Oliver Lee Memorial State Park — Oliver Lee State Park

Oliver Lee Memorial, NM: We stayed in Loop B, non-electric. I did not evaluate Loop A. Good location for visiting White Sands (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4.5 Great campground layout. Well designed. Sites are staggered giving view grand view for all sites Security: Desert vegetation does not offer privacy Site Spacing: Great . Toilets and Showers :There is a dispersed camping area nearby, therefore, showers/flush toilet building is shut down at night to avoid their unauthorized usage of facilities during the night. Scattered pit toilets are always available. Usage during visit: 95% full Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: GREAT Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: This campground is at the end of the access road. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Loop A Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes. Open from about dawn to nighttime to avoid unlawful use. Potable Water Available: Scattered spigots in Loop B. Bathroom: Pit toilets and one nice shower/flush toilet facility. Showers: Private stalls. Pull Throughs: Some Cell Service (AT&T): Good service from our site. Setting: Nestled close to the mountain range with nice views of the desert below.
Recent Weather: Sunny. 60s to 30s Solar: GREAT Insects:None Host: Great hosts Rig Size:Large rigs Sites: best sunsets sites.:42, 43, 44(however, you can see the sunset from most sites.). Nice view sides: 41, 40, 39, 38, 32, 33, (35, 36, 37, great views just close to the bathroom). Every site here has an extraordinary view. These are just a little bit better, in my opinion.

Great state park. Clean and well thought out camping sites. Not much shade but some sites have shelters over picnic tables. Stayed at dry site (no water or electric) but water is available around campground.

As other people have mentioned, there are some sites that have small shelters built over the picnic tables, but I couldn't figure out a pattern to them, so it would be difficult to reserve ahead. (Also, many of them were at the RV sites--which have water and electricity but no sewer connections--which seemed like a waste since RV's come with built-in shade. Luckily, we had brought an 8' square canopy which was a lifesaver. About 15 minutes from Alamogordo and 30 minutes from White Sands, so convenient, too. It seemed to be full on Friday night but only half-full on Saturday night. (The Trinity Site was open on Saturday, so my guess was that some people went there and then moved on.) Nice flush bathrooms with free showers, and there were additional spigots and vault toilets for backup. Didn't go on it but the Dog Canyon trail looks like a beast and started from the campground. Highlight was definitely the views, especially during sunrise and sunset. The sites across from us ($42 and #44) would have been even better for views (though neither had the prized picnic table shade!).

At the mouth of Dog Canyon this is a gem of a campground! Though not a lot of shade so you should plan for that, there are some covered shelters at a few sites. Clean facilities, showers, restrooms. Friendly camp hosts. You do remember to thank your camp hosts, right? Great base camp for exploring White Sands NP even though it’s a bit of a drive. Potable water and dump site available. It can get quite windy… Be sure to check out Alamogordo while you’re there and don’t forget the world’s largest pistachio!

Big sites, had a tiny camper and tent. Plenty of room. Table and fire pit. Beautiful views! Showers, trails and a visitor center. Less than 30 min from white sands and Alamogordo. PRO-TIP go to Nenas ice cream and snack shop on Alamogordo and order mango creama with a scoop of ice cream. SUPER FRESH ingredients. Also Amigos Bakery has amazing baked goods and burritos.

General: Nicely laid out state park about 15 miles from Alamogordo where you could stock up on anything you need. 

Site Quality: The sites are level, gravel, and generous in size; each would have room for an extra vehicle if needed. I believe all of them have water and electric hookups. The only odd thing is that these hookups are located near the front of the site which could be awkward if you do not have a long enough cord. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring; some (but not all) have a covered shelter. 

Bathhouse: The bathroom appeared clean. Two shower stalls appeared clean, but I did not use them. There is a gravel path leading to the bathhouse, but it is twisty and rocky; make sure you bring your flashlight after dark. 

Activities: There are guided tours four times a week where you will drive your own vehicle to the ranch. There is also an occasional Saturday morning “coffee and conversation” where staff is available to answer questions about the history of the area, plants, and wildlife. Unfortunately, we arrived after dark in the rain and left the next morning around 9 am still in the rain and not on a day that any of the programs were offered. From what I could see, this looks like a very well-laid-out park, and I would definitely like to return to see the ranch and explore more of the area.

A great campground with beautiful hiking trails, visitors center and showers!

Stayed here last month and loved it so much we had to come back! Camp hosts Bob and Donna are helpful and welcoming - they have lots of sleds to borrow if you want to take a trip to the dunes for some fun. No sewer at the site but dump station is easy to access. Good shower facilities. Site #41 is our absolute favorite - huge, 2 level site with lots of room for our son to play. Nice cement table, fire pit and gravel tent pad as well. Nestled next to the mountains but full sun during the day which is great for us since we have solar panels and no electric at the site. Some walk in sites available if you don’t have a reservation - first come, first served. Always see a combination of campers, rvs, tents and vans. Peaceful with gorgeous views.

Loved this campground. Views were awesome and several trails leaving from the campground. Bathhouse was dated but usable. Vault bathrooms were very clean. Loved it!

My wife and I enjoyed our visit to this park. The views alone made the trip. The history of the location amazed us. The hikes/exploring kept us busy. Take the guided tour and learn the history of the area. The sites are large and clean. The staff and hosts are very polite and helpful.

Perched on a slight elevation at the base of the mountain, Oliver Lee State Park provides a wonderful scenic overlook. On a normal clear day you can see White Sands National Park in the distance.

No water or electrical at the park. There is a dump station.

The nature trail is well done and the informational museum does a nice job describing the history of the area.

The sites were spacious and the campground was very quiet. The rangers were very friendly and they have loaner sleds that you can take to the White Sands dunes which are about 30 minutes away. Every site seemed to have pretty views. Bath houses were very clean and heated. Would definitely stay here again.

Absolutely beautiful campground. Very quiet and peaceful. Way stayed in spot 17 with no hookups in a 30 foot class A. We had no problems getting here, but the roads could use some work. The showers were decent, very hot!

Great campground about 8 fcfs spots

Basically an RV campsite with a lot of privacy. Can enter/exit any time of day. Very friendly people. Very quiet. Entire campsite vulnerable to wind and rain. Toilets and showers are good enough. Showers were kind of gross but very hot and useable. Dog friendly. Most guests look like hikers.

Stayed here for one night and loved it - chanced upon this beautiful location close to White Sands national park. Only problem was that it was super windy when we stayed so had to sleep in the car in the middle of the night! We were unlucky

This park is in a beautiful spot and is well maintained! Quiet and nice bathrooms/showers. Would for sure visit again if out that way.

We stayed in our camper van without using electricity. We arrived around 10 pm and left at 9 am but it was a great set up for all our needs. Washroom was well maintained. Location was beautiful —at the base of a gorgeous canyon.

Great campground surrounded by cacti. I reserved a site with a covered picnic table and this was perfect as it rained a bit. No fires or charcoal allowed at the time. If it wasn’t cloudy, I’m sure the sunset would be beautiful from the campground.

30 minutes from White Sands, quiet and well maintained. Book ahead of time to reserve covered picnic table sites especially if going during the summer.

This was a fantastic state park very close to White Sands National Park. The park is halfway up a mountain with great views of the desert valley / Tularosa Basin below. It’s far enough outside Alamogordo to feel remote but close enough to be able to get to White Sands and nearby amenities easily. Not all the sites in the park are level so be ready.

This is such a scenic place to camp. Mountains, sunrise, sunset, trails. Bathrooms are clean and good showers. Wow! I hope we can come here again.

Great campground with interesting history. Dog canyon trail is a must to get the whole experience. Tours to Oliver Lee ranch are available. Can be windy and lots of bugs during our visit. Only one trail.

Great location with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, AND moon rises over the Sacramento mountains.

Clean location, clean restroom/shower facilities. Campground was full the week we were present. A friendly campground host patrols periodically.

Absolutely stunning. I will definitely be coming here again. The sunrise, sunset and night sky were all breathtaking. I loved every bit of it. Va unity was so clean and bathrooms were also very clean.

This State Park is Amazing.

It has everything I would want in a campground and for only $10 a night.

The Fog Canyon Trail is great too

Beautiful view, very clean, water and 50 amp hookup

I stayed at A-30, and while there was no electric or water hookup, to me, it had the best view! Right behind me was the beautiful mountain and I was very close to the visitor center and Dog Canyon Trail.

Water was nearby and the restrooms/shower was a few hundred feet away.

Hosts were nice and helpful along my hiking trip and I can’t wait to come back when there are full hookup sites available (I see why they are reserved often).

What a great place to stay and what an amazing view each morning!

Great campground about 20 minutes south of Alamogordo. Nestled in the rocks. Alamogordo itself seemed a little sketchy but this campground is far enough away. Some sites have water and power. Some more level than others. The water and dump station is VERY conveniently located just outside the entrance.

Perfectly level, no trash, beautiful stars, sunset and sunrise over the mountains. A few other campers. No amenities but hoping no one leaves trash (as that rudeness has closed many other great BLM sites). Went to White Sands National Monument early (25 miles) to get spot to park RV.