Best Campgrounds near Elephant Butte, NM

Poor restrooms. No soap dispensers. One-holers. This is in the regulars with water.

I'm staying in the "blue" or blue bell which is a circa 60's 1-bedroom aluminium rig. No TV - fine. No 12V outlets for charging - I didn't think about that. At $106/night one. might think the crank-out windows would all a have a screen and not flap in the breeze. Heating and cooling is covered once you figure out how to use the mini-split and oil-filled electric heater. They have hot tubs with mineral water, big plus apparently, but that  is not reason enough to not have adequate hot water in the unit. As a seasoned traveler I realize first impressions can be off, but my take on the neighborhood is that I would not go out there alone after dark. This small "park" is self contained behind walls and an automatic gate controlled by pass-code that is only available on site. The wifi is strong and free. Cell coverage looks real strong, too.

I loved the view from this campsite. If I had known better, I would have booked a site along the lake. There were plenty of sites and only maybe 1/5 were booked. Easy to back in and hook up in minutes. Plenty of open space and using my Starlink was a breeze. Hope to stay again!

This is a pretty nice campground. The campsites are fairly close together and there is little privacy. Good view of the lake and a decent amount of birds flying around. Good place for a family vacation but not a great place to get back to nature. When I was here in the bathrooms were being worked on and the only facilities was outhouses.

This is a very nicely spaced campground. Can't really see the water from here but the sites have water and electric. The bathroom was being worked on so not open during the visit and the water level is at like 5 % capacity but there are lots of places to walk and bike and camping here in the winter provides very livable temperatures.

This is a pretty normal lake campground. Not a lot of shade or privacy but picnic tables and covered outdoor spaces. There are bathrooms close by and they seem fine. Quiet during the off season and nice hiking trails.

If it were to stay here again, I'd stay in this campground as the layout is a lot nicer and more private. This campground is full and none of the others are right now. Nice walking trails and spots with some privacy and full hook ups.

You can camp right up next to the lake if you want. This appeals to certain campers. No services and you are literally just parking. I'm not sure what the above review is on about, this would be just like camping near any other lake in NM.

Caballo is kind of hidden between Percha and Elephant Butte but has lots of places to camp and is well maintained. This has a nice paved road leading to it, tons of spots where you can have privacy and trees. During the spring, it would keep you out of the wind.

I stayed here in 2018 and the trees didn't look very good. They must have had to remove a lot of them and the spots are now in the sun. Very hot and dry most of the year and the river doesn't run most of the year either. Stickers everywhere and the trails are not well maintained.

As the photos show, I'm not sure this is open. Nice long and private spots if it were open.

I love the Elephant Butte State Park and have stayed around 4 times. February 2024 I spent a week there in my small travel trailer. It can be quite windy in Feb/Mar so before booking I called the park office ans asked which campground might be more wind sheltered. They suggested Quail Run so that is what I booked. It was more out of the wind and a very nice, less exposed area. /bear in mind, the excellent prices are ending for 2025 and will be considerably more. I plan to spend a few days there in Dec before the prices go up.

Great campground. Good size spots with good distance between sites. Ramadas at each site provide precious shade. Lots of trash bins nearby. Long flat trail (bike/walk) starts at the campground. Note that is has a boat launch except there’s no more water in this area.

Great flat spot with great views. It’s inside the Elephant Butte lake state park, but seems to be a dispersed site. No one around. No amenities. There is a vault toilet maybe a half mile away. There are pay stations around. We had paid for a site on south Monticello campground but came here instead.

There are a few hot spring resorts that we keep in the back of our minds, always ready to return whenever we’re within striking distance…and this is one of them!  A good friend who used to live in T or C raved about this place, and let’s say she was not wrong. 

While the campground itself isn’t much to write home about (just a parking lot across the street), quick access to the pools, the environment, and the scenery are simply amazing. The campsites are full-hook up slots, tastefully divided by local plants and shade trees, but very close to each other. You’re within the city limits, but it feels somehow more like a quiet neighborhood. 

The resort offers showers, bathrooms, and of course a multitude of pools at different temperatures to balance whatever the weather might throw at you. With nothing but the Rio Grande River, and the Chihuahuan Desert sprawling into the distance, the resort is serene, and feels a million miles away from the interstate which is only a couple miles away. 

Even with the electrical hook ups, we still gathered all we needed with our solar powered system, and our south facing campsite was perfect for satellite internet as well, even though the resort has some spotty wifi. 

The town within walking distance has everything you might want, especially if you like New Mexican cuisine, the answer is always “Christmas” WYKYK. Gas, food, Walmart all close by, etc. it’s all there. 

Nearby is the Elephant Butte State Park with a massive reservoir for all kinds of boating recreation, mountain biking and hiking. Just make sure you go at the right time of year! Also check out the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge if you are at all interested in birds and other wildlife.  You'll find reviews for all of these places on our The Dyrt Reviews.

Very clean and well maintained. Staff were very friendly. No shade for the trailer, but the covered picnic table was good. Electric hookup worked. Water was off due to water system maintenance. We were able to fill up at the campground below the dam. Quiet at night, just some road noise from the highway. The lake is great with easy access for kayaking at the boat ramp. We would stay here again.

Situated on the edge of a sprawling reservoir along the Rio Grande river, this park is the perfect place to enjoy the vast landscape of the area. The nearby town of Truth or Consequences, NM is small, but has all the services you might need for food, gas, supplies, or soaking in hot springs. 

The campground is well spaced out, each spot has a picnic table with shade/rain structure (I’ll let you guess which purpose gets more use) and nearly all have electricity and water. That means NO generators! The bath house is clean and offers flush toilets, running sinks and warm showers. All sites are reservation only, but you can do that when you get there as there is plenty of LTE cell service.  We've never seen this place crowded in the winter months.  For what you get at this campground, it’s a bargain at twice the price. 

The campground is ideal for solar power, as is the New Mexico weather. We also had no problem connecting with Starlink.  Hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing and all other sorts of desert recreation is available right from the campground.  Definitely worth the visit!

Stayed in the open area not at a site . Area I parked had a big area with shaded trees, very quite at night and had no issues with neighbors

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.