amazing view of the total lunar eclipse the night we stayed here in May 2022.

The real attraction of this park, however, is the dinosaur tracks, which are some of the best in the *world*.  It's crazy that they're out here in the middle of nowhere, but if you make the short hike to see them you will be amazed.  The story of how they were discovered, by accident during the construction of the dam for this lake, is equally amazing.  Great park for kids, and great destination if you're traveling along 87 and weighing where to stay between Amarillo and Raton.

For nostalgia, we decided to stay at Black Mesa…just as we did 30 years ago. We had such a delightful (tent) camping experience in 1991 that we wanted to take our family back in our RV. The ranger checked us in and narrowed down the list of RV sites to choose from. We ultimately chose #13, near the office/WiFi. Everyone enjoyed that! (No cell service though to let family know we arrived safely.) Water and electric was on the opposite side. Kind of weird; but we made it work as our power was long enough to reach. Bath house (womens) had 2 restroom stalls and 2 separate bath stalls with curtains, hook and a small metal table. (1 was handicap accessible with ramp and shower hose.) Water was warm. Tile was rust stained, from well water, I suppose. Needed to be cleaned a bit; but was not terrible. (Didn’t smell and had plenty of tp.) Cool tree growing inside a giant rock. Picnic bench placed in between where rock had split. (near bath house) Overall, nice stay even though we didn’t stay long enough for activities.

Beautiful area right in the middle of what seems like nothing but prairie. A canyon opens and there is the lake. Various sites, electric were all accounted for. There were plenty of picnic table/shelter primitive spots. Beautiful scenery. Good trails for hiking. Friendly host.