“At the base of Dog Canyon”
Set against the dramatic Sacramento Mountains, this park features a historic ranch house, quiet camping in the Chihuahuan Desert, and the unique oasis of pools of water under the cottonwood trees of Dog Canyon. Enjoy a short walk on the Riparian Nature Trail or a challenging hike up the Dog Canyon Trail.
While at the park visitor center, take the short trail to see the ruins of Francois-Jean “Frenchy” Rochas’ 1880s-1890s stone cabin above the pools of water in Dog Canyon. Frenchy is credited with building the “miraculous staircase” at Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. You can also take guided weekend tours of the restored historic Oliver Lee Dog Canyon ranch house and museum, and surrounding ruins of the adobe barn, slaughterhouse, and chicken house. Lee sold his ranch in 1907. After a series of several owners, the ranch lands were made a part of the White Sands National Monument in 1939. Management of the 440-acre Dog Canyon Ranch tract was transferred to the State Parks Division in 1983, three years after the establishment of the parcel at the mouth of Dog Canyon. Full ownership of the Dog Canyon Ranch parcel of the park was transferred to the state of New Mexico in 1998.
Oliver Lee State Park offers a visitor center, camping, showers, group shelters, electrical hook ups, restrooms, dump stations, and trails.
Park Elevation 4,400 ft
Make a reservation on the New Mexico State Parks reservation website.
Reviews of Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Campground
113 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G/5G
Confirmed by 56 users | Last reported on April 27, 2024AT&T 4G/5G
Confirmed by 32 users | Last reported on January 08, 2024T-Mobile 4G/5G
Confirmed by 14 users | Last reported on May 07, 2024Reviews
A few friends and I camped at their 24 hour campsite on January 3rd. We got to the campsite when it was dark, so we didn't know what our surroundings were until we woke up the next morning to the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen, surrounded by gorgeous mountains that turned pink as the sun hit them. It was VERY cold in the winter so be extra prepared if you plan on sleeping in a tent. So worth it.
A very nice, quiet setting and the campsites are well-maintained. Electric, water, fire pit and gazebo at each site. Some will be a challenge for leveling. The bathrooms left a little to be desired in terms of cleanliness. Forgot to check the Verizon level but I didn't have any trouble connecting. Camp host told me it’s pretty busy in the wintertime.
Nightly Rate: $18.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 26
RV Length: 24 ft
RV Type: Truck Camper
After driving past some rather depressed areas of Alamogordo's outskirts, you end up at the state park which is nestled right up on the mountains at the base of Dog Canyon, and pretty much everywhere in the campground has a perfect sunset view of the Tularusa Basin and the Organ Mountains. The campsites are pretty simple (electric and water for some, but not all, of the sites), and are set up as pull-outs (as opposed to pull-throughs or back-ins). The shower house is pretty good, not the best.
The main hiking trail takes you up the mountain against which the park is situated and follows along Dog Canyon. The plaque at the start indicates it's an 8-10 hour round trip hike. We didn't make it all the way to the end because we had other plans for the day, but the little bit that we did do offered amazing vistas. Other campers told us the full hike is worth the effort if you and/or your dogs can handle it.
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 4
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
We came without a reservation and didn't have a problem finding a site 3rd week in March. Though we may have just gotten lucky, because the campsites come in a variety of odd shapes and many look to be un-level.
That said, there is a ton of space in between sites and the natural landscape is beautiful.
I did have the unfortunate experience of trying the showers here, once. The showers are push-button and the water is lukewarm.
Nightly Rate: $10.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 42
RV Type: Travel Trailer
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
This was a great spot near the top but is reservable and has electric. I am sure I would not mind one of the non-electric, non-reserveable spots now. The views are so amazing, you can see for miles. There is a short nature type trail and the Dog Canyon trail that travels up and around the mountain. I camped here in late April and it was pleasant, not sure if I would like it in the summer because it is pretty exposed. Close to White Sands NM and the town of Alamagardo. Visit McGinn's pistachio farm for free samples and farm tour.
Nightly Rate: $18.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 4
RV Length: 27 ft
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
We picked this spot as a base to do White Sands and the space museum in Alomogordo. At first the terrain didn't strike me, but then, after seeing the sunset, the stars and especially doing a hike (from the CG), it really charmed us! Position yourself carefully for your desired views of the mountains and the sunsets. Or just go for it - Can't pick a bad view.
Sites are nice and spaced out...bathroom clean, nice folks at other sites. Very limited AT&T cell signal. Our GPS sent us in on a gravel road - which was not necessary once we looked looked for another route. Don't let that happen to you!
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: -
RV Length: 22 ft
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
We pulled into Oliver Lee on the last Sunday in late February 2016 with no reservations and quickly found a secluded spot at the top of the canyon wall along the outside of the “B” Loop. There were only two other campers. All the other rigs, mostly of the behemoth variety, were clustered along A Loop near the shower and flush toilet “comfort station”.
On Monday, we were the sole occupants of Loop B. It has only one double vault toilet which can be a bit of a hike for those at the top or bottom of this loop.
There’s lots of nature going on here, between the bird life, the cottontails and the jackrabbits. The campground is also maintained in typical New Mexico state park fashion— by which I mean impeccable, thoughtful, well-appointed. An amazing place for only $10 a night.
Oliver Lee is a beautiful campground nestled at the mouth of Dog Canyon. The handsome Visitor Center building is designed to blend in to the dramatic canyon walls. Inside is a small museum which displays artifacts from an early rancher and homesteader Oliver Lee and “Frenchy” Rochas. The adobe and rock ruin of Rocha’s homestead cabin is near the entrance to the park and worth a visit.
We did a four hour, 6.2 mile hike up to the Line Cabin deep in Dog Canyon. It’s an amazingly well-maintained trail that is more steep than not, but the path has been meticulously cut and shaped into the landscape. I’d call it a strenuous but not difficult hike, so be sure to give it a whirl and go as far as your legs can carry you. Totally worth it. You’ll be able to see clear out to the White Sands National Monument once you get high enough.
A shorter, “riparian nature trail” hugs the wash along side the Visitor Center. It’s only a half mile long, level and has interesting information posted along the way. It’s cool to see the remnants of thick rock walls that Rochas built high up on the canyon walls in the late 1880s to keep his cattle contained.
We had unusually spotty connectivity…. one moment Verizon 1x then it would skip to a bar or two of 3G and then 2 bars of LTE. The internet was out there, for sure, but seemed unstable. But that’s okay, because we were here to be OUTside after all.
Minor ding for the dangerously scalding showers. Push button (which I normally don’t mind) but this one had a 2 second duration. So either you’d burn your hand on the handle/button or you’d burn your scalp on the water. Pick your poison. They appeared be heated by solar roof panels, but it would be much safer to be able to control the temperature. I kept thinking that I was glad to not have small children to bath, and to be strong enough to hold the button/handle in constantly.
Oliver Lee is a only 45 minute drive from both Cloudcroft, high up in the Lincoln National Forest and White Sands NM, so it’s a great location for day-tripping to both.
Nightly Rate: $10.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 34
RV Length: 23 ft
RV Type: Travel Trailer
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
We got here on Feb. 29, 2016 without a reservation and found a nice electric/water campsite without any problem. It's a find a site and self check in campground. I'm not sure there are any bad campsites. Great views from all of them. We used it as a base to go to White Sands National Monument and Alamogordo. BTW, my wife says to check out the massive Lowe's Signature Marketplace food store in Alamogordo. She was super impressed!
There is nothing I can add to what others have already said about this great park--just confirm all the positives already written. Awesome views all around! Amazing starlit skies! Great little museum/visitor center! Friendly visitor center volunteer! Never used the bathroom facilities, so cannot comment, other than they looked clean. Good Verizon LTE. We highly recommend this park.
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 5
RV Length: 35 ft
RV Type: Fifth Wheel
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
This campground was such a pleasant surprise! We came to the area to visit White Sands (like everyone else) and we were a little unsure of the campground as we headed up the road to the base of the mountains. But as we got closer, we realized it was, in fact, a legitimate campground with AMAZING 360 degree views.
There seem to be great trails that lead up into the mountains, directly from the campground's visitor center (sadly we weren't able to attempt them with our kiddos.) This campground is very quiet, clean and the sites are nicely spread out. I would highly recommend this spot! Beautiful and cheap for both water and electric hook-ups.
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 3
RV Type: Van
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
We chose this park for its proximity to White Sands National Monument, but found that Oliver Lee stands on its own as a beautiful place to camp and hike. The campground is nestled beneath the Sacramento mountains, with the 5.5-mile Dog Canyon hiking trail leading to incredible mountain and canyon views in Lincoln National Forest. When we were there in late November, the campground was only 1/3 full, and we were the only campers taking advantage of the trail. We found peace and quiet here, with Alamogordo and White Sands an easy drive away.
Electric/water hookup sites are a bargain at $14/night, with primitive sites only $10/night. Seven of the 44 sites are reservable. Larger rigs should be aware that many sites are oddly shaped and may require some creative positioning and leveling.
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 3
RV Length: 23 ft
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
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Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Campground
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Max Stay
- 14
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 18.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 0.0
- Back In RV Sites Count
- 30
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 41 ft
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Sites
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Laundry
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Propane
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Showers
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Big Rigs
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Boondock
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Firewood
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Fifty Amp
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Slide Outs
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Tent Sites
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Cabin Sites
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Full Hookup
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Paved Sites
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Dump Station
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Mobile Homes
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Public Water
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Pull Through
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Water Hookup
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Potable Water
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Age Restricted
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Rec Facilities
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Dispersed Sites
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Open Seasonally
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Permit Required
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Back In RV Sites
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Group Tent Sites
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Fulltime Residents
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Standard Tent Sites
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Vehicle Wash Permitted
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