Caballo Lake State Park — Attraction in Four Corners States

Definitely a different vibe than Elephant Butte which is just a short drive north from Caballo.

This much smaller state park has rocky (pebbles to soccer ball size) beaches (pebbles to soccer ball size), murkier water, and more spiders (but much fewer mosquitoes). The major draw - peace and quiet. Unlike Elephant Butte, there are many shady campsites that can be found under the canopies of majestic cottonwoods. Here, it's possible to sleep in until you are gently nudged into consciousness by the morning sunlight kissing your face and the calming lapping of the water onto the beach.

By comparison, at the Butte, you are crowded between campers running generators and bumping music till midnight or later, then, in the morning, good luck sleeping past six am as the early birds hop onto their skidoos and rev around the lake - making as much noise as humanly possible.

There are trade-offs, for sure, the Butte has its draws with sandy shores and shower access, but I've been enjoying Caballo much...

Nestled in between the hills south of Truth or Consequences and about 10 minutes north of the chile capital, Hatch, this beautiful pocket of water sits under the towering Caballo mountains. The camp sites are well equipped with water pumps and electric outlet boxes scattered through out the camp for everyone’s convenience. Certain camping spots put you far from the water, and although it’s a short walk over, you go through parts of desert and pass by several other campers sites. There’s one large building nestled in the center of the site that’s easy to spot that has showers, sinks, and toilets. Although swimming is not permitted, boating is, although simply sitting back and seeing the water in the evening is enjoyable enough. I was lucky enough to be visiting on the night of a full moon and that view alone was...

Great park with multiple areas for camping. Most spaces have water and electric and a few have sewer as well. Dry camping is allowed but you also need to pay for those spots. The Riverside Campground is further down the road, below the dam and next to the river, with similar services to campsites in the main area. Riverside was the only park with a playground but it looks like a nice one. RV dump station is available for registered campers. Pit toilets are scattered around the campgrounds and remoter areas of the park. They are well maintained and clean. I had no problem using them. Full service restrooms are in various areas complete with showers which all looked clean. Riverside restroom was closed for the season. Lots of stars at night and many birds. We would come again if we pass...