Clayton Lake State Park Campground

We stayed one night on the way to Colorado and this is such a great place to camp. We had primitive site C4 which provided Mr 8 with boundless adventures scrambling in the rocks. The dinosaur tracks were also a bit hit.

Showers &amp; toilets were clean albeit a bit dated.

The lake is a big attraction and we also chatted to a fellow camper who had a large telescope with him. We got to see Jupiter and it’s 4 largest moons at dusk. This whole area of New Mexico has really dark skies at night with so many stars visible

Such a gem!

We were driving through to Oklahoma City from Carson National Forest and decided to pitstop here along the way. This was a really wonderful park with very nice amenities. The bathrooms and showers were clean, the ranger was kind and accommodating, and the campsites were well manicured. The lake was beautiful and clear. I would absolutely recommend this park, and look forward to returning.

Wonderful State Park!

We were passing through on our way to Colorado from NC and found this place.  It was a beautiful drive to get there. The showers were clean and the campsites were also. I think most sites have concrete slabs with a roof to pitch your tent. Heard coyotes at night, saw deer and rabbits. The lake was hopping with fish, and looked clean.  Signs said there was an algae bloom so jumping in the lake was not advised. 

Great stop!

Clayton Lake State Park, Clayton, NM…5200 ft elev.

Beautiful oasis nestled away in the windswept high plains of NE New Mexico. Not only for today's travelers but for yesterday's pioneers we take the Cimmaron Cutoff from the Santa Fe trail. We pitched tent at Chicano Beach site #2 (there are only two on that ridge), far away from any crowds upon a knoll overlooking a western "dog-leg" of the 170 acre reservoir. Even though the man-made Clayton lake was down from 32' to 19' depth…it was tranquil and bustling with wildlife. Coyotes barked in the distance, strutting turkey's gobbled, jackrabbit's darted, fish jumped and mule deer grazed the shoreline grasses and taking in late night and early morning drinks. Bring your binoculars to glass the shore and ridge lines. Fascinating park, the sandstone formations were varied and interesting…worn away by generations of rain. The rock garden is worth a scramble…very cool columns…(R4 campsite is nestled deep within them and the most highly coveted tent site). Highlight: The dinosaur tracks (uncovered at the spillway around 1982 after a flood) at the spillway are of particular interest. Informational signage lines the spillway and the small pavilion atop the levy. The 471 acre state park was quiet and peaceful. Mark, the park ranger, is full of great information of the area…and incredibly helpful, having spent his entire life in these parts…truly as nice a man you could meet (and the first ranger to ever return my phone message when calling for last minute availabilty). The visitor center and every other aspect of this park is spotlessly clean and meticulously maintained. The visitor center, though small, utilized every inch to bring you desired information of the park's history. New signage and informational displays were going in as we left. A heated restroom/ shower house was a wonderful creature comfort. Plenty of very new and clean pit latrines and water spigots dotted throughout the campground. If you don't want crowds avoid the fishing tournament the second weekend of June when about 900 campers descend to camp and fish…and most summer holidays. Other than that there is room….and no bad spots. I'd recommend using the online reservation portal. Tent sites are cheap($10 developed/$8 primitive)…actual too cheap, in my opinion…the state parks are nearly bankrupt, if not already so. Skeleton staffs are underpaid, yet they worked tirelessly to keep the parks to the highest standard. [http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/claytonlakestatepark.html](http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/claytonlakestatepark.html)

•A nearby highlight is the Capulin Volcano National Monument an hour away up Rt 87\. The walk around the rim of the dormant volcano offers epic views of the surrounding high plains, Sante Fe trail and the jagged snow capped mountains to the West.

Historical significance!

A one day stop for us. Sites are nice and all pretty close to a man made lake. Stocked with fish and a really amazing set of dinosaur tracks you can hike to. Facilities are a little dated. Bathroom could use an overhaul but it’s not a very big or busy campground.  

Nice quiet and dark

Only stayed one night, passing through. A lot of spots for day use, with great views of lake.  Dinosaur tracks a total bonus.  Worth the stop.  Fun finding this marker. (photo)  

Always love camping near water 

New mexico state parks nearly all online reservations now. Funny I had no printed copy and nobody checked me. Pretty area in the middle of open prairie. Well spaced non electric sites but it can be a long walk to toilets.

Make reservations 

First off, you will be completely off-grid. There is no cell reception, WiFi, or cable or antenna tv. There is also no dump station or fill station, so plan on making a stop at the loves truck stop. Limited electric/water hookup sites so be sure to reserve ahead of time. No fires allowed and boat ramp is closed. 
It was peaceful and quiet. Pretty neat to see the dinosaur tracks! 


Great off-grid get away!

Van Camper perspective:  Extra cool campsites with many in lightly wooded areas or tucked within boulders, or lakeside. Group sites available also.  Adequate spacing between sites in most areas, some sites are secluded.  Very clean area, the host picks up trash daily and even washes area around the covered tables.  Lake was a bit low, saw two bald eagles, lots of beautiful wild flowers in June.  Interesting dinosaur tracks at spillway that were exposed after a flood removed a layer of dirt from the spillway, it’s half mile round trip hike. Clean toilets.

Clayton Lake and Dinosaur Tracks

Wow! What a beautiful campsite! Wish we could have stayed for more than one night. Perfect for star gazing because you’re out in the middle of nowhere, and the dinosaur tracks were too cool for words! Above all, I can’t say enough great things about the staff. They spent a good 1 1/2 hours to get us out of a “sticky” situation with our RV. They didn’t have to, but they did, and it almost seemed like they wanted to! Great people! 

Beautiful view, helpful staff!

We stayed here when state of New Mexico scheduled my vaccination nearby here rather than nearby my home. Otherwise, who knows when we would have discovered this place. 

The sites are easily accessible, and probably best before it gets too hot. 

The amazing part is the hike to the dinosaur tracks. The story of their preservation is worth the visit all by itself. 

Dinosaur Tracks

You get off a major highway and then take 10 miles of bad road to the entrance. Then, you have to find your spot. 

We stayed in P2.
The view of the lake is amazing. Birds everywhere!
The sites are not level in this area, but the pavilions are darn nice!

Screaming fast ATT 5G, nothing for Sprint. 

Great place in the middle of nowhere! 

I stayed one night and I was glad to leave the next day. It wasn’t a bad park, just not overly enjoyable. My site had a great view of the lake, which was by far the best part; the sunset was stunning! There is little privacy between most sites, but luckily my spot only had a neighbor on one side and trees/shrubs on the other. I also wonder how well they regulate how many people/vehicles are allowed per site, as I saw at least 6 different people next to me with two trucks, a motorcycle, a camper, and a tent; they’re smaller sites so they were usually within a few feet of my camper. I had decent AT&amp;T service and the bathrooms (by the guest center, if you miss them on the way in like I did) were older but acceptably clean. You can fish and kayak/boat on the lake and the dinosaur tracks looked interesting, but I didn’t have time to visit them and it was beastly hot. My biggest callouts are that the 10 mile road the to the park is in *horrible* condition and has a lot of 90 degree turns and the park itself is not very handicap friendly as it’s poorly paved/rocky/uneven. It was good for a night but I would not return.

Nothing to write home about

First, the 10-mile road to this park is fine.  After reading the one review calling the road horrible, we were braced for the worst, but it turned out to be completely fine, not so much as a pothole.  So disregard that.

Second, this park is actually a hidden gem.  It's quite large, with multiple camping sites spread down one side of the lake.  The one location for electrical sites is a bit tightly packed, with not much space between sites, but if you're tent camping or boondocking there is plenty of room in this park at other camping locations to spread out.  And when we stayed mid-week there were only a couple of other trailers in the electrical section, so we didn't feel too crowded ourselves.  The lake is pretty with what seems to be good fishing judging by how many locals were there casting lines in the water.  The sunset views are beautiful, and the night sky is absolutely superb.  We had an amazing view of the total lunar eclipse the night we stayed here in May 2022.

The real attraction of this park, however, is the dinosaur tracks, which are some of the best in the \*world\*.  It's crazy that they're out here in the middle of nowhere, but if you make the short hike to see them you will be amazed.  The story of how they were discovered, by accident during the construction of the dam for this lake, is equally amazing.  Great park for kids, and great destination if you're traveling along 87 and weighing where to stay between Amarillo and Raton.


Hidden gem of a park, excellent night sky, excellent dinosaur tracks

Beautiful area right in the middle of what seems like nothing but prairie. A canyon opens and there is the lake. Various sites, electric were all accounted for. There were plenty of picnic table/shelter primitive spots. Beautiful scenery. Good trails for hiking. Friendly host. 

Nice comfortable place. 

Clayton Lake State Park near Clayton, New Mexico turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It is a small state park with several small camogrounds spread around the reservoir which is popular for fishing. Our campground had about a half dozen sites overlooking the lake. The opportunity to see dinasaur tracks and attend star parties make this park unique. The campground host is an amateur astronomer who regularly hosts very well-attendedstar parties. Water and electric were available at our campsite, but the park does not have a dump station.

Night Sky Viewing and Dinasaur Tracks

Everything was very green in the 10 mile trek into the park. Our spot was in the Cove campground - noon-a and no water. We have enough solar power to sustain. The lake was gorgeous and the dinosaur footprints and tracks were really interesting! The spots are not right on top of each other - so very nice. They have potable water at the visitors center. There were candies with water and electric - we were too late to  book. 