“At the base of Dog Canyon”
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, whose two tracts preserve a canyon in the Sacramento Mountains and Oliver Lee's historic 19th-century ranch house. The 640-acre (260 ha) park is located in Otero County at an elevation of 4,363 feet (1,330 m). It is situated at the base of Dog Canyon and provides opportunities for camping, hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, a nature trail, and guided tours of the ranch house. The Dog Canyon National Recreational Trail climbs to provide views of the Tularosa Basin and the Organ Mountains. Nearby are the community of Alamogordo and the White Sands National Monument. Oliver Lee Memorial State Park was established in 1980.
Reviews of Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Campground
106 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G/5G
Confirmed by 55 users | Last reported on January 08, 2024AT&T 4G/5G
Confirmed by 32 users | Last reported on January 08, 2024T-Mobile 4G/5G
Confirmed by 13 users | Last reported on January 08, 2024A 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.
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
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
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: -
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
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
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
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
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
We risked not having reservations and lucked out with a great water and electric site. They only take reservations for 7 of the 44 sites available and some are water and electric and some are dry camping.
We LOVE it here. Everywhere you looks is stunning. Especially at sunset. Good hiking in the park and only 20 minutes to get to grocery. (Lowe's Market makes their own tortillas fresh and they're amazing)
We had no problem fitting our 37' 5th wheel in our site but would be surprised to see anything bigger than ours fit in this park.
Only complaint would be the showers. It's a lot like getting sprayed with a misting fan. You push the button and have no control over the temperature and only get mildly wet for all of 15 seconds. :)
Nightly Rate: $14.00
Days Stayed: 5
Site Number: 6
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
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Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Campground
Hours
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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
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Back In RV Sites Count
- 30
- Last Nightly Rate
- 14.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 41.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 0.0
- Max Stay
- 14
- Sites Count
- 44
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Paved Sites
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Rec Facilities
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Open Seasonally
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Age Restricted
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Back In RV Sites
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Permit Required
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Potable Water
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Sites
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Slide Outs
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Standard Tent Sites
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Vehicle Wash Permitted
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Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
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