Overview
Great Facilities and Amenities
Checkin Time
(13 of 14 campsites have Checkin Time)
Checkout Time
(All campsites have Checkout Time)
Driveway Entry
(4 of 14 campsites have Driveway Entry)
Hike In Distance To Site
(Up to 200')
Max Num Of People
(Up to 20)
Max Num Of Vehicles
(Up to 3)
Pets Allowed
(All campsites have Pets Allowed)
Picnic Table
(All campsites have Picnic Table)
Shade
(5 of 14 campsites have Shade)
Site Access
(Majority of the campsites have hike in)
Natural Features
- The Dog Canyon Campground is in an area with wooded drainages, meadows, and grassy hillsides and sparsely vegetated outcrops. Large alligator junipers, oaks, maples, madrones, piñon and ponderosa pine are in and near the campground. Shrubs include ceanothus, sumacs, mahonia, and mountain mahogany. Desert-adapted plants include a variety of prickly pear cactus, agave, and chollas. Western scrub jays, acorn woodpeckers, and a variety of hummingbirds frequent the area. Mule deer are commonly seen.
- Algerita ridge casts morning shade, and cool mountain air settles in the canyon bottom nightly. Daytime highs are similar to the Pine Springs area, but nighttime lows can be much cooler. Views of the night sky are pristine.
- During the Permian Period, shallow marine water that was behind the Capitan Reef, created a series of layers of limestone and sandstone. Faulting and subsequent erosion created the canyon. Nearby topographic features include Lost Peak, Blue Ridge, West Dog Canyon, and the Brokeoff and Cutoff Mountains.
Recreation
- Trails from Dog Canyon offer good access, with relatively easy grades, to the high country of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
- The hike to Lost Peak is 6.4 miles round-trip, is considered strenuos and has 1500’ elevation gain.
- The hike to Marcus Overlook is 4.5 miles round-trip, is considered moderate with an 800' elevation gain.
- The Indian Meadow Nature Trail near the campground is 0.6 miles and winds around a grassy area surrounded by a mix of broadleaved evergreens, deciduous trees, and pines.
Permitted Equipment
tent-N/A
rv-Up to 23ft
trailer-Up to 23ft
vehicle-Up to 23ft
camper van-Up to 23ft
pickup camper-Up to 23ft
pop up camper-Up to 23ft
Nearby Attractions
Carlsbad Caverns National Park: In addition to a variety of cave tours, the national park also offers hiking trails and a scenic drive. Rattlesnake Springs and Slaughter Canyon, part of Carlsbad Caverns are nearer attractions for day use activities. Birding is excellent at Rattlesnake Springs.
Lincoln National Forest: The Guadalupe District of the Lincoln National Forest is located just over the state line, north of the national park. Road access is through New Mexico, north of White’s City, via Dark Canyon Road to NM SR 137 through Queen (also the way to the national park’s Dog Canyon). The forest provides for various camping, hiking, caving, hunting, and picnicking opportunities. Sitting Bull Falls is a nice waterfall and picnic area in the Lincoln National Forest. Five Point Vista is a glorious ridge road ride of the area, closer to Dog Canyon.
Fort Davis National Historic Site and State Park: Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail. This is located about 2.5 hours south of the park. A state park is located nearby with camping and a scenic drive. Also located in Fort Davis is McDonald Observatory with several programs available.
White Sands National Park: Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site: Hueco Tanks State Park is located on the east side of El Paso, about an hour and a half from the Guadalupes. At Hueco Tanks, you can hike, rock climb, bird watch, study nature and history, picnic and stargaze. Visitors can take guided and self-guided tours to view rock imagery.