Dog Canyon Campground

4.6·91 reviews
·Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Overview

Before booking a reservation: It is your responsibility to review all (Site Details, Allowable Equipment, Allowable Vehicle/Driveway and Need to Know) for the individual campsite. Failing to do so may result in being prohibited from occupying the site upon your arrival. Refunds are not provided by the park. Dog Canyon is a 70-mile drive from the nearest town of Carlsbad, New Mexico and is 110 miles from the Pine Spring Visitor Center & Campground (a 2 hour drive time). Dog Canyon Campground lies in the secluded, forested canyon on the north side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park at an elevation of 6,300 feet. It is located at the end of NM Hwy. 137 (Queen Highway). This quiet location is great for relaxing, wildlife watching and hiking. The campground is open year-round and is busiest, March-May and September-November.

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

Dog Canyon RV campsite area. Four RV sites available and are located next to the trailhead and horse corals. - Credits: NPS Photo
Dog Canyon Group Campsite with two tent pads delineated with landscape timbers and filled with fine crushed gravel. Three picnic tables are located in an open grassy area for groups to gather. - Credits: NPS Photo
Gravel road accessing Guadalupe Mountains National Park in the Dog Canyon area. Green grass, trees and mountains surround the road. - Credits: NPS Photo
Dog Canyon RV campsite, mountains in the background and a picnic table for campers - Credits: NPS Photo
  • 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

Overview of Dog Canyon campground and loop road with view of mountains in the background. - Credits: NPS Photo
  • 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.

Additional Information

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