Lions Beach Elephant Butte: Sites, Map and Trailer Setup

Lions Beach at Elephant Butte is one of the developed camping areas inside Elephant Butte Lake State Park, split into three reservable electric loops (A, B and C) that you book through New Mexico State Parks. If you want a travel trailer waiting there instead of towing one, Lions Beach is one of the lake spots where Elephant Butte RV Rentals says it delivers and sets up trailers.

This guide is for the renter who has picked Lions Beach, or is close to it, and wants to know three things before paying for anything: what the sites actually offer, where to find the official map, and how a delivered trailer fits around State Parks rules. Everything below about the park comes from New Mexico State Parks and its reservation site; anything we could not confirm is marked as a question to ask.

Where is Lions Beach inside Elephant Butte Lake State Park?

Lions Beach is one of the developed campgrounds in the main park area, and its exact position is shown on its own State Parks campground map rather than described in text. State Parks' directions to the main park say to take Interstate 25 exit 83 onto NM State Road 195, pass the Visitor Center, take the third exit for Ridge Road, and that the campgrounds run along Sumac Rd from there. The park office is at 101 Hwy 195 in Elephant Butte, and the park phone is 575-744-5923.

That is a different approach from South Monticello, which State Parks routes through exit 89 and about 7 miles of Rock Canyon Road. If you are comparing the two, the Elephant Butte RV rentals page gives the broader lake picture.

What kind of campsites does Lions Beach have?

Lions Beach offers developed electric sites, not full hookups. On the State Parks reservation site, the campground appears as three areas: Lions Beach Campground Loop A Electric, Loop B Electric and Loop C Electric. The Loop A sites shown there (sites 50 through 64) list:

Loops B and C appear only as names in the reservation filter, so open each site's listing before you book rather than assuming they match Loop A. Sewer is not listed for Lions Beach; State Parks lists an RV dump station for the park as a whole. Primitive camping is a separate category on the reservation site, so a Lions Beach electric site and a spot on the sand are booked and priced differently.

Where can you find an official Lions Beach map?

The official source is the Lions Beach Electric Camping Map, a PDF linked from the Elephant Butte Lake State Park page. The same page links a full park map plus separate electric camping maps for Desert Cove and Quail Run and for South Monticello.

Download the Lions Beach map before you lose signal and use it to:

How do you reserve a Lions Beach site, and what rules apply?

You reserve Lions Beach through the New Mexico State Parks reservation site, which takes camping reservations up to 6 months ahead. The reservation vendor adds its own fee, which State Parks says does not go to the parks.

Nightly camping fees, per State Parks:

The rules that matter most for a rental trailer:

We found nothing in State Parks rules that speaks to a rental company delivering a trailer, so ask the park office how it counts a dropped-off trailer plus your own car under the per-vehicle fee.

How does having a trailer set up at Lions Beach work?

You book the campsite, we bring the trailer: Elephant Butte RV Rentals names Lions Beach among the lake spots where it delivers and sets up travel trailers, and its rates page notes that delivery cost may vary by site. Here is the order that keeps you inside the park rules above:

What setup physically includes, the delivery fee to Lions Beach, and how pickup works on check-out day are not published, so ask when you book. If you would rather tow, the homepage says you can pick up a trailer just minutes from the Marina.

Which of our trailers fit a Lions Beach stay?

All four trailers in the fleet are travel trailers, which suits Lions Beach's 30-amp electric and water sites.

Trailer lengths are not published, so confirm the one you pick fits a 40-foot site. The daily rate is a starting point, not your trip total; the team can quote the full figure. All units are on the RV rental prices page.

What should you check the week before you go?

Check the official Elephant Butte Lake park alerts page, because State Parks currently reports historically low water and some ramp and comfort station closures, and those notices change. Also confirm day-use hours on that page, since State Parks posts that anyone in the park after 9:00 p.m. pays for overnight camping. For more beach options around the lake, see our RV beach camping guide.

Frequently asked questions

Does Lions Beach at Elephant Butte have full hookups?

No. The Lions Beach loops are listed as electric areas, and the Loop A sites show 30-amp electric and water with no sewer listed; State Parks lists an RV dump station for the park.

Can Elephant Butte RV Rentals deliver a trailer to Lions Beach?

Yes. Lions Beach is one of the lake spots our website names for delivery and setup, along with Monticello Point, The Damsite and Caballo Lake State Park; delivery cost may vary by site, so ask for a quote.

Who reserves the Lions Beach campsite, me or the rental company?

Plan on reserving it yourself through the New Mexico State Parks reservation site, since state rules bar saving spaces for other people. Ask our team if you want help matching your site to a trailer.

How long can I keep a trailer at Lions Beach in fall and winter?

From October 1 to April 30, State Parks allows a maximum of 14 days out of any 20-day period. In the summer season (May through September) the cap drops to 7 days.

How do I get to Lions Beach from Truth or Consequences?

State Parks' directions to the main park area are I-25 exit 83, then NM 195 past the Visitor Center to the Ridge Road exit, with the campgrounds along Sumac Rd from there. Use the Lions Beach map for the last turns to your loop, or ask the park office at the gate.

Is the Lions Beach map the same as the Elephant Butte park map?

No. State Parks publishes a separate Lions Beach Electric Camping Map alongside the full park map, and the Lions Beach map is the one to use for loops and site numbers.

Ready to camp at Lions Beach without towing?

Once your site is reserved, tell us the loop and site number and we will match a trailer to it. To ask about delivery to Lions Beach, contact our Manager and the Elephant Butte RV Rentals Team; phone is fine too, at 575-322-2575. If your dates are set, View available RVs and pick the trailer that fits your group. You can also see how delivered rentals work on our camper rentals in Elephant Butte page.

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