Camping at Hackberry Lake
Most campers are locals here for OHV riding over the weekend, but this is also a popular free camping area for travelers visiting Carlsbad Caverns, located about an hour south. There are no reservations, no permits, first-come, first-serve.
On the weekend it’s nearly impossible to find an open campsite, but from Monday to Thursday it’s very quiet here, and almost all sites are open. The BLM keeps this campground fairly well-kept, dumping the trash cans regularly and keeping the vault toilet stocked with toilet paper. There are free-ranging cattle that will wander by, and there’s also traffic from trucks servicing the oil fields.
In our experience, we found the campsites level, on firm packed ground, suitable for any vehicle. The sites are large enough for full sized RVs. You wouldn’t want to stay here into the weekend because it gets crazy. It’s best suited for a few nights while you visit Carlsbad Caverns and the town of Carlsbad.
