Best RV Parks & Resorts near Ruidoso Downs, NM

This place is a hidden treasure. Located at about 6500 feet elevation on the eastern slope of the Sacramento Mountains this campground is a perfect launching pad for daytrips to many local attractions. The Rio Penasco River runs right through the park and offers the opportunity to catch a trout or 2. Local Mule deer and turkeys are no strangers here and visit frequently. The WiFi is good but cell signal is hard to come by. There is a nice Cafe in Mayhill, as well as a convenience store and gas station about 2 blocks from the campground. The campground is open year round and caters to hunters in the Fall. The campground is family friendly and offers live music at times during the summer months. The managers Bennie and Yolanda are top notch and always at your service. That being said my wife and I came here last November and have been here ever since as Camp Hosts. We just love it here.

Beautiful scenery with huge tall trees. Site was spacious with fire rings and picnic table. Lots of hiking trails. Dump station and potable water fill area, but not at site. Dry camping only. $5 showers. Didn’t take reservations, but do have overflow area that is a huge parking lot. It could take a lot of “overflow”. There was still snow on the ground in mid April. No AT&T coverage, but Sprint worked. There were some steep grades getting there with tight turns. Fine for our Class B, but a big rig would probably be sweating. Concrete and grass RV pad. We used site 21 and backed up to the woods. Very cool. Bear country too, but didn’t see any

I messed up thinking I had booked this campground - I hadn’t. It was five minutes to seven pm and the staff called me back and got me a site for less than $50 for the night. It was a nice, level pull through site with water/sewer/cable/electric. I was pretty relieved that we would have somewhere to camp - no one else picked up their phones.

We didn’t arrive until nearly nine and the same staff person was still working - helping someone back into their site. She was very kind and welcoming.

The next morning I checked out the campground. The area was pretty industrial, but less than two minutes to the science museum and zoo. Individual spaces were generous (especially the tent sites - they would fit any tent size) and I liked the little patio we had. The playground was newish, the pool looked like it would be nice when filled, the laundry room looked great (but cash only - I prefer the card ones) and there was a lovely store and rec room. There were also showers and a small dog run.

This KOA had everything you could need - including excellent customer service.

20-25 minutes to White Sands National Monument.

Dint judge a book by its cover… this is a well run place. John keeps everything clean and maintained. If you need a stopover to see white sands and everything else is booked, it is better than you expect at first sight.

A handful of sites are available for short term folks - all long pull through - option with/without sewer. The non sewer sites are along the pond and afford a bit more privacy (wish we’d done that - don’t make our mistake). It is mostly like long term stays and older rigs but don’t let that dismay you.

Sites go opposite directions and are snug - so you’ll be close to your drivers side neighbors and have a shared space with your door side neighbors if you go for a with sewer pull through.

What brings this up to a 3 is the meticulous care of the owner/manager John and the surprise amenities. A pond, a small play set (swings, slide) nice laundry room, some exercise equipment including a pretty modern bow flex! And a great book room that has a chalkboard some desks and a couch if you need a fresh space to work. He even has sleds to loan out for the dunes.

John’s a Vietnam vet and a great character. He runs a clean campground and will take care of you. It makes the grounds feel safe and well tended. Would definitely support this business if we came back through.

Scenic and wooded, but was hoping for more privacy. Sites very tightly packed, I could literally reach out my window and touch the neighbor’s awning. 30 amp at my site didn’t work, used 50 amp w/adapter so not a big deal but annoying. The demographic here is older, mostly retirees here for extended stays. Stayed 3 nights, did not see (or hear) any kids other than our own, didn’t see anyone under 45 other than us either so not the best place for kids/families. It it’s also very tight driving through with a trailer and very tricky backing into the sites due to hills and tight sites. Location pretty good, 3 min to Walmart, 15 min to grindstone lake, etc. NO fires allowed, regardless of any local burn bans in place or not... bummer.

Oliver Lee Memorial, NM: We stayed in Loop B, non-electric. I did not evaluate Loop A. Good location for visiting White Sands (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4.5 Great campground layout. Well designed. Sites are staggered giving view grand view for all sites Security: Desert vegetation does not offer privacy Site Spacing: Great . Toilets and Showers :There is a dispersed camping area nearby, therefore, showers/flush toilet building is shut down at night to avoid their unauthorized usage of facilities during the night. Scattered pit toilets are always available. Usage during visit: 95% full Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: GREAT Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: This campground is at the end of the access road. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Loop A Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes. Open from about dawn to nighttime to avoid unlawful use. Potable Water Available: Scattered spigots in Loop B. Bathroom: Pit toilets and one nice shower/flush toilet facility. Showers: Private stalls. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): Good service from our site. Setting: Nestled close to the mountain range with nice views of the desert below.
Recent Weather: Sunny. 60s to 30s Solar: GREAT Insects:None Host: Great hosts Rig Size:Large rigs Sites: best sunsets sites.:42, 43, 44(however, you can see the sunset from most sites.). Nice view sides: 41, 40, 39, 38, 32, 33, (35, 36, 37, great views just close to the bathroom). Every site here has an extraordinary view. These are just a little bit better, in my opinion.

The campground is located in the Oliver Lee State Park, with access on paved roads. There is a dump and water fill station at the entrance. Many sites have electric and water. All have picnic tables, fire rings/grills, but no shade. The Comfort Station is well kept and clean, with running hot and cold water in showers and sinks. Toilets have running water. It’s very quiet in the night so you can enjoy the sound of night creatures. Sadly, although there is electricity at the sites, generators are run at times tearing up the silence and tranquility. Hiking trails are accessible from the campground, a strenuous treck into Dog Canyon and an easy Nature trail. The park is only twenty minutes from White Sands National Park. Great experience! I would come back here any time!