Best Equestrian Camping near Dexter, NM
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Best Equestrian Sites Near Dexter, NM (3)
1. Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Dexter, New Mexico65 Reviews•216 Photos•413 SavesLocated just 14 miles southeast of Roswell, Bottomless Lakes State Park is your place for bottomless fun! Enjoy non-motorized boating in your kayak or canoe, camp, fish, picnic, swim, hike, go birding or even scuba dive! The unique lakes at this park are sinkholes, ranging from 17 to 90 feet deep. The greenish-blue color created by aquatic plants is what gives the lakes the illusion of great depth.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$18 / night
2. Carlsbad KOA
Carlsbad, New Mexico39 Reviews•64 Photos•117 SavesFrom 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.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
3. Alamo Road Dispersed
Roswell, New Mexico2 Reviews•7 Photos•41 Saves- Fires
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
Recent Equestrian Reviews in Dexter
106 Reviews of 3 Dexter Campgrounds
- U
UT801
Ranger
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Unless boating, a place to stay on way to elsewhere
Reservations only, but we were able to reserve online while surveying campground to see what was open: https://newmexicostateparks.reserveamerica.com/ (on way north so stopped for a night, getting there late afternoon).
Pretty basic. Most sites have no shade except for over picnic table. Lots of flying things: flies, mosquitos. Many stickers (so walk dog carefully).
--->At 02:30 in morning a drone very noisily buzzed us and sounded like it circled us for what seemed like 5 min. Not sure what that was about.... Racoon walked up to door screen and pawed at it while we were making dinner.
- Mary T.
Guide
Carlsbad KOA
Nice place to camp
Nice gravel sites. Wide roads to get into sites. Pool, playground. Restrooms OK. Only issue not great Wifi.
- JJessica L.Guide
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Thoroughly enjoyed!
Reservations are needed and can be made online through the NM State Park website. The drive into the camp area was a little bumpy. Watch the curves! At the time we arrived the water was a beautiful aqua color with a clear sunny sky. The rest of our time there was overcast which gave us a nice break from the heat. The beach area was not crowded at all during our time here. Bring your kayak/canoe/SUP. They rent pedal boats. The mosquitos were out around dusk, so be sure to have bug spray! We would definitely stay again.
Erin F.
Traveler
Alamo Road Dispersed
Beautiful views but garbage everywhere
I spent 2 nights here and while the sunsets are something to write home about, I clearly stayed in a place where locals use it as target practice. Shelf casings and garbage abound. I don't carry big trash bags with me but I picked up what I could. I would not discourage people from staying here. If I ever come back to the area, I will probably stay here again....I will just bring a bunch of trash bags with me.
- CChris E.Traveler
Carlsbad KOA
A bit noisy, dusty, but nice enclosed tent spot
Overall a good campsite, some minor drawbacks. Site is close to highway, so lots of road noise throughout the day and night. Contained tent hexagon shelter structure was nice, allowed for contained and divided campsites. Marginal shade and pretty dusty.
Robert G.GuideCarlsbad KOA
Way north of Carlsbad
Long ways from the caverns. Wifi is weak/slow/intermittent.
James P.
LegendBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Nice state park
Room between sites. Most sites are gravel with shaded picnic tables. Peaceful nights.
Teresa T.LegendBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Very nice state park
Hasn't changed much in the 7 years between visits. Very little shade but neat to see the lakes. Water is clear and I bet feels really great in the summer heat. Still pretty full considering the time of year. Local sites are just down the road at the Bitter Lake Rec area. There is also a 3 mile bike ride.
- DDerrick A.Traveler
Alamo Road Dispersed
Easy access spot
The road is much less worn than we're used to. Not too many campsites but could easily park a camper. Roswell, with many supply chains within 20 minutes including big R, Tractor supply, Walmart and various sporting goods stores. Not a bad spot to crash heading to the next one. Alamo road does wind on a quite a bit further than we traveled down it, so there may be even better options.
Lorna S.
ScoutBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
All sites are reserve only (7/2023).
$14+$4 ReserveAmerica Fee This is a local park for us. We were in Site 19 which is a Handicap site with a concrete pad (RA did not specify that this was a handicap site). Other sites are packed gravel. Site was a "short" site and close to the bathhouse which we did not use. Sites are 50/30/20 with a water hookup. Only a few sites have sewer. Dump station is at the entrance of the campground. The deer flies were not a problem during our visit (they are worse around the salt cedar trees). We were only bit twice and we did not use insect repellant. Since we could not check in until after 4PM, we parked over in the picnic area by the lake. We knew this and had planned it. Dogs are not allowed on the "sand beach" but there are plenty of access points around the campground& picnic area edges of the lake that pets can use. Goat's Head stickers are a problem here, as they are in most of the desert. Our dog wears "shoes" to protect her feet from the stickers and from hot pavement. Wifi was available in the park but we could not connect. We stayed in a Truck Camper 7/4 - 7/5/2023.
- TTerry C.Traveler
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Lovely location and people
The red rocks and contrasting blue lake make it a beautiful place to camp. The sites are roomy enough that even when full it doesn’t feel crowded.
- KKC H.Guide
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Small but nice
Fine campground. Geared mostly for RVs. Not very big so books up quickly. Reservations online. $14 + tax and fees = $18ish for the night. Nice lake area. Outdoor beach showers.
- TTessa+MarkScout
Carlsbad KOA
Nice place
Good shower. WiFi not very Stanley.
Ray & Terri F.LegendBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Nicely spaced campsites, well maintained CG and near the lake
We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were in site 5 for 4 nights in late March. The campground is nice, well maintained and quiet CG. It was quite windy the day we arrived with wind speeds of 25 mph and gust up to 45 mph, which kicked up a little dust from time to time, but the weather was beautiful otherwise. Lea Lake is deep blue and crystal clear.
AT&T coverage was excellent, with 1-3 Bars of 5G service and speeds up to 12 MB/s. We had an unobstructed view of the sky and so we were able to receive all 3 SW Dish satellites and Starlink had up to 20 MB/s. We didn’t try to load any OTA channels.
- Chip K.Ranger
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Nice state park
Very nice little state park. We used it as a stop over. Lots of scenery, quite the change from most of Eastern NM. Would be a nice place to spend a weekend in the summer when it's warm enough to use the lake.
- 11life1tryGuide
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
8 dollar book fee
It’s twisty roads getting to the park and no where is made for anyone with a trailer. Tight spaces, gravel, covered picnic tables. Water and power, surprised booking fee. Makes it not on the cheap side anymore. Haven’t found the dump station, but it’s got to be close,
- DDaveTraveler
Carlsbad KOA
Not an exact review
Arrived in the Dark during December and it was one of the darkest ingresses at a KOA I’ve experienced. The office was about to close due to me arriving later than expected. Staff was very kind and got me situated.
Got to the site and seems the neighbor parked in my designated but all good, I’m just wanting my boots up for the night[lucky I didn’t have a larger displacement haha, all good).
Facilities were immaculate and warm during this arctic blast.
A great place to help bridge west to east travels in my opinion.
Luckybreak R.RangerBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Another quality campground !
No complaints here. The roads and gravel sites were level. Some of the sites were out of commission due to maintenance as was the campground bathhouse. Facilities in the adjoining day use area were up and working. Well spaced sites, would stay here again.
T O.GuideBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
D Area is great for views of the sunset
We stayed in the D section. I have included a video. Very quiet, no one else was back here. Beautiful sunsets and night sky.
- SSarah H.Traveler
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Beautiful
Beautiful location! A bit of a drive off the main road, but well worth it. A bit buggy when we visited (July) but there are hiking trails and beautiful views and Lea Lake is open for swimming. Our site had trash in it from the previous campers. We went ahead and cleaned up after them. We only stayed for a night, but it was quiet and beautiful.
Amy & Stu B.LegendBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Solidly okay
Fine site, but the flies were outrageous. More on that later. Cheap at only $14 per night and a $4 booking fee.
Site had WiFi which worked well enough so that was awesome! Cell service for ATT& Verizon worked fine.
Not all sites had water hookup— make sure to check when booking.
There is lake access for swimming and paddle boating, and other activities where you’d need to bring your own gear.
Bathhouses we’re fine. No soap while I visited—and push button showers without warm water. But, showers and toilets worked well enough!
Site was not level, but with the help of levelers we got there.
Covered picnic table at sites. Enough space to not feel squished. Not particularly scenic, but not a crummy gravel lot on the side of the road either.
I saw this in other reviews but did not really understand the extent of flies and horseflies at this site. If I stood outside for more than 1 minute I was bitten multiple times by horseflies. Opened the door the get in and out do the trailer and literally had seven flies inside within the seconds it took to get inside.
Karen B.GuideCarlsbad KOA
Great Communication!
This 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.
- NNicholas H.Traveler
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Cool area
Easy to find and get to. The park is quiet, and has a few nice trails.
- RRoger R.Scout
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Problems with year pass
I bought a year pass during covid for New Mexico State park in 2019. I only used it 2 times and parks shut down. Now due to fires many parks have had to close. I do not recommend buying a year pass . I received no notification of any compensation for not being able to use the parks.
Dan K.ScoutCarlsbad KOA
Dyrt Campground
Expensive but you knew that, it's a KOA and you don't mind if it's full of amenities and clean right? Well it was not.
The three bathrooms, that's right three, in the campground need renovating but the one in the clubhouse was clean.
The Campground is a dirt and gravel parking lot with a few small trees. Around the office was well manicured with a koi pond benches and some grass so 1st impression was ok. butt..
The dog park was tiny which is confusing because the property is so large no way was my dog going to run in the dog run.
The camp store had astronomical prices. I'm used to high camp store prices but it had ridiculous markups.
The pool was closed it was record heat May.
No trash barrels except for your poop bags along the dog walk which was a dirt road not on but beside the campground which BTW when someone drove down it everyone near was dust bathed.
My wife signed us in and latter told me we were charged $10 early fee because we were an hour early...Really? She didn't want to let me know. They wouldn't have charged us if I went in. BTW we left 3 hours before check out so ....?
I'm bumping it up to three stars because there were so many birds and bunnies.
- ccarlScout
Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Great stop but watch....
We have stayed here in November as well as summer. November was the best, ducks and geese flocks fill the skies in late afternoon. Summer, so hot and most sites only have 30a, only 5 sites have sewer but we carry a rhino tank so if no sewer, we still do not have to move to dump. The lake is nice, really crowded in summer. Most of the rangers are really nice. We have watched a power player but only one time, rude.
We use this place while traveling west to East and 12 miles from Roswell, fun place. The host are always great, very nice and helpful. 
Angie B.TravelerBottomless Lakes State Park Campground
Quiet, great amenities
The campground was very quiet, and although being pretty full it was peaceful. The showers were very warm and the water pressure was great.
Guide to Dexter
Horse camping in New Mexico offers a unique experience for equestrians looking to explore the state's stunning landscapes while enjoying the companionship of their horses. With various campgrounds catering to horse owners, you'll find plenty of options to suit your needs.
Tips for equestrian camping near Dexter, New Mexico
- Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground provides access to water hookups and allows pets, making it a convenient choice for horse campers.
Campers appreciate these amenities for horses
- Carlsbad KOA features spacious sites and is big rig friendly, ensuring that both you and your horse have ample room to relax and enjoy your stay.
Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails
- Alamo Road Dispersed offers a more rustic experience with easy access for horse trailers, allowing you to explore the surrounding areas on horseback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Dexter, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Dexter, NM is Bottomless Lakes State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 65 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Dexter, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Dexter, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.