Are you looking for a place to stay in Roswell with your horse? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
Located 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.
$18 / night
Ranger
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.
GuideReservations 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.
GuideWrong time of year too come to Baca , snow covered. Able too park , spent one nite. Saw one other camper maybe two hundred yards away. Very quite. I’ll be back when the weather warms up for sure.
Traveler
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.
LegendRoom between sites. Most sites are gravel with shaded picnic tables. Peaceful nights.
RangerHasn'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.
TravelerThe 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.
Scout$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.
TravelerThe 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.
GuideFine 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.
LegendWe 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.
Scout
I will give this one extra star because of the absolute beauty of the campground there are many many campsites with burn pits the only drawback is there are no water or electricity hookups or sewer hookups there is however a men and women's bathroom at the top of the campgrounds and the bottom of the campgrounds.
RangerVery 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.
GuideIt’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,
RangerNo 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.
GuideWe stayed in the D section. I have included a video. Very quiet, no one else was back here. Beautiful sunsets and night sky.
TravelerBeautiful 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.
LegendFine 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.
TravelerEasy to find and get to. The park is quiet, and has a few nice trails.
ScoutI 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.
ScoutWe 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.
TravelerThe campground was very quiet, and although being pretty full it was peaceful. The showers were very warm and the water pressure was great.
GuideArrived about 4pm and the place is really nice. Long pull through spaces and easy to get into. Road coming in is a bit narrow but very little traffic so not a problem. Has water, electric and a dump station. Each site has a covered picnic table. Friendly and helpful camp host. Beautiful sunset. Only an overnight so didn't check out the showers or public bathrooms.
ScoutIt is a very nice campground. Plenty of room between campsites. Very beautiful surroundings.
GuideThere's not much privacy anywhere at this campground, but the tent sites were so close to each other that we decided to pay to switch to a site with hook-ups that we didn't need. We really liked our new site and would definitely stay here again--just not at the tent sites. The bathrooms were clean and convenient, but the showers were luke warm and push button style with very little pressure. The whole campground seemed very well maintained. Our site had easy access to water and trash cans. The park is nice and it was fun exploring all of the lakes.
GuideBottomless Lakes State Park is the most relaxing place that I have stayed thus far. It is very spacious and the campsite loops are quiet and clean.
My site, #22, had electric and water hookups—which I use at my own convenience since I have a Jeep/Rooftop Tent Setup, and is close to the restrooms.
The site lists showers, but they are far from it. Instead, you push a button and water runs for a few seconds and then it shuts off. The sink water runs longer and you have to press and hold the button for it to work, plus no soap is stocked for washing your hands. Restrooms are clean, and park rangers come in to clean them regularly.
The lake is very close by, I carried lunch and my chair to it to sit and relax during the day.
The weather is nice and warm during the beginning of December (and gets cold at night).
Overall, the park is nice and great for solo travelers (and families—there were a few there and I still had peace and quiet time to myself).
GuideBottomless Lake State Park is a gem of a campground. Nestled 12 miles from RT 380, this campground has to be one of the quietest we've ever stayed at. There are 7 lakes here for all to discover and enjoy. The camp hosts are awesome, as well as the rangers who drive through a couple times a day. Also the local sheriff drives through! The RV sites are level with 50/30/15amp electric service, and with water and sewer at each site. There is wifi here and we had good Verizon service too. We'll return for a visit here next!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Roswell, NM?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Roswell, 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 Roswell, NM?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Roswell, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
