Appaloosa Campground

This review is for the primitive camping area at Caballo Lake. While we did drive through the campground sites and they looked okay, we were pleased to discover the primitive area where you can essentially park your RV next to the lake away from everyone else. A few of the NM state parks offer this option. They charge $8 for the primitive sites, or if you have a New Mexico state park camping pass, they are free! We found an awesome spot on a bank right next to the lake with views of the water and mountains beyond. Primitive sites have no hook-ups, no picnic tables, and no fire pits. But you get access to all the amenities at the state park including the dump station, fresh water spigots, trash, recycling, and hot (free) showers. A pretty good deal if you ask me! We have stayed at quite a few NM state parks, and this one ranks up there as one of our favorites.

When we first arrived at Caballo Lake State Park I was disappointed because the campground wasn't as scenic as I was hoping.

Then we found the road to primitive camping (to the left of the boat ramp) where we were able to camp right next to the lake and had privacy for our entire stay.

The primitive camping area has many roads to the lake, so even if there were other campers everyone would be really far apart.

I deducted a star because there are some buildings and a highway in view to the west and there is also some road noise.

We stayed here while visiting family in Truth of Consequences, NM. Our site was down by the river. A lot of the site down there are dual pads, so 2 RVs park next to each other with no separation. I didn't like that part, but overall the facility was nice. The spots down by the river have trees, which the lakeside spots do not. It was really busy on the weekend, but very quite during the week. We camped here in a 41' Fifth Wheel.

We had intended to dry camp at Caballo Lake State Park after reading the other reviews on Campendium. Sweet old talkative Jim at the entrance station recommended a spot for us on the south side by the boat ramp which sounded perfect, right by the lake. However, the other folks there took poorly to the idea of company and promptly got in the car, opened up all the windows and cranked their car stereo up full blast to an 80s station. And then they started dancing.

We can take a hint, so we relocated to the HUGE dry camping area north of the three developed loops. With only one RV to share acres and acres with, and the vault toilet within sight, we settled in on a warm and windy Saturday afternoon in late February 2016. Eventually, a trip to the loo was in order, so I set out for it. Five minutes later, as I approached the toilet I noticed two men lurking furtively along the back side of the nearby covered horse corral. On the ladies’ side, the door was locked so I quickly used the men’s and returned to the van, a bit unnerved.

We decided to not to tempt fate and returned to the entrance station to secure a spot in one of the electric loops. Chatty Jim offered us a prime spot with a lake view in the deluxe Palomino loop (full hookups). And no extra charge! Hot showers and flush toilets are less than a hundred yards away. Jim stopped by a few hours later to make sure everything was okay. What a sweetheart! Among many other things, we learned that he’s been volunteering here for twenty years. I even earned myself a nickname: “Teach”.

Each site in the three developed loops (Appaloosa, Palomino and Stallion) has its own covered ramada with picnic table and iron fire ring. There’s not a lot of shade this time of year, and the wind blows pretty hard through the gravel lots. But the shower’s hot, the bathrooms well-maintained, we’ve got two bars of Verizon LTE. Life is good.

Thanks to another Campendium reviewer, we took the gorgeous twisty-turny Hwy 152 (Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway) from City of Rocks SP over through Hillsboro to get here. In our nimble 22 foot Ford Transit van and my husband’s driving skill it was pure fun and dramatic scenery.

We camped at spot 7 of the Palomino Loop which is the full hook-up loop. We arrived after the Fourth of July and it was bloody hot. The whole experience started off on the wrong foot when the camp host had blocked off part of the road to accommodate his excess number of vehicles, four including the boat, and his outdoor living. Just wrong when the camp host violates rules the rest of the camp is expected to abide by.

Power was inconsistent, would blow the breaker at the box when it overheated or too many campers were present on the weekend using power. Inconsistent power made it impossible to go out and explore while leaving the flock behind in 100 degree plus heat outside. The inconsistent 50amp power in extreme heat is a problem.

The surrounding agricultural lands did a burn off at some point and the smoke hung over the lake for a good twelve hours. I don't mind the smoke, I understand the necessity. But the smoke was incredibly stinky.

The picnic bench and BBQ pagoda are built backwards. The wall surrounding the pagoda encloses the bench when you open your door instead of blocking the sewer line of your next door neighbor. So if you want to make use of the provided facilities be prepared to do so within sight and smell of sewer.

The view was nice however from the patio. Dawn breaking over the mountains behind the lake is beautiful every morning. The stars at night are unobstructed by light pollution. The campground restroom is immaculate.

If we come back here, it will be in fall or winter. I honestly, don't expect us to be back. It was just not pretty enough to justify the return with all of the negatives.

We visited in late October 2016. Still warm (80+ degree afternoons, nice and cool at night). Park has 3 loops of 4 open thru the winter. We chose the Riverside loop below the dam because it offers a fair amount of shade trees and grass. The loops above the dam are sparse desert vegetation, making them feel hotter even though the temp is likely no different. There is a PDF map available on the NM State Parks website showing the layout. For those unfamiliar with the desert southwest, the legendary Rio Grande which gives the campground its name would be a muddy creek most other places.

Basic cost is $10 for camping overnight with a $4 add for power and water. Our site had 15 and 30 amp outlets. No dump station at Riverside, but a dump station is available above the dam and use is included in the nightly rate. Wife suffers from allergies to many flowers, but was not affected at Riverside, maybe because it was so late in the year.

We did not use the site toilets or showers, but a peek in the door indicated the host was keeping them up nicely. Our site was nearly level, we probably could have done without the hydraulic jacks, but jacks help the "rock & roll" feel a coach has on just the tires. There is a very nice playground in the midway of the park with quite a bit of climbing and sliding equipment for the kids. Host has also planted several new shade trees which will help improve the park in a few years.

The three star rating for access was due to significant rises every few feet in the pavement going down the slope to the campground, giving the impression of "speed bumps" in the road. We have a 26 ft MH and the ride was SO bumpy, had to slow down to 5 MPH for comfort. My phone is 3G only, that's why no comment on 4G performance.

Despite being near the highway and under a flight path, it is very quiet (except for some RVers' yapping dogs) - almost too quiet. We took a walk trying to find a path to the dam (the trails are confusing and meandering; some of them just peter out) and ended up in the residential area; there was literally no sound there at all - just a touch spooky.

We stayed at an electric site, but since solar was good, I would have preferred to be at one of the primitive sites. Being a desert, there is not a lot of privacy vegetation between sites in the developed area. The primitive sites for horses were really nice with a nice covered stable/paddock (don't know the proper term) area, and there are many miles of horse trails. That area does have water and a pit toilet.

Motorized or sail-powered boating is not really good. The very nice guy working the booth said he hadn't seen anyone skiing on the lake in forever despite the state park site mentioning that as a feature. We didn't even attempt to launch the sailboat as the marked channel was narrow and the winds highly variable. The boat ramps are very steep, but the courtesy docks are very nice.

The bathrooms (even the pit toilets) are very, very clean. If there was any hot/warm water in the sinks, I never encountered it. The showers are the push-button type with about 12 seconds of water per press. It takes about 4 or 5 cycles for the water to be up to an acceptable temperature, so be patient. Tall people will have a problem as the showers are short and the shower head is low. They need to add a few hooks so you can hang your shower caddy near the shower. I think the bathroom was heated, but it felt pretty freezing cold especially at night.

This campground has several loops, we were in the Palomino Loop. The sites are pull through, but kind of weird positioning, RVs face each other, with plenty of room in front and behind. The dump station located in the exit of palomino loop. Dumpster are easy to reach, and the bathhouse is brand new, with great showers. The sites are crushed rock, but leveled, and the picnic table is under a pavilion with a bar-b-cue. Our site had full hook up, electric, water, and sewer. No Wi-Fi in the park, but Verizon coverage was good, and satellite antenna was an easy set up. The views of the mountains from this park are amazing, the lake was nice, but the wind was not friendly. Close towns with full services are Truth or Consequences, and Hatch. There is a gas station and propane service about 3 miles north of the campground. Lots of birds on site, and mountain biking (beware of the goat heads "large stickers") gave us 4 flat tires. Water sports, boat ramp, hiking in the area, attractions like Elephant Butte Dam, and Camino Real route. I will definitely camp here again.

We boondocked in our 27-foot travel trailer in the "primitive camping" section of Caballo State Park. This is north of the developed campgrounds (Stallion, Palamino, etc.) and has no hook-ups. There are, however, garbage bins, vault toilets, and water spigots that are very easy to get to both in the upper campgrounds and down in the primitive camping (by the horse stable). There is a dump for black water in the upper campground also that all campers have access to. They also have showers up in that section. The welcome station, when it's open, has tons of fliers and information and also a take-one-leave-one library.

It's super easy to accidentally miss the road to the primitive camping. It almost looks like it's pointing you to the parking lot next to the boat ramp. You can indeed dry camp there, but there's TONS more camping that's much more private and with tons of space if you drive down the little dirt road that shoots off from the parking lot (it's not as horrible to drive as it will look at first, though it is bumpy and can have parts washed out, so go slowly).

We had great service with both Verizon and AT&T in the primitive area, but you have to be very careful when choosing your spot. From one spit to the next, the service changes completely and is sometimes nearly nothing. You can actually see the cell towers up on the ridge across the lake, so if you keep an eye on them (or lose site of them) it will help you gauge where to park.

Also be very mindful of the weather -- the primitive camping area has a lot of fluffy sand on the roads, so when it rains it turns to REALLY slick mud. Like, you won't get out 'cause the mud is deep and nasty. So if it starts to rain, either leave right away or plan to wait a couple days until it dries out (we did the latter). Also, if it rains, don't be an a$$ and drive your rig in circles around the primitive area and shred the roads like we saw two fifth-wheels and one motorhome do. So bizarre. They made a complete mess of their rigs and the roads.

NOTE: It can be super super windy in this area, more so as you get closer and closer to the water in the primitive camping. It might be super windy up in the developed campgrounds, too, I don't know. But we literally got rocked by 50+mph winds on multiple days.

There are lots of places to hike here, but not so great for bike riding. Lots of rocks to pinch your tires, standard plethora of goatheads (I mean, it is New Mexico), and not much paved area. If you have horses, they have a nice set of stalls and you can camp right next to your horses. If you're into bird watching, there are a TON of sandhill cranes, snow geese, and all sorts of other things here at the right times of year. We saw hundreds of sandhill cranes every single day.

The front office seems to be open a little randomly. Nobody was there the Sunday we showed up, but then the following weekends there were volunteers or rangers there for part of the day. We saw rangers drive through the campground at least 2x/day for every one of the 14 days we were there. They were friendly and helpful.

It's a little bit of a hike to get into TorC so stuck up before you come here. There are a couple okay restaurants in Arrey, and Hatch is also close by if you want to get your green chiles on.

We have the annual camping pass, so our stay was "free" since we were in the primitive area.

This is my second time staying here. First time was for 4 nights during the winter in the Palomino Loop and it was so peaceful that I decided to go again. This time I stayed two nights in the Stallion Loop in space 33. This park is nice, but if you have a 50 AMP unit I highly recommend staying in Palomino if you need electric service. It was almost 90 yesterday and my AC couldn’t keep up with the 30 AMP service so I turned on generator, which cooled it right down.

I also recommend that you closely look at the site on Google before selection. I was in Stallion 33 and it was tight getting my 42’ toy hauler out (getting in was fine, but the bush was scraping the sides going out). Another option if you don’t mind boondocking is to stay in the primitive areas. Peaceful and some have great views.