Best Glamping near Ruidoso Downs, NM

Very beautiful hidden away RV and Raised Primitive State Park full of marked and unmarked foliage and a nice museum reflecting on the surrounding area of New Mexico. Everything above standards with wonderful staff. Was there with a friend and had an outstanding experience.

I was looking to get away from the heat in Albuquerque and maybe even do a little fishing. I picked a site next to the upper river (Rio Bonito). The water was clear and moving, but no sign of any fish. The river is more of a creek (expected for New Mexico), but still pretty. It was barely visible from my camp, but just a short hike away. No ATT or Verizon cell service at my site, but I did find a weak signal up near the office. The wifi was a struggle. It was barely adequate the first day, but absolutely miserable the second day. I could easily connect to their router, but constantly got an error of “no internet service” and had to log off and on several times. I had limited shade at my site, but thankfully the AC kept the trailer cool enough, as it was nearly 90 degrees outside. The hosts were very nice and the park is kept pretty clean. No tents allowed, though.

Campground Review:

Oliver Lee is an amazing place to stay in southern New Mexico. This park is located about 20 minutes south of Alamogordo and a half hour drive to White Sands National Monument. We spent two nights here and were blown away with the desert views that surround the site. They have both developed sites with access to electricity and water as well as some undeveloped sites. We went in the middle of June during a heat wave that was hitting the southwest United States, but was really able to enjoy the park and surrounding hiking during the morning and afternoons.

I was actually pretty surprised at the amount of other campers that were there, and available amenities. When I was beginning to look at camping here I thought it would be a pretty primitive site, but was blow away at the available bathrooms, showers, and hook ups. While we were here they were replacing much of the water hook ups in the park, which meant the water was shut off during most of the day, but really increased the availability of the water.

If we are ever back in southern NM we will definitely be sure to swing by and stay for a night.

Click here to see the video review!

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get products to test, and on this trip i was able to test the Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe sleeping pad.

I was excited to be able to test out this pad primarily for its claim of being comfortable for side sleepers.

With other pads that I've tried in the past I always run into the problem of whenever I try to sleep on my side I get spots what are always in contact with the ground and will eventually begin to hurt.

Not with this pad. Except for the times when I was changing my sleeping position, I never felt the ground.

I am truly in love with this pad! So far I've only been able to use pad in warm climates, so I can't attest to its insulative properties, but I can't wait to take it out this winter!

Click here to see an extended video review!

Camping with the GO: DAY 1

During our road trip around the US, I was able to try out the GO camper from SylvanSport. This was the first night we stayed in the GO and were blown away. Our first impression of this camper is SPACIOUS!! There is so much room in this camper, it's almost unfair. Definitely, loved our first night!

they have electricity and cover area for

Lovely level sites, as I am in a van. Spacious sites, firebox available, tables at the sites, deer, wild horses come to visit. Firewood available per bundle.

Best rv campsite in the area clean and spacious sites , access to the River, firewood for sale and friendly owners. We have camped here the last 3 years and we love this place. Matt is a great host always helpful and kind. You will love this campground !

We camped here because it looked pretty on Google. It's a quaint little campground and we were lucky to get a spot on the river. No cell service but, wifi is strong! It's super quiet. Note that if you have a shower in your rv, you will not get access to showers! The girl that checked us in was nice enough to give me the code as I refuse to shower in our rv bc it's so small.

There is NO River, small stream in a ditch. LIE# 2. Internet indicates SHOWERS. However if your camper has a shower ACCESS TO SHOWERS. DENIED!!! Also No fires allowed ! Highway noise drowns out any Peaceful sounds. In truth: NO Amenities… play in the ditch or stay in your camper.

Smaller campground with plenty to keep the kids entertained. Playground. Some of the campsites back up to a nice running creek. Beautiful bridge crossing over the creek.

The staff is super friendly and helpful. Close to all the things you want to do but far enough from the village to make you feel like you are out in the woods.

Just returned from a 5 day stay. We got escorted to our spot and they helped guide us in. The staff are very helpful and if you need something, they will be more than happy to accommodate you. The grounds are very clean and well maintained. There is a small creek that runs along the grounds and nice spots to sit and chill out. There are horseshoe pits, fenced in area for dogs to do their business, playground for kids (needs a little more upgrade including a slide, climbing things, etc.). The interaction with your neighbors was more than enjoyable. They were helpful and were a joy to chat with. I could not say enough about our stay there.

This campground has it all. Beautiful surroundings, not far from downtown shopping in Ruidoso, most helpful hosts on site. My husband was not in the best of health when we went. The hosts helped him set up, with them doing the majority of the work, in the rain. The campground is pet friendly, has an enclosed run where you can take them off the leash for a bit, also has several locations with poop bags available. This seems to be a super secure location as hosts are on duty 24/7. No one comes into the campground without stopping at the office and checking in, anyone failing to do this, will be followed in and information gathered or asked to leave. Sites, once vacated are gone over with a fine tooth comb to make sure Nothing is left behind, the fire pits are cleaned, and everything is in order for the next camper. There are horseshoe pits and sand volleyball available for entertainment. Showers and laundry facilities are available and kept super clean. Rio Bonito flows along the side of the campground

Has been our number 1 go to location for almost 10 years now. Started in tents...then pop up...now a travel trailer. The park hosts are always extremely friendly and helpful. When they greet you by name upon stepping out of your vehicle... that tells you a lot. My family and I will continue enjoying our getaways to BHRV till we can't no more! Love it!

Soooo quiet. Very nice owners. Everything you need!

No phone service Verizon or ATT Also bathrooms and showers are closed. They said they only had water & electric sites without telling me about the closures. I can see plenty of full hook up sites that are empty. Nice setting but I can't recommend this place.

Stayed here back in May 2020. It's on BLM land so no fee, first-come first-serve. Very small little stretch just off the side of the road with a bathroom, tables, and small firepits.  Also some concrete slabs to put your tent on if you want, including some sites with covered slabs to keep the sun / rain off you, or to hang a hammock on. Not every site has those though, and in be careful with the firepits, this area is quite dry and the pits are not well-protected (see my photos). Definitely check local status of having campfires if you're headed here.

Nice because it is easy to get to, will 100% work in a pinch, and is quiet, especially if you have it all to yourself. According to the website it is near a cave system, something I didn't realize at the time (I suppose the name was a pretty big clue, but hey, I'm nothing if not dense in moments...).

All in all, nothing particularly amazing, but functional and comfortable. And hey, if those caves are something special, maybe the proximity of this campground pushes it up into 4 or 5 star territory. Alas, I'll have to find out next time I'm in that part of the country.

We tried to stay at this site on a Tuesday in late May, all 3 spots were filled. So we continued down the road where there are lots of other dispersed options just right off Cave Canyon Road. No facilities just rock fire pits. Lots of access to trails (hiking, biking, and horse access only). There's a good map of the trails located at Fort Stanton if you happen to visit there before heading here definitely take a picture. It gets hot here starting in May and not much shade available. As a side note the caves located just by the CG are closed.