Dog Canyon Campground

Dog Canyon Campground lies in a secluded, forested canyon on the north side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park at an elevation of 6,300 feet (1,920 m), at the end of NM Hwy. 137 (Queen Highway). This quiet location is great for relaxing, wildlife watching and hiking. The campground is open year-round and is busiest March-May and September-November. It is a 70-mile (113 km) drive from the nearest town of Carlsbad, New Mexico, and 110 miles (177 km) from the Pine Spring Visitor Center and Campground, about a two hour drive. Dog Canyon is remote: fuel your vehicle and purchase supplies before heading to the park. Trails from Dog Canyon offer good access, with relatively easy grades, to the high country of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The hike to Lost Peak is 6.4 miles (10.3 km) round-trip, is considered strenuous and has 1,500 ft (457 m) of elevation gain. The hike to Marcus Overlook is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) round-trip and is considered moderate, with an 800 ft (244 m) elevation gain. The Indian Meadow Nature Trail near the campground is 0.6 miles (1 km) and winds around a grassy area surrounded by a mix of broadleaved evergreens, deciduous trees and pines. The campground features 13 sites total — 9 tent and 4 RV — plus 1 group site. Campsite occupancy is limited to 6 persons or 2 tents per site; the group site allows 10-20 persons. Tent sites are hike-in only (61 to 178 feet / 19 to 54 m from parking) and cannot accommodate RV parking. Each tent site offers a tent pad and picnic table, and RV sites are gravel with picnic tables. There are no shower facilities, hookups or dump stations. No open fires are permitted anywhere in the park, including portable propane fire rings and charcoal; only cooking stoves or lanterns using containerized fuel are permitted. The use of weight-bearing hammocks, slacklines, tarps or similar devices tied to natural and/or manmade features is prohibited, to protect trees and other features and to discourage camping out of bounds; incidental and temporary lines for clothes drying or wilderness food storage are not subject to this limitation. The campground is in an area with wooded drainages, meadows, grassy hillsides and sparsely vegetated outcrops. Large alligator junipers, oaks, maples, madrones, piñon and ponderosa pine are in and near the campground. Shrubs include ceanothus, sumacs, mahonia and mountain mahogany, and desert-adapted plants include a variety of prickly pear cactus, agave and chollas. Western scrub jays, acorn woodpeckers and a variety of hummingbirds frequent the area, and mule deer are commonly seen. Algerita ridge casts morning shade, and cool mountain air settles in the canyon bottom nightly; daytime highs are similar to the Pine Springs area, but nighttime lows can be much cooler. Views of the night sky are pristine. During the Permian Period, shallow marine water behind the Capitan Reef created a series of layers of limestone and sandstone, and faulting and subsequent erosion created the canyon. Nearby topographic features include Lost Peak, Blue Ridge, West Dog Canyon, and the Brokeoff and Cutoff Mountains. Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers a variety of cave tours as well as hiking trails and a scenic drive; Rattlesnake Springs and Slaughter Canyon are nearer day-use attractions, and birding is excellent at Rattlesnake Springs. The Guadalupe District of the Lincoln National Forest is located just over the state line, north of the national park, and provides camping, hiking, caving, hunting and picnicking opportunities. Sitting Bull Falls is a nice waterfall and picnic area in the Lincoln National Forest, and Five Point Vista is a glorious ridge road ride, closer to Dog Canyon.