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!

Brantley Lake State Park Campground

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

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

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

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

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

Great park

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

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

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. 