Sunset Reef Campground
BLM
Write a Review Washington Ranch Rd. Carlsbad, NM 88220 575-234-5972 Official WebsiteGPS: 32.1095, -104.4253
Location submitted by: @fearoftheknownrv
Overview of Sunset Reef Campground
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by LokiStormbringer on 4/6/2024
Longest RV Reported: 44 feet (Class A)
Reported by Zelda Z on 10/30/2021
Number of Sites 11
Pad Type gravel
Elevation 3,608 ft / 1,099 m
Max Stay 5
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Sunset Reef Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 575-234-5972
Ellie asked on 12/26/2021
Do you need to make a reservation for Sunset Reef Campground?
Andrew asked on 9/22/2023
How safe is this area for leaving your rig and going to the caverns
ds9writer asked on 9/10/2021
We're looking to stay somewhere near Carlsbad Caverns - but in a tent -- this campground looks like it's all gravel -...
Reviews of Sunset Reef Campground 95 people have reviewed this location.
“Great Basecamp”
Reviewed 4/16/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Perfect location for free camping to easily access both Guadalupe Mountain and Carlsbad Caverns. All sites are right next to each other but nice canopies and tables are provided. Close-ish to highway
Sam would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful sunsets”
Reviewed 4/12/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
RV Length: | 35' (Fifth Wheel) |
Firstly I would like to state that there are no signs to get here and Google maps could take you close by, but not to the site. You will turn onto the road (theres a big red sign for Washington Ranch Event Destination) THEN TAKE A RIGHT ON TH GRAVEL ROAD shortly after turning onto the road. Even though you can not see the campground fr... more
Firstly I would like to state that there are no signs to get here and Google maps could take you close by, but not to the site. You will turn onto the road (theres a big red sign for Washington Ranch Event Destination) THEN TAKE A RIGHT ON TH GRAVEL ROAD shortly after turning onto the road. Even though you can not see the campground from the road, I promise you it's at the end of the gravel road.
We went straight and ended up at the closed wedding event center and had to turn around and hope the campground was at the end of the gravel road.
All the designated spots were full, but we were able to pull up along the fences and nobody minded. Other campers did the same. They have put toilets, and garbage cans/covered picnic tables for the designated spots. The sunsets are beautiful, but the wind can get intense. We were awoken at 430am by 30mph winds that dis not stop till we left at noon.
The caverns are amazing! If you're able, walk down (don't take the elevator). Other then that, we weren't overly amused by our surroundings.
WeAreFunhavers would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great BLM camping”
Reviewed 3/30/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
RV Length: | 32' (Fifth Wheel) |
Best site for free camping I've seen. GPS co-ordinates are for the entrance road, it's about 1/4-1/3 of a mile further to the campground. Road in was gravel and dusty and a bit bumpy, but had no ruts or potholes. Campground has 5 pull through RV sites with barbecue, table, shelter, and fire ring. 6 tent sites with coarse sand tent p... more
Best site for free camping I've seen. GPS co-ordinates are for the entrance road, it's about 1/4-1/3 of a mile further to the campground. Road in was gravel and dusty and a bit bumpy, but had no ruts or potholes.
Campground has 5 pull through RV sites with barbecue, table, shelter, and fire ring. 6 tent sites with coarse sand tent pads, shelter, barbecue, and table. Most sites have a trash can. Pit toilet at one corner of the camp. We arrived in the afternoon and had to settle for parking on the perimeter. While the campground was full with some kids and some dogs hanging outside (including ours), it was nice and quiet. AT&T signal was great with speeds of 60 Mbps down and 43 up. Sprint was 31 Mbps down and 4 up.
Jarhead6433 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice spot”
Reviewed 3/30/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
The road into the camp spots is gravel and pretty bumpy but doable for sure. There were designated spots for tents and RVs with covered tables. We got there around 6 so all the designated spots were taken. So we pulled up next to the outside fence. Great spot. There were families and dogs. Everyone was sitting outside. But when we went... more
The road into the camp spots is gravel and pretty bumpy but doable for sure. There were designated spots for tents and RVs with covered tables. We got there around 6 so all the designated spots were taken. So we pulled up next to the outside fence. Great spot. There were families and dogs. Everyone was sitting outside. But when we went in it was very quiet. I’d stay here again.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot”
Reviewed 3/19/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Clean and quiet campground. No utilities, so be self sufficient. Great as a base camp for visiting Carlsbad Caverns NP and Guadalupe Mountain NP.
Joe800m would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Quick, Easy & Clean”
Reviewed 3/13/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Site Number: | — |
RV Length: | 31' (Class C) |
This was a great spot that was super quick and easy to find! We stopped here for just one night to go to the Carlsbad Caverns (which were only 15 min away). We arrived after dark so we just picked a quiet spot in the back along the fence and left the next afternoon after the caverns. The campground was very clean and although it was ... more
This was a great spot that was super quick and easy to find! We stopped here for just one night to go to the Carlsbad Caverns (which were only 15 min away). We arrived after dark so we just picked a quiet spot in the back along the fence and left the next afternoon after the caverns.
The campground was very clean and although it was pretty full it was very quiet at night. We felt safe and were grateful for a spot so close to the caverns national park.
JoyintheJourney would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great spot, great location. ”
Reviewed 3/9/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | N/A |
RV Length: | 40' (Class A) |
We were here 3/7 - 3/9 2021. (3 nights). 20 mins from Carlsbad Caverns. Good flat spots for any size rig. Pretty popular, butt we were there during the spring break period. There are several slabs with canopies and tables, but we just pulled up along the fence and had a great spot. If you cannot get a space here, 10-mile BLM is just... more
We were here 3/7 - 3/9 2021. (3 nights). 20 mins from Carlsbad Caverns. Good flat spots for any size rig. Pretty popular, butt we were there during the spring break period. There are several slabs with canopies and tables, but we just pulled up along the fence and had a great spot.
If you cannot get a space here, 10-mile BLM is just across the highway and plenty of spots there.
Vault toilets (we don’t need one . . . but . . FYI) and we noticed BLM people were cleaning out the garbage cans and cleaning the vault, so quite a well-maintained spot.
Look for the BIG RED Washington Ranch sign and the road is #418 - 5 miles south of Whites city. Turn on 418 and the campground turn is on the right about 75 yards up from the highway.
Guy would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Excellent campground convenient to two national parks”
Reviewed 2/21/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
RV Length: | 26' (Travel Trailer) |
As long as you are self-sufficient for boondocking, this is a near perfect campground for Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The sites are level, there are concrete pads with excellent picnic tables and sunshades, and a well maintained toilet. Follow the directions given by other reviewers and it is... more
As long as you are self-sufficient for boondocking, this is a near perfect campground for Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The sites are level, there are concrete pads with excellent picnic tables and sunshades, and a well maintained toilet. Follow the directions given by other reviewers and it is easy to find. Hidden surprises are that a little ways down Washington Ranch Road is a very nice water area (Cottonwood Day Park) with wildlife and natural foliage for the area. And a final bonus is that cell service here is excellent.
marackish would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Quiet and secluded + amenities”
Reviewed 2/20/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | NA |
What a great place to stay. I fought the winter storms in TX, snow/icy covered roads to get here and it was worth it. A nice size area to camp, some sites in the middle have concrete pads with gazebos, picnic tables and grill. Quiet with minor noise from nearby road. Flat solid ground. Good cell signal. Close to the caverns and a great... more
What a great place to stay. I fought the winter storms in TX, snow/icy covered roads to get here and it was worth it. A nice size area to camp, some sites in the middle have concrete pads with gazebos, picnic tables and grill. Quiet with minor noise from nearby road. Flat solid ground. Good cell signal. Close to the caverns and a great park called Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area; natural springs that provide the area with water.
Only 3-4 other rigs here while I stayed.
Mike would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Best of the Carlsbad boondocking”
Reviewed 2/7/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
This was a great boondocking spot convenient to Carlsbad Caverns NP. We checked out Chosa and Mile 10 boondocking and thought this one was much better. Felt very safe and there were several folks and families camped here. There are about 6 tent spots and 6 RV spots that have covered picnic tables and charcoal grills. All of the RV spot... more
This was a great boondocking spot convenient to Carlsbad Caverns NP. We checked out Chosa and Mile 10 boondocking and thought this one was much better. Felt very safe and there were several folks and families camped here. There are about 6 tent spots and 6 RV spots that have covered picnic tables and charcoal grills. All of the RV spots were full when we arrived, but there were several other campers setup along the perimeter. There is also a newer and clean pit toilet (although TP was scarce). The wind did get pretty intense here and everything was covered in a layer of dust, but the spot is easy to access. When heading south from Carlsbad, turn right when you see the signs for Washington Ranch. Then make the first right across a cattle guard and that leads straight to the campground. Also, about 4 miles from the campground in Whites City (where you would turn to go to the Carlsbad NP Visitor Center), there is a small laundromat, post office, and small grocery and gas station. Excellent AT&T speeds here!
Live S'more would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Leandra
OHSunset Reef Campground
Date Visited: February 1-4, 2021Address: Washington Ranch Road, Carlsbad, NM 88220GPS: 32.1095, -104.4253WebsitePrice: Free Reservations: NoStay Limit: 5 NightsPets: YesRestrooms:...
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
Site Amenities
- big rig
- picnic table
- pull thru
Facilities
- restrooms: vault
Pets
- pets
Nearby
White's City RV Park
It works. REALLY tight spots. 7 min from Carlsbad NP entrance.
- Wide Turns Only
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