Free Camping Near Carlsbad Caverns: Sunset Reef Campground Review
If you’re looking for free camping near Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Sunset Reef Campground was a fantastic find for us.
This small BLM campground was only about seven miles from the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns, making it an incredibly convenient base for exploring the park.
Even better?
During our visit, camping was free for up to five nights.
We had an enormous RV site, our own covered picnic table, a trash can and plenty of room for both our trailer and truck.
The campground was clean.
Everyone we met was friendly.
And from the campground, we could actually look toward the hill where the Carlsbad Caverns visitor center was located.
For free camping, we thought this place was pretty awesome.
Where Is Sunset Reef Campground?
Sunset Reef Campground is a BLM campground south of Carlsbad, New Mexico.
The biggest attraction for us was its location.
During our stay, we were only about seven miles from the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
That meant we could leave the trailer comfortably set up at camp and use the truck to explore the park.
For the way we travel, that’s ideal.
Sunset Reef Was Free During Our Stay
At the time of our visit, camping at Sunset Reef was free.
The posted rules allowed a maximum stay of five nights.
That gave us enough time to settle in, take care of a few chores and explore Carlsbad Caverns and the surrounding area without feeling rushed.
Because BLM camping regulations and fees can change, check current information before planning your trip rather than relying on the rules from our visit.
How Many Campsites Are at Sunset Reef?
This was a small campground.
During our visit, there were separate areas for tents and RVs.
On the right after crossing the cattle guard were six tent sites.
On the left were five RV sites.
That isn’t a lot of RV camping.
And as we quickly discovered, those sites were popular.
The RV Sites Were Huge
What Sunset Reef lacked in the number of RV sites, it made up for in size.
Our site was enormous.
We had the trailer parked in the space with the truck beside it and estimated we could easily have parked another couple of trucks there.
There was plenty of maneuvering room too.
That made Sunset Reef particularly nice for us because we didn’t have to squeeze our trailer into a tiny site.
We had room to get settled comfortably.
Each RV Site Had a Covered Picnic Table
Our RV site also had its own covered picnic table.
That’s a particularly nice amenity in the New Mexico desert.
Instead of sitting completely exposed to the sun, we had a sheltered outdoor area beside our trailer.
Each RV space also had its own garbage can near the end of the railing during our visit.
Those little amenities made the campground feel surprisingly developed for a place where we weren’t paying a camping fee.
Tent Camping at Sunset Reef
The tent sites were located on the opposite side of the campground.
There were six during our visit.
Each had a covered picnic table and a small gravel pad where campers could set up a tent rather than sleeping directly on rough desert ground.
We also saw trash cans scattered around the tent-camping area.
Interestingly, the tent sites didn’t seem to fill as quickly as the RV spaces while we were there.
Restroom and Campground Amenities
Sunset Reef also had a restroom near the far end of the campground.
So while this wasn’t a full-service campground with RV hookups, it wasn’t simply an empty piece of BLM land either.
During our visit, we had:
- Designated RV sites
- Designated tent sites
- Covered picnic tables
- Trash cans
- Restroom facilities
- Large RV parking spaces
- Easy access to Carlsbad Caverns
There were no hookups at our site, so we still needed to be prepared for dry camping.
But overall, we thought the setup was excellent.
What If the Five RV Sites Are Full?
We’d read reviews suggesting that RVs sometimes parked along the fence when the designated sites were occupied.
Looking around during our visit, we could see why.
There was quite a bit of additional open space along the fence.
We estimated there might have been room for several additional rigs.
However, don’t assume overflow parking is currently permitted simply because travelers were apparently doing it when we visited.
Camping rules can change.
Check the current regulations and obey posted signs when you arrive.
Get There Early If You Want an RV Site
This is probably our biggest practical tip from staying at Sunset Reef.
Don’t arrive too late in the day if you really want one of the five RV sites.
We arrived on a Tuesday and left on Friday.
The campground stayed busy throughout our visit.
We noticed that the RV sites tended to fill later in the day.
Based on what we saw, we suggested trying to arrive by around 3:00 p.m. if possible.
That’s not a guarantee, of course.
It was simply what we observed during our particular stay.
The tent sites had more availability while we were there, but the RV sites were popular.
With only five of them, that’s not surprising.
What Is the Road Into Sunset Reef Like?
Access was pretty easy for us.
The campground was reached by a dirt road that we estimated was about a mile long.
The road wasn’t badly rutted.
It wasn’t particularly washboarded either.
What it did have was large stones.
That meant we needed to slow down and take our time.
But we didn’t consider the road difficult or impossible for our travel trailer.
It was also conveniently accessible from the highway.
As always, unpaved-road conditions can change with weather, maintenance and traffic, so check recent conditions before towing an RV into the campground.
Camping With a View Toward Carlsbad Caverns
One of the coolest things about Sunset Reef was being able to look toward Carlsbad Caverns from camp.
From the campground, we could see the visitor center area up on the hill.
We’d traveled all this way to explore the national park.
Now we were camping practically underneath it.
That’s hard to beat.
Sunset Reef Was a Great Carlsbad Caverns Base Camp
The location made exploring Carlsbad Caverns National Park extremely easy.
We left General comfortably at the trailer when we visited the caverns because of the park’s pet restrictions during our visit.
Then we drove the short distance to the park, took the elevator hundreds of feet underground and spent our time exploring the incredible cavern.
We also returned to the park near sunset to watch the bats emerge from the cave.
Being camped so close made that second trip much easier.
Instead of debating whether we really wanted another long drive back to the park that evening, we were only a few miles away.
General Made a Friend at Sunset Reef
General had his own campground adventure.
Another couple staying there had a very young chocolate English Lab.
The two dogs spent an evening playing together.
We always enjoy meeting other travelers, but General has probably introduced us to as many people as anything else during our years on the road.
Dog people tend to find other dog people.
And General certainly wasn’t going to complain about having a young Lab around to play with.
Visiting Sitting Bull Falls From Camp
We also used our time in the Carlsbad area to explore beyond the national park.
Ed found Sitting Bull Falls, and we decided to make the drive even though we’d seen reports suggesting the waterfall might be dry by early May.
Fortunately, it wasn’t.
The waterfall was beautiful.
It was especially fascinating to see so much water and green vegetation surrounded by the otherwise dry New Mexico landscape.
That side trip made our stay near Carlsbad even more memorable.
What We Liked About Sunset Reef Campground
There was a lot to like about this campground:
- Free camping during our visit
- Only about seven miles from Carlsbad Caverns
- Five very large RV sites
- Six designated tent sites
- Covered picnic tables
- Trash cans
- Restroom
- Easy highway access
- Plenty of maneuvering room
- Friendly campers
- Clean campground
- Great base for exploring the Carlsbad area
For us, the combination of free camping and location was the big winner.
Things to Know Before Camping at Sunset Reef
There are a few things we’d keep in mind.
There were only five designated RV sites during our visit, and they filled quickly.
We’d try to arrive earlier rather than later if getting a designated RV site is important.
This was dry camping, so don’t expect RV hookups.
The dirt access road had large stones, so we drove slowly.
And the five-night stay limit reflected the posted rules during our visit.
BLM regulations, campground facilities and fees may have changed since then, so verify current conditions before you go.
Would We Stay at Sunset Reef Campground Again?
Definitely.
We had a huge site.
The campground was clean.
People were friendly.
Access wasn’t difficult for us.
We were close enough to Carlsbad Caverns that we could see the visitor center area up on the hill.
And we paid nothing to camp there during our stay.
That’s our kind of campground.
Free Camping Made Exploring Carlsbad Caverns Easy
One of the things we’ve learned while traveling full-time is that a good base camp can make an enormous difference.
We don’t necessarily need a swimming pool.
We don’t need a clubhouse.
And we certainly don’t need fancy landscaping.
Give us somewhere safe and comfortable to park the trailer, enough room for General, reasonable road access and a great destination nearby.
Sunset Reef gave us exactly that.
We could leave our little home set up, explore Carlsbad Caverns, come back to camp, visit Sitting Bull Falls and return to the park for the Bat Flight without hauling our trailer all over southern New Mexico.
And during our visit, we could do all of that while camping for free.
Pretty hard to complain about that.
And we’ll see you down the road…and Over the Hills!
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