Cove Campground, near Conchas Dam, New Mexico, is a solid choice for those looking to enjoy the beauty of the desert landscape and the clear waters of Conchas Lake. With sites that offer electric hookups and picnic tables, it’s a comfortable spot for both tent campers and RV travelers.

Visitors often rave about the stunning views of the lake and surrounding rocks, making it a picturesque backdrop for your camping experience. The campground is equipped with clean restrooms and showers, and many appreciate the covered areas for meals, which come in handy during those windy afternoons. One camper noted, “Each camp site has a covered wind break area for eating lunch.”

For those who enjoy outdoor activities, there are short hiking trails right from your campsite, and the lake is perfect for fishing and boating. Campers have spotted deer roaming the area and even a roadrunner, adding to the charm of the location. If you’re lucky, you might catch a breathtaking sunset over the water, which is a highlight for many who visit.

While the campground can get busy on weekends, it tends to quiet down during the week, offering a more peaceful experience. Whether you're here for a quick stop or a longer stay, Cove Campground provides a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature.

Cove Campground — Conchas Lake State Park

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Conchas Dam, NM has a lot to offer. Conchas Dam is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Conchas Dam, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Conchas Dam

The Best Camping Near Conchas Dam, New Mexico

This has to be my favorite lake in NM. Bathrooms with showers, restaurant and convenient store, and gas station. We always rent a boat slip and go night fishing! 

Conchas

I stayed at the North Campground in the park and it was great. The bath house was recently renovated and very clean. The only downside to the park was that the tent pads we rock and gravel making it very difficult to stake a tent. Each site had a covered picnic table and a charcoal grill. There was easy access to drinking water and there was an access road to the lake close by.

Loved it!

We stayed at bell point campground and although it’s still a Rocky hike to the beach the views are breathtaking. Camp was quiet enough (depends on your neighbors). Deer cover the campground. Each camp site has a covered wind break area for eating lunch. No ATVs. 
Kids loved it and so did dogs. Friendly staff - the rangers gave the kiddos a coloring book and badge when we got here. All the sites are nice that I can tell but not all have water views 

Lake front with sunset views 

We spent two nights and it only cost us $16. We were parked right on the lake, and being right after a holiday  the lake was pretty much empty. They have several different campsites, with a website that makes it easy to reserve a spot. However, we called to ask, and ranger let us know we could come for first come first serve. They have signs that make finding your way around easy, also having stations that you can pay(cash only) for your campsite. The rangers were sweet and helpful as well as having a host, who was there all night in case of  an emergencies. The restrooms/showers were clean and it looked to be recently remodeled. Also they had ramps going into the water for boats and a dock for fishing. 
Something else we learned about New Mexico, not being from here, April-May is a rainy and windy season. So be sure to check the weather before heading out 

One of the most beautiful man made lakes I’ve ever been too

The area is nice, for desert lakes. There are trees  and more opportunities for shade in the North and Bell point campgrounds. Cove campground is quite bare but almost every site has some kind of shade structure. We've stayed at both the "primitive" and established campsites with a 24' trailer. Its hot during the summer with storms that roll in almost every afternoon from June and start slowing down in August. Don't have anything that catches the wind up when they come. The lake is nice clear and warm. Great for bass and walleye. The weekends usually have a lot of people that disappear during the week. On the weekends the lake is full of fishermen and boaters and kayaks. The people in speedboats like to go by the kayakers and fishing boats as close and fast as they can to be big jerks in so little words, but thats just NM people in general. Anyways I will be coming back again. 

Great desert lake

We stayed here primarily because it was on our route to Northern New Mexico and Colorado. It was exactly as we expected and we enjoyed an overnight here in June. Fortunately we had electric power for AC and were comfortable. Enjoyed some short hikes right from our campsite. Very isolated location between Tucumcari and Las Vegas, New Mexico, but that was our intended route. Marginal highway, but almost no traffic.

Semi desert by the Lake

Nice views of the lake and rocks from Bell Point campground. We stayed in site B19 and it was easy to back in to with our 20' camper. Electric was appreciated, but water was unavailable due to repairs, the dump station and showers were closed  - making our stay shorter than expected. There were porta-potties available at the restrooms. The only place around to get water is in the town of Tecumcari, atleast a 30 min drive. If we're in the area and the water gets turned back on, we'd visit again. ATT signal is good and Starlink worked great here, no interruptions in school, work, streaming or gaming. Loved the views, did a bit of hiking around the lake area, saw a boat or two on the lake every now and then. We saw a roadrunner near our site which was really neat 

Photos of Cove Campground — Conchas Lake State Park

Real photos from real campers