Best Camping near Elephant Butte, NM

Are you in need of a campground near Elephant Butte, NM? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Elephant Butte and user-submitted reviews.

Best Camping Sites Near Elephant Butte, NM (50)

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Showing results 1-10 of 50 campgrounds

Pet-friendly camping near Elephant Butte

Recent Reviews in Elephant Butte

162 Reviews of 50 Elephant Butte Campgrounds


  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Desert Cove — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Dec. 5, 2024

    Desert Cove — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    Desert Cove is actually a campground and also dispersed camping area

    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.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Appaloosa Area — Caballo Lake State Park
    Dec. 2, 2024

    Appaloosa Area — Caballo Lake State Park

    Flat spots with hook ups

    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.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Stallion Campground — Caballo Lake State Park
    Dec. 2, 2024

    Stallion Campground — Caballo Lake State Park

    These spots are great

    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.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Riverside Campground — Caballo Lake State Park
    Dec. 2, 2024

    Riverside Campground — Caballo Lake State Park

    Very nice

    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.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Percha Dam State Park Campground
    Nov. 30, 2024

    Percha Dam State Park Campground

    Not as nice as in the past.

    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.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Upper Gallinas Campground
    Nov. 29, 2024

    Upper Gallinas Campground

    Strip along the road

    This is the most exposed of the campgrounds to the road. Nice and close to get to a picnic table but I'd stay at one of the others before staying here.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Railroad Canyon Campground
    Nov. 29, 2024

    Railroad Canyon Campground

    Nice campground

    Of the handful of formal places to camp, this is very small but very nice. Trees, a decent hike on a maintained trail. Only a few spots to take but cute if you get one.

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Wrights Cabin
    Nov. 29, 2024

    Wrights Cabin

    Not maintained

    This is a picnic ground and you park on the road and walk up to. It is not maintained and I don't think the pit toilet is open

  • Teresa T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Kingston Campground
    Nov. 29, 2024

    Kingston Campground

    Free place in a cute town

    I walked through Kingstown and which is a friendly, adorable town. It is just up the road from their provided campground.

    The campground is really just a couple of spots with a picnic table and not a destination but worthy of stopping if the mountains are cold.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Arrey RV Park, LLC
    Nov. 16, 2024

    Arrey RV Park, LLC

    Awesome RV park!

    Rv park is great. Mostly everyone is a resident. There are a few nightly spots. The residents and owner have lots of community pot lucks. Common room, laundry and showers are all available at the main building. Plus plenty of space to store your RV, Boat or whatever youbwant to store. You bring they store it! There are many different types of camping. Full hookups down dry dry camping. The owners are super cool. It's a really nice place to live.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Quail Run — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Nov. 16, 2024

    Quail Run — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    EB St Pk is great, More sheltered area

    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.

  • Jeff P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Smokey Bear Campground
    Oct. 28, 2024

    Smokey Bear Campground

    Smokey Bear Historical Park

    This small camp site is next to Smokey Bear Historical Park and museum is in a small town of Capitan, New Mexico.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Cielo Vista RV Park
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Cielo Vista RV Park

    Adequate

    Ok RV PRk. No showers or rest rooms, Needs a serious upgrade. Owner is nice. Lots of permanent trailers. Goat heads are everywhere, along with lots if weeds.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Sep. 2, 2024

    South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    Beautiful and quiet.

    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.

  • Julie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Sep. 2, 2024

    South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    Primitive site just outside state park campground

    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.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Riverbend Hot Springs
    Jul. 6, 2024

    Riverbend Hot Springs

    Access to Hot Springs is Worth Every Penny!

    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.

  • Timothy N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palomino Campground — Caballo Lake State Park
    Jun. 14, 2024

    Palomino Campground — Caballo Lake State Park

    Great NM State Park

    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.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Jun. 5, 2024

    South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    Beautiful, Remote, & Inexpensive

    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!

  • LThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Percha Dam State Park Campground
    May. 31, 2024

    Percha Dam State Park Campground

    Great area with shaded areas

    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

  • Brian and Janet S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Caballo Lake State Park Campground
    May. 26, 2024

    Caballo Lake State Park Campground

    Beautiful place

    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.

  • Crista G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Iron Creek Campground
    Apr. 21, 2024

    Iron Creek Campground

    Lovely quiet free spot

    Clean, quiet campground not far from Emory pass. Pit toilets, fire rings, and picnic tables. Only a handful of people there on Friday night

  • Stuart O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lions Beach — Elephant Butte Lake State Park
    Apr. 20, 2024

    Lions Beach — Elephant Butte Lake State Park

    What a find!

    Had to duck in here one afternoon to avoid 70 mph cross winds on the highway.  What a find!  Loops A, B, and C of Lions Beach are terraces high above Elephant Butte Lake.   Spectacular lake views!   Loop B  (sites 66 thru 79) is particularly sweet because the sites back up to the edge of the terrace for gorgeous lake views right from your camper window.  We wish we could've stayed longer.

  • Twan M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Monticello Road Dispersed Camping
    Apr. 3, 2024

    Monticello Road Dispersed Camping

    More Than Meets the Eye

    We drove all the way to the power line rd, made a right and then proceeded through multiple BLM gates that we had to open then close behind us. We ended up down in the reservoir valley, out of the wind. Phenomenal spot. Good verizon service.


Drive Time


Guide to Elephant Butte

Camping near Elephant Butte, New Mexico, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and various outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to fish, hike, or just relax by the water, this area has something for everyone.

What to do:

  • Fishing and Boating: The area is perfect for fishing enthusiasts. One reviewer mentioned, "If you like to fish or have a boat, this is the place for you!" at Lower Ridge Road — Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
  • Hiking: There are nice trails adjacent to the campgrounds. A visitor at South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park noted, "Long flat trail (bike/walk) starts at the campground."
  • Hot Springs: Just a short drive away, you can enjoy the Riverbend Hot Springs. One camper shared, "Access to the pools, the environment, and the scenery are simply amazing," highlighting the appeal of soaking in the hot springs.

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the sites. A review for South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park stated, "The bath house is clean and offers flush toilets, running sinks, and warm showers."
  • Friendly Staff: Many visitors have praised the staff. One camper at Riverbend Hot Springs said, "The hosts are so kind," which adds to the welcoming atmosphere.
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy the spaciousness of the sites. A review for Appaloosa Area — Caballo Lake State Park mentioned, "The sites are all pull-through with water, electric, and shelter."

What you should know:

  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds have limited facilities. A visitor at Percha Dam State Park Campground noted, "Only one full hook-up site. Not too busy," indicating that options may be sparse.
  • Soft Sand on the Beach: If you plan to camp on the beach, be cautious. One camper warned, "The sand is soft and deep – I’m not sure how vehicles without 4-wheel drive can navigate it without getting stuck," at Lower Ridge Road — Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
  • Reservation Required: Many campgrounds require reservations. A camper at Desert Cove Campground mentioned, "Had to book online or phone. Used both methods and was fairly easy."

Tips for camping with families:

Tips from RVers:

  • Big Rig Friendly: Many campgrounds cater to larger RVs. A review for Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort stated, "Easy to hook up, to pull in, easy to pull out with our 36’ 5th wheel."
  • Level Sites: Look for campgrounds with level sites. A visitor at Caballo Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "The sites are spacious and spread out on flat level gravel."
  • Good Cell Service: Many RVers appreciate good cell service. A camper at South Monticello — Elephant Butte Lake State Park noted, "Good Verizon service, hot showers," which is a plus for those needing to stay connected.

Camping near Elephant Butte, New Mexico, offers a unique blend of outdoor fun and relaxation. With various campgrounds to choose from, you can find the perfect spot for your next adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near Elephant Butte, NM?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Elephant Butte, NM offers a wide range of camping options, with 50 campgrounds and RV parks near Elephant Butte, NM and 5 free dispersed camping spots.

  • Which is the most popular campground near Elephant Butte, NM?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Elephant Butte, NM is Lower Ridge Road — Elephant Butte Lake State Park with a 4.3-star rating from 29 reviews.

  • Where can I find free dispersed camping near Elephant Butte, NM?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Elephant Butte, NM.

  • What parks are near Elephant Butte, NM?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 parks near Elephant Butte, NM that allow camping, notably Gila National Forest and Lincoln National Forest.