Brantley Lake State Park Campground, near Carlsbad, New Mexico, is a solid choice for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors with a few modern conveniences. The campground offers spacious sites, each equipped with picnic tables and shade shelters, making it a comfortable spot to kick back and relax.

Visitors appreciate the well-maintained facilities, including clean bathrooms and showers. One camper noted, “The bathrooms were clean, and the showers were hot,” which is always a plus after a day of exploring. The campground is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure.

For those who enjoy outdoor activities, the nearby lake is perfect for swimming and cooling off, especially during the hot summer months. The sunsets here are stunning, and many campers have taken advantage of the trails for biking and hiking. As one reviewer mentioned, “The sunsets are incredible,” making it a great spot to unwind after a day of fun.

While the campground can get windy at times, the overall atmosphere is friendly and accommodating. With easy access to Carlsbad Caverns and other local attractions, Brantley Lake State Park Campground is a convenient base for your adventures in southeastern New Mexico.

Located twelve miles North of Carlsbad, NM, the park offers boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking trails, exceptional bird watching, developed and primitive campsites and restrooms with showers. Whether you’re picnicking for the day, or camping in your RV for a week, you’ll be sure to find adventure at Brantley Lake State Park!

Limestone Campground — Brantley Lake State Park

Looking for the best campgrounds near Carlsbad, NM? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Discover great camping spots near Carlsbad, reviewed by campers like you.

Carlsbad

The Best Camping Near Carlsbad, New Mexico

Beautiful sunsets. Can fish, swim, boat etc….No shade f.y.i

Can camp right next to the water.

It’s a beautiful view at night !!! It’s a little rocky but the fishing and water make up for it, I went with my brother and our families( 2-4yr olds and a 1-yr) all had fun in the water and on the shore. Boats allowed and decent bathrooms/showers

Rocky, but great place to fish and camp

f backcountry hike-in spots aren't your thing, this is a place to crash on your way to/from Carlsbad Caverns (which are EPIC- GO THERE). This place itself- anh. Maybe, technically, this park qualifies as an oasis, but don't get your hopes up too high. The place is not exactly scenic. On first glance it all looks pretty barren, but the water clearly supports a lot of life- tons of birds, rabbits, and plants you won't really see in the surrounding landscape. So there's that. We'll call it very subtle beauty. Ultimately, sunrise/set made it all worth it. After driving around the area for a while, and growing weary of all the depressing drilling operations that overwhelm the sounding area, this place offers some reprieve- like breath of fresh air but for the eyeballs. In short, I guess this place is noteworthy in part because of what it is NOT- another expansive oil field.

perfectly good place to crash on the way to/from the Caverns

Nice campground, a little compact. It has several speed bumps which can be hard when pulling. Saw roadrunners, hares, and a large wildcat.

The smell of oilfields

Sites are roomy, pets allowed, good wifi with booster. Walk down to the lake at sunset, so beautiful!

Right on the lake

We stayed at Brantley Lake last summer driving back to Austin TX.  We came in late and drove to our site well after dark.  The park facilities are very nice with extensive shower and restroom facilities.  The site has good hookups for water and electric.  The low rating is based on the location.  The site is desolate in a very remote area with few if any activities for guests.  This area gets very hot in the summer with daytime temps over 100 degrees.  If you need one night stay over or something close to the town this camp could be an option but keep your expectations grounded.   

Reservoir RV Site  

This is an oasis in the middle of a, well, not an oasis. The sites are nice enough with shelters and fire rings. The main downside is the extreme sulfur smell coming off the fracking wells in the distance. They release Hydrogen Sulfide (which is pretty toxic) in the evenings and night and this smell permeates everything. Imagine living near these!

Nice enough for a desert in New Mexico

Not much to do in the surrounding area, but the park has nice sites with covered picnic tables at every site. Electric and water hookups. Bathrooms are decent and it has hot showers. 

Great little place.

Good spot. Nice and flat and very spacious. Not much around. Not really any trees either. We went in November so it was veryyy cold. 

Great Spot 

We stayed here for 4 nights in late November/early December. It is a bit of a drive to get out to the campground from the highway, as you have to circle around the dam the get to the campground. The campground loops are situated up on a hill overlooking the countryside. There is a nice playground underneath a shade cover next to the central bathhouse, which is large and clean. There are trails that go down to the lake boat ramp and a trail that goes between the visitor center/entry booth. This campground was our basecamp to Carlsbad Caverns, which was about an hour drive, if I remember correctly. We enjoyed our stay here, but the wind made us a little worried. There were two days where during the day the wind blew consistently over 25 mph and gusted to 40. Shook the trailer enough that our stabilizer blocks blew away and flagpoles broke. I would stay here again during the winter but I would watch the wind forecast.

A fairly secluded and windy desert campground

We just needed a place to stop for the night and this was a great camp ground. Very very nice and clean facilities. 

👍

Just stayed at Brantley Lake state park and loved it. With my NM state park pass my stay was only $4 per night with 30amp and water. This site is about 4 miles off the highway which makes it super quite. Dump station available, two dumpsters in the loop. Great cell service (Verizon) also got like 30 over the air channels.

Super Quite/ Amazing Stars

It was closed due to Covid.
We visited January 2, 2020.

Gates closed

Nice campground on small lake. Each site has a covered patio with a picnic table and privacy wall on one side. No campfires allowed currently. Our site has water and electric and cost $18 for the night. Really easy to reserve online. Bathhouse with three showers and flush toilets. Service is great on Vz and Att able to stream, and work the whole day with video calls. 

Nice campground 

Park is very clean and very quite. Sites are spread out and bathrooms are very clean. Will be back for sure.

Great park

For the methane and H2S games that waft through the camp. This morning the air was unbreathable. We read water quality reports and the lake fish should not be eaten due to ddt Nice camp if you only stay a couple of days to see the caves. We were at Sitting bull falls and experienced a 5.4 fracking quakes. 

Would be perfect except...

This campground is in a state park. There is potable water, dump station, electric and water hookups, and clean showers! The sites are nice with a picnic table and covered patio area. Spaces are not too cramed together, so you have a bit of privacy. The site overlooks the lake and has walking trails around the area. There is a playground for kids near the bathrooms.

Bathrooms were clean! They have three showers each in the men's and women's restrooms, as well as two private showers with a toilet and sink.

There is a self pay station or pay online. Self-pay is cash or check only. $14-18 dollars depending on what hookups you need. Staff was helpful and friendly. Overall, it was a wonderful and quiet stay near Carlsbad. 

Great camping in a state park

Gorgeous views, well maintained campground, not crowded. 

Beautiful, and blustery

Stopped here to get out of the wind. On our way to Carlsbad Caverns. Wind gusts were relentless. Looks like several other campers are here doing the same thing. Nice campground $14 FCFS electric/water. On a lake this is white capping today. 

Brantley Lake SP

Nice campground, pretty quiet unless you're next to the playground. Facilities are clean, showers were hot, so there is nothing to complain about there. Dump station was not open, must have had an issue. 

Campground is not near the water, day use area is only a couple minutes away. Use the map to choose a site where you can see the water, otherwise its a pretty boring area. 

A few minutes drive from Carlsbad,  maybe 45 minutes to an hour from the caverns and a lot nicer than anything you'll find closer to the park. 

Quiet campground, nice spots

Nice campground.  Dump station closed for two weeks, but alternative at one of the camp host sites.  Great place for bike riding, walking, water sports

Lovely views

Small quiet campground. Sites were close together. The dump station was not open. $84 for 3 nights for my class c with a toad.   High winds for 2 out of 3 days.

Windy

We arrived after dark on Saturday 7/8/2023. Parked at one of the first come first serve sites. Site 45. Park is well maintained and very peaceful. Most sites are water and electric only, but there is a dump station just a short distance away within the park. There is a shower and restroom facility on site as well. You are not allowed to dump grey water and when we were here grilling and fires were not permitted. $14 per night for sites with electric and water. I'm not sure what the full hookup sites cost. Lots of lizards and tarantulas can be spotted. It is definitely hot, but with the reflective bubble wrap in your windows it is not bad.
This is a great spot if you are visiting Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell. 

Brantley Lake State Park 

I stayed with electric services but kind of wish I'd done the remote.camping down by the water which was pretty neat. Nothing exceptional as a lakeside campground but well cared for and clean. 

Standard lakeside camping

Great NM state park. No real complaints other than the heat was not working in the bathhouse, making showers a little on the cold side this time of year. Staff were helpful and friendly. Each site had a small shelter for shade, otherwise no shade available. It was extremely windy during my visit. Verizon and to mobile worked fine, even better with a cell booster. Beautiful views, especially during sunrise/sunset. Easy drive to both Carlsbad Caverns NP as well as Guadalupe Mountain NP. Would stay again. 

Great Park

Nice desert shaped park. When there is water I am sure it's wonderful. Without it's a good stop. 

Where is the lake?

Nice campground for an overnight. Probably wouldn't stay more than a day or so. Not much to do and see.

Pros - Clean bathrooms and showers, hot showers, wheelchair accessible showers and bathrooms, electrical and water at each site, each site has a nice pavilion with wind block, picnic table and grill. Nice playground for the kids, Dumpsters available. There are some pull through sites. Sites are asphalt. Both reserveable and first come sites
2 primitive camp areas. Nice lake.

Cons - Very windy, not much to do at the campground. Gave me time to read a good book.

Nice State Campground

Dump station OOC until summer '24, but surprisingly pleasant campground otherwise. 

Nice Trails

You can reserve a few van/RV spots but most are first come first serve.  Don't worry about the check in time - all hookups and bathrooms/shower are unlocked.  If you get a reserved spot you can pay online, otherwise self pay AT the campground, not at the gate (just in case they're full).  Showers are good.  Ok playground for little kids (4-5 age).  Every site has a covered picnic table with stationary grill.

Convenient to Carlsbad, 30- 40ish minutes? north of the caverns, little over an hour south of Roswell.

Good place to stay in south east NM

We stopped here for 2 nights to escape the heat after dry camping outside of Carlsbad. I booked this easily online, and the other campers that weekend were very friendly. Overall this place is accommodating and quiet at nights. The sunsets are incredible. We biked to the lake for a swim and cool down. Would stay here again!

Great T-Mobile service. 
Bathrooms clean. 
Showers okay. 
$18 a night, booked last minute 

They have an entire first come first serve section that had a lot of availability. 

Dump station under construction- can dump for free at Eagle Draw Park in Artesia. 

Affordable stop 

Arrived towards the end of July on a Sunday evening.  Campground was largely empty.  Some sites are marked "Reservation Only"  however there were plenty of walk up sites to choose from.  Sites were spaced out very well.  Each site has the usual grill, and picnic table.  Tables were shielded from the elements by a shade shelter roof.  Fire rings were absent.   

  

We especially liked the QR code on the campsite number post that allows you to link directly to the website and pay for your site. No need for exact cash or a visit to the park office.

  

All facilities were well maintained.  Trails were easy to follow.   

  

As with most desert like environments,  all the plants want to kill you.  Be careful going off trail and don't let your pets wander.   

  

RV dump station was convenient on our way out.

Limestone Campground

Well appointed. Easy to make the reservation online. Clearly marked sites with convenient stone-marked pathways to the restrooms/shower. Hot showers, clean bathrooms. 

All states should be this good

Campsites all have covered eating area although early and late sun can get under it. 

Another  great example of a NM state Park

We stayed here before going to Carlsbad Caverns. Pros: only $14 for electric and water site. Sites well spaced and private. Easy to make online reservations. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets and showers. Friendly staff. Cons: ran out of hot water when no one else was showering. Not much to do here if you are not using the lake (which seems low). Pretty far from anything. I’d stay again if needing a spot while passing through, but wouldn’t make a point of coming here just for the campground. 

Well-priced overnight stop

Way off the beaten path. It happened to be extra windy the day I was there. Nice desert/lake view. Quiet. No working dump station right now. Ranger was very friendly and helpful.

Windy but peaceful

Brantley Lake State Park Campground offered a pleasant camping experience. The spacious sites, complete with picnic tables and shade shelters, provided a comfortable base for our explorations. We appreciated the clean and well-maintained facilities, especially the hot showers after a long day of hiking. Our dog enjoyed the pet-friendly environment, and the proximity to the lake was a huge plus, offering a refreshing escape from the New Mexico heat. The sunsets were indeed breathtaking, and we made sure to catch them every evening. While the wind did pick up at times, it wasn't a major deterrent. The campground's location made it easy to access Carlsbad Caverns and other nearby attractions, making it a convenient choice for exploring southeastern New Mexico.

a pleasant camping experience

Restrooms were clean and showers were hot! Super windy while we were there, but made for a nice, quiet place to sleep. About an hour from Carlsbad Caverns, which was awesome! Dump station, if you care, was closed while we were there. 

Nice stay

Campground is clean and has a great view of the lake. Shaded pavilion over every campsite picnic table. Also have good cell service (AT&amp;T), didn’t even put up my starlink. Only a few small nit picky reasons I took off a star- sites are gravel (pad is concrete but yard is gravel, not dirt/grass) &amp; there isn’t a designated swimming area at the lake even though you can swim, just a boat launch. You need to have a high clearance vehicle to drive down the dirt road to get to water and it’s pretty grown up. However, it was great for my dogs to swim and enjoy. Also no official check in, just go to your site and go to camp host if there is an issue. 

April 2025

Camp sites were clean and developed. We were able to get a spot away from others easily and paid upon arrival at the self pay station. Be prepared for heavy winds and ants! Besides the uncontrollable forces of nature, it was a great site to pull off to for the night. We paid $10 for the night in the sites reserved for FCFS sites. 

Great one night stay 

If you camp there, you are guaranteed a breathtaking view.
The sites are so well made that you still get some privacy with a little wall near the picnic table that blocks the view on your neighbors. Also the table is shaded. The showers are great!
However, not that easy to swim in the lake on this campground. There are designated swimming areas though a few minutes drive away from the campground.

Everyone gets a view!

This is a quiet campground. The views are superb. The water is a little hike down to the shore.  Came on a holiday weekend and it was still a lovely time. 

Great camping 

We were trying to find a campground close to the caverns. But the reviews didn’t seem exceptionally promising on most. So I looked at state parks and found Brantley Lake State Park.
The campground was a bit off the beaten path as it was over 4 miles down a side road that appears to have lots of truck traffic. We entered the park and realized the entrance was not manned at the time so continued to the campground. Another 2 miles. The campground is laid out like a figure 8 mostly  with views of the lake in most areas. The sites are spacious with a picnic table under a canopy for shade. There are few trees that provide shade so the canopy was a welcome addition. The site was paved for the RV but the remaining area was rock. It was mostly level but the pavement wasn’t wide enough to have our step on the pavement. The bathhouse was nice, updated and clean there were multiple trash receptacles located around the campground. The dump station was roped off so we asked about it. We were told it was not available currently but we could use site 1 sewer to dump when we leave. They do have a few FHU sites. It is about 15 minutes to the town of Carlsbad and then another 20 minutes to the caverns. 

Great for visiting Carlsbad Caverns 

Can’t go wrong with primitive camping here on the west side of lake. Woke up in the morning and when to the east side to use the showers and facilities, all were super clean. Nice and secluded in October. 

Photos of Limestone Campground — Brantley Lake State Park

Real photos from real campers