Looking for the ultimate RV camping experience near Guadalupe Mountains National Park? Finding RV campgrounds in Texas is easier than ever. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Guadalupe Mountains National Park's most popular destinations.
$20 - $45 / night
With the Best RV park amenities in the area, Bud’s Place RV Park offers green lawns, large pull-through RV spaces, city water/sewer/power hookups, a stocked fishing pond, children’s playscape, 24-hr laundry, bathroom, and shower facilities, and cabins for those without their own motor home. Conveniently located across the street from the renowned Carlsbad Softball Complex, hosting some of the largest softball tournaments every year in the U.S., Bud's place location serves as a strong attraction for families traveling through the area, softball tournament participants, and longer-term visitors who appreciate the park’s central Carlsbad location and lifestyle amenities.
Bud's Place offers 98 total RV spots, with 30/50 amp, direct city water, and sewer hook-ups, and 28 cabins (2 -ADA compliant cabins) year-round on our spacious park that's pet friendly, with a dog run, fishing pond, and spots with grass and trees in most spaces. It is perfect for families looking for a clean and economical RV site, sports tourney stays, and adventurers looking to explore.
$25 - $45 / night
Carlsbad's Horseshoe Creek RV Park!
$40 / night
Pine Springs Campground is a simple, desert camping area situated at the base of the mountain. Individual campsites are all at a first come, first served basis. There is no reservation system.
Campground conveniences include: potable water, accessible flush-toilet restrooms , utility sink, pay telephones, and a drink machine. There are no showers available in the campground.
Tent campers have a choice of 20 leveled, gravel sites. Small junipers and oaks partially shade most of the sites and each site has a picnic table. Numbers are limited to 6 people or 2 tents per site.
The RV camping area is a paved parking lot with 19 sites to choose from. RV sites are defined by painted lines and numbers on the pavement. There are no hook-ups and there is no dump station. RV water tanks can be filled from an outside water faucet near the registration board. RV campsite #21 is wheelchair accessible.
Campground is first come - reservations are taken and appreciated. You must call for the campground.
White’s City RV Park and campground offers the closest RV and Tent camping near Carlsbad Caverns National Park. You can’t get any closer! The RV Park has all the necessities including water, sewer, and electric hookups as well as free Wi-Fi. We have both pull-thru and back-in spots, and can accommodate most any size RV or trailer.
In our campground area, we have beautiful pine trees surrounding it as well as covered picnic tables, BBQ grills, and fire rings. Laundry and vending machines, as well as recently remodeled showers, bathrooms, are also available on site. The park is well managed and maintained and receives high customer ratings on many travel sites.
$25 / night
Accommodations for overnight guests or monthly rentals. Washington Ranch offers lodging in three motel rooms, two single-room cabins, a spacious bunk house, dorms capable of sleeping 20 people each, three 30-Amp RV sites.
RV: 30 AMP electric, water, and sewer dump, shower facilities are available, pets are permitted on a leash
$50 - $150 / night
Sunset Reef Campground is a reclaimed well pad with 11 developed campsites; five RV spaces and six tent sites. Each site has a shaded picnic table, fire pit and grill for your camping convenience with a vault toilet on site. Visitors can dry camp at this campground for a maximum of five nights for free. If on the hunt for a great place to camp while exploring the two national parks in the area, this is the place to stay! Carlsbad Caverns is a 25-minute drive (14 miles) to the north and Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a 35-minute drive (30 miles) to the southwest. __
High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus and desert wildlife - treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves - formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers no overnight lodging or campgrounds. Primitive camping is allowed in the backcountry only and requires a free permit which is issued at the park's visitor center when you arrive (not reservable in advance). Overnight RV parking is not permitted in the park. Seven miles (11 km) from the visitor center you will find a campground (RV/tent/cabin) and amenities in White's City.
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!
$8 - $18 / night
Scout
Large RV campground. Some long term spots available. Full hook-ups. Level spots on gravel. Pool, laundry and camp store. Hosts were fantastic.
Guide
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.
LegendThe location is very convenient for anyone visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park, as the park entrance is only 7 miles from where we stayed. It’s also only 30 minutes from Guadalupe Mountains National Park, if you’re trying to visit two parks while staying in one place.
The bathrooms were dirty and there was only one available to the whole campground. There was plenty of space to walk our dog, but no dog park and no doggie bags available.
One perk was having the store right next door in case you forgot to stop for groceries or want to grab a late night ice cream. There is also a restaurant across the street. Check the days they’re open before going though.
Traveler
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. 🤢
LegendLet'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.
Guide
Nice campground in the desert, pool, hour or so to Carlsbad caverns, full hook ups, shade shelters
TravelerSimple, 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.
LegendExcellent full service RV park. The hook ups are in excellent repair. This particular KOA offers hot food delivered to the sites in Lou of eating inside the facility. Despite the name, it is quite a hike from Carlsbad Caverns if that is your destination. It is very close to Beantly Lake and a very quiet setting. The pads are gravel but level. Excellent staff. Would stay again!
Scout
Only $185/week w/ full hook ups! Nice big camp spots, Laundry, Ice Machine, Basketball Court, Horseshoe pit. Our site backed up to countryside. 20 min drive to Caverns, 4 min drive to Walmart Super-center, 1.5 hrs to Roswell—Super friendly owners! Will definitely stay again.
TravelerGreat location for the caverns! Nothing fancy, gravel parking lot with full hook ups. No shade, bathroom facilities not super clean but we used our camper for those things. Excellent location for multiple trips into the cavern because it was right outside the entrance. Perfect for 1 night quick stay.
LegendCarlsbad Caverns is amazing! Going during bat season is even more incredible, unbelievable almost. Make no mistake about the location, however. As so many KOAs are not in the town that bears their name, this KOA is no exception. It is not in the Carlsbad limits, it is 30 minutes north of Carlsbad and 1+ hour north of Carlsbad Caverns. ( not sure why another reviewer stated it was only 30 minutes away—maybe they were mistaking it for Carlsbad RV Park, which was formerly a KOA(?) no disrespect meant—people should know before they go, google maps will confirm).
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of cram them in RV parks, but there are few options for camping around Carlsbad and they are all RV parks except for the first come first serve campground at Guadalupe National Park which stands a really good chance of being full before I could ever roll in. This KOA has all the amenities including a pool, clean showers, store, laundry, and hot meals—if you can order hours in advance. The RV sites are spacious for being an RV Park, but by no means “spacious”. They had excellent and easy pull through options and many cabins. The cabins were pricey, but cross between the camping/hotel ease of lodging; of course, visitors bring their own sleeping bags and linens.
We found the staff was neither overly friendly nor rude. It did seem to take a very long time to process anything, however, because anytime we went into the store/check-in, we had to wait, awhile (20+ minutes). While this held true for the weekend we were there, maybe it isn’t typical? Overall, it’s a place to hang one’s hat and enjoy a campfire under the night sky. It’s also a good middle ground between Carlsbad and the Roswell area attractions if that is the goal. If the only plans are to see the national parks (Carlsbad and Guadalupe), I’d recommend considering Carlsbad RV Park—which is right on the southern edge of Carlsbad. While in town, consider checking out Fiesta Drive In Theater. It’s one of the few remaining drive-in movie theaters.
TravelerThis was the 1st time I've ever stayed at a KOA. First time using hookups.
I was anticipating being sandwiched between monster RVs and listening to generators all night.
But, it wasn't that bad. We lucked out with a spot at the end of a row, which helped a bunch. Yes, there were monster RVs everywhere, but we actually had a decent amount of space. The bathrooms and showers were clean and very welcome after 6 days on the road.
The BBQ food that they serve was pretty decent as well.
Not my style of camping, but when you need to wash up, its not a bad option. Location near Carlsbad Caverns was excellent as well. There are closer RV parks, but none that I wanted to stay at.
Also note: It was a very windy campsite. Don't count on having a fire.
GuideThis KOA will start texting you in advance of your arrival, which I found a bit tedious, but it came in handy during our stay.
Check in was simple and informative. The pool is open and was clean. It definitely came in handy during this heat!
The campground is based about an hour away from Carlsbad Caverns, which worked for us so we could drop our rig and make the drive the next morning. Only about 20 minutes from the town of Carlsbad.
On our second night, there was a wicked storm and we started heading loud booms. The park was thoughtful enough to text everyone after hours to reassure us that the pecan fields up the road use air cannons to prevent hail. Not sure about the effectiveness but was so glad to know what was happening.
We would certainly return if we ever need full hook ups in the area.
Traveler
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
TravelerStacked in like sardines didn't bother me as I only stayed one night. The $3.50 to wash and 3.50 to dry does bother me. No frills RV park.
ScoutDecided to stay here while on our way to Tucson. Great location to launch to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountain National Parks. Indoor heated pool. Very nice staff throughout the park. Definitely recommend
Guide
Great free campsite between Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Just a mile from the road but perfectly quiet. Not the most private sites but they are new and clean (including the pit toilet)
GuideWell 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!
LegendWhat 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.
GuideOk 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 .
GuideThe 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.
Guide
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.
Legend
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:
GuideWhites City RV park is to put it politely.... a cartel practically runs this place. Fill to the brim with every oil field guy this side of Iraq. Always remember to get your tetanus shot before and after you stay here. I’ve been all over the world and this place... well this place is almost as bad as pecos TX.
ScoutThis 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.
ScoutThis was a great hidden (free!) campground right in between Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. There are few amentities, but it does have cabanas, picnic tables, grills, fire places, trash cans, and a toilet. Pro tip: there is water at the day use areas just further down the road. To find the campground, turn onto Washington Rd. and take your first right. There is no signage for the campground. In October, every site was filled by the end of the night.
Legend
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).
RV camping near Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas offers a variety of options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore the stunning landscapes and unique geological features of the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Guadalupe Mountains National Park is Whites City RV Park with a 2.9-star rating from 22 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 24 RV camping locations near Guadalupe Mountains National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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