Leasburg Dam State Park

We spent two nights here in March 2026, on our drive from Austin back to Colorado in March 2026. We were in site 29 in the Cholla Loop and paid about $40 a night. Our full field report is still being written, so here is what to know about the place itself.

The short version

Leasburg Dam State Park sits on the Rio Grande at Radium Springs, New Mexico, about a 25-minute drive north of Las Cruces, at nearly 4,000 feet. It is a small park built around a historic irrigation dam, with river access, desert trails and an observatory.

A little history

• The U.S. Reclamation Service built Leasburg Dam, the Leasburg Canal and the Dam Tender's House between 1906 and 1908 to bring irrigation water to the Mesilla Valley.
• It was the first water diversion structure the Reclamation Service built on the Rio Grande in New Mexico, almost ten years before Elephant Butte Dam.
• El Camino Real, the old Spanish route north to Santa Fe, passes near the park, including the Jornada del Muerto stretch. Fort Selden, a 19th-century army post known for its Buffalo Soldiers, is nearby.

What it is known for

• Canoeing, kayaking and fishing on the river, plus birding and a cactus garden.
• Night sky programs at the park observatory, which opens for monthly events.
• About two miles of hiking and mountain bike trails, including an interpretive trail and paths to historic structures.

Camping

• 23 developed sites. 18 have water and electric hookups, a mix of 30 and 50 amp, and the rest have water nearby.
• Restrooms with showers, and an RV dump station.
• Group camping is available. There is no primitive camping.

Good to know

• Sites can be reserved through the New Mexico State Parks reservation system.
• Boating is non-motorized only, and life jackets are required. Swimming is limited to the north day use area and not allowed near the dam.
• There is a day use fee.