Best RV Parks & Resorts near Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX

Overall not too bad of a campground. 15 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns National Park and less than 40 minutes from Guadalupe Mountains National Park. A little pricy in my opinion ($90 for 2 nights) but they have no competitors so they can charge whatever they want I guess. Full hookups and a store right next door within walking distance.

Not the best rv spot or town . Kind of a one nighter place while you visit the Carlsbad caverns. Sprayed the grass with some lethal green chemical. 🤢

Let's start with the fact that there are few actually camping areas close to Carlsbad Caverns or Guadalupe National Park. Assuming travelers are coming to Carlsbad to see these great places, the location becomes a major player. Fine print: there is a small campground (absolutely no amenity campground) in Guadalupe National Park which is first-come, first-serve (aka: full), and there a campground in White's City--although having driven past it, I don't think I want to stay there.

Carlsbad RV Park is primarily an RV Park. In fact, while we were there, they were bulldozing their only tent sites and I'm not sure if they are upgrading them or replacing them with more RV sites. So the "tent" site status is tentative. As with most RV Parks, the RVs are crammed in, side by side, and really the place is like an RV parking lot with amenities and hook-ups--but they do appear to be mostly pull through and the staff will show the way to go to pull through without hiccups. These are not spacious by any means. We stayed in one of two cabins, which were very reasonably priced, esp. when comparing to Carlsbad KOA. They even came with a cable and a fridge.

The RV Park (like all of the RV Parks in Carlsbad) has overall become a residence for the oil field workers, so be prepared to try and sleep through the 4 a.m. traffic rush out of camp to oil field. However, the neighbors are pleasant and quiet to have, even if they must drive away before the roosters announce the coming of the sun.

The park has gated access and we felt very safe during our stay. There is a playground that was being bulldozed with the tent site; I am unsure if it is being upgraded or eliminated. There is a camp store, a pool, a game room, showers (which were ok), laundry, a dishwashing sink, picnic tables at the cabins, and universal fire pit. Please note that I am inherently biased against parking lot style RV parks--so 2 stars from me for an RV Park is quite a compliment.

Carlsbad RV Park and Carlsbad KOA direct comparison: we have stayed at both the Carlsbad KOA and the Carlsbad RV Park. The KOA is NOT actually in Carlsbad, and is over an hour away from Carlsbad Caverns and 30 minutes from town. On the other hand, the RV Park is at the southern end of town and only 30 minutes to the Caverns. While the KOA lots are more spacious, they offer no more and no fewer amenities than the RV Park…well the KOA sort-of offers meals but the RV Park is right in town, so delivery is an option. The basic, no frill KOA cabins cost double the RV Park charges. Additionally, the KOA staff was not as friendly or as helpful as the RV Park staff, imho.

While in Carlsbad check out Fiesta Drive-In for one of America's few remaining drive-in movie theaters.

Simple, no thrills campground. Full hook up and WiFi. Located directly at the entrance to the Carlsbad Canyon National Park. Small restaurant across the street and a general store, gift shop and post office right next door.

Late December

Stayed 1 night in camper van. Tent sites were full so stayed in RV parking lot. Sites were painted lines on the concrete but big enough to have some space to yourself if you park correctly. Had a couple more secluded sites tucked in the corner. Free water pump, no electric. Bathrooms and dish station conveniently located. Trailheads in parking lot. Great location and $15. Would stay again

What a nice place to stop and use as a 'home base' for hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park! Simple campground with no showers, but decent bathrooms. Site was nice and level with a tent pad and even had a bit of shade. No reservations are taken here, but for the inexpensive price tag- it's worth a shot to find a spot. The park was only 1/2 full or so when we stayed there. It was peaceful and the sites felt spacious and truly connected to nature.

Well run RV park. Everything is maintained well. There is a little traffic noise, but not bothersome. They have laundry, clean bathrooms, books and videos to borrow. When we asked for restaurant recommendations, they had a whole list ready!

Stayed here nights 1 and 2 of a road trip and had zero problems with the site. Tent camped both nights and made it pretty far back in 2WD Ford Fusion with low clearance so if you're just looking for a great spot to post up for Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Carlsbad Caverns National Park, this is it.

Ok so this is an older rv park. It’s a little rough around the edges but they are remodeling the bathrooms, and the laundry room is great. The employees are as nice as can be!

This worked out great for a visit to Carlsbad Caverns which were phenomenal .

Dog Canyon is located on the north end of Guadalupe Mountains National Park aka the highest point in Texas. Though secluded, Dog Canyon fills up fast so arrive early or plan in advance to claim your spot.

Due to the elevation, this campground is cooler and has more shelter than the Pine Springs campground.  Dog Canyon has excellent trail access with options of one-day or shorter day hikes.

Ranger recommendations:

• Have a full tank of gas
• Bring your propane stove - fires are not allowed in any of the campgrounds.

The tent sites are clustered together near the vault toilet (smelly) and they are all walk in sites. Only tents are allowed in this area. The RV parking lot is by flush toilets and sink area. No tents are allowed. The flies were terrible! It is really hot right now and shade is limited.

This is a great campground for tents & hammocks. If you are in an RV is it parking lot camping only. There is a working restroom (no showers) as well as a washing station for dishes. It is in the perfect spot for many of the main trails in the park. We visited in July. The nights were nice, however, from 11am-6pm it is best to find shade or something to do (we drove around and explored the area).

Closest gas station is in Dell City (about a 30 minute drive) that is also the closest place to get food or ice, so just be prepared! I have more pictures and information here on my blog.

Like all NP campgrounds, no fires are allowed which is disappointing. There are pit toilets which are incredibly clean however, the walk up to the flushing RV toilets isn't too far. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of privacy at the sites because they seem pretty tightly packed at first. Each site has a nice tent pad and picnic table. The parking isn't very adequate and at most of the sites you will need to carry your gear from your car a little way to the campsites. Sites are first come first serve. We got there in the late morning during busy season and had several sites to pick from but the camp ground did fill every day. The views are decent from the campground. Location is ideal. It's pretty central in GMNP and only 30 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns NP(where they only have back country sites). Overall, not a bad campground and probably the best option around while visiting GMNP and CCNP if you're a tent camper(their RV parking lot looked terrible).