Clayton Lake State Park and Dinosaur Trackways

Very awesome stop!! Road is extremely rough coming in but worth it. Plenty of parking. It's about a quarter mile easy walk around the lake to get to the tracks. But a beautiful walk and many photo opportunities along the way. Plenty of information to read and help guide you to see certain imprints and what type of dinosaur may have made them. I had the place to myself when I went early in the morning. I wouldn't recommend wheelchairs. You could make it some of the way and see the lake at least, but once you get to the end, it is all stairs to get down to the actual tracks. There is also a small hill that has been worn out by water flow a bit. If you go, please do not damage these tracks! Erosion is doing that enough on it's own. But to find out some people have purposely destroyed some of them, including taking hammers to destroy them is heartbreaking. I highly recommend this stop to respectful people!!

We had an awesome time! We are Troop 122 from Los Alamos and we constantly do treks, camping, and fishing. Clayton Lake is one of our favorites! We fished catfish, bass, and sunfish. The dinosaur tracks were awesome too! We definitely recommend. (PS. The catfish will eat anything, they even ate flies😂😭).

This was one of the larger campgrounds we stayed at, and we were in the South Loop at site S1, which had a beautiful view overlooking both the park and the lake. The showers weren’t bad at all, and the outhouses were honestly some of the cleanest we’ve ever used. Peaceful spot, great scenery, and overall a really solid stay. Would definitely come back!

My husband and I had a great time checking out the dinosaur tracks and walking down the little side path towards the lake. I loved spotting the fossilized ripple marks!

Clayton Lake State Park and Dinosaur Tracks I recently had the pleasure of visiting Clayton Lake State Park and Dinosaur Tracks, and even though my stay was brief, it was truly memorable. Scenic and Well-Spaced Campsites The campsites are beautifully arranged with ample space between each site, offering a sense of privacy and tranquility. Every site seems to boast a wonderful view of the lake, making it a perfect backdrop whether you're sipping coffee at sunrise or unwinding after a hike. Clean Facilities & Friendly Staff The facilities throughout the park are impressively well maintained and readily available, which makes for a comfortable and hassle-free experience. The staff deserves special mention. Everyone I interacted with was helpful, knowledgeable, and genuinely friendly, enhancing the welcoming atmosphere of the park. Dinosaur Tracks: A Must-See Feature One of the highlights is certainly the Dinosaur Tracks observation area. The exhibit is well-managed and thoughtfully presented, telling the fascinating story of these prehistoric impressions. It’s both educational and awe-inspiring, and the signage helps visitors of all ages appreciate the significance of what they're seeing. Easy and Enjoyable Trail The trail leading to the tracks is a little over half a mile and offers a gentle, enjoyable walk. It follows above the lake shore and provides lovely views along the way. It's an easy trail suitable for most fitness levels, making the dinosaur experience accessible to nearly everyone. Final Thoughts Though my time at Clayton Lake State Park was short, it left a lasting impression. Whether you're camping, hiking, or just stopping by to see ancient dinosaur footprints, this park offers a rewarding experience. I highly recommend it to families, nature lovers, and history buffs alike

There's a geocache at an awesome lookout. I saw a turkey. Or honestly could've been any turkey-looking bird because I saw it from really far away. Loved the Dino tracks! There are so many!! The staff was very nice as well. Bring cash!!!! No cards!!!!!

Cool Dino tracks! Trail is not wheelchair accessible uphill and rocky but not a long hike, kids can do it! Informational plaques to read!

We absolutely loved our visit to Clayton Lake State Park (often known for the famous dinosaur tracks). It’s a beautiful and peaceful state park with wide-open skies and classic northeastern New Mexico scenery. The dinosaur tracks were definitely the highlight — it’s incredible to stand there and see real, preserved tracks that are millions of years old. It adds such a unique and memorable element to the visit. The interpretive area is well done and makes the experience even more meaningful. The park itself is quiet, scenic, and very relaxing. It’s the kind of place where you can really unwind and enjoy the landscape. After spending time there, we’d absolutely like to go back and camp. It also has many spots for day use picnics and gatherings. It feels like it would be a fantastic spot to spend a night under the stars. Highly recommended if you’re anywhere near Clayton — it’s a true gem.

I had no idea what a dinosaur dork I was until I seen the footprints smashed into the earth. Eeekks, super cool!! A rainy morning had the walk fragrant and refreshing. I wished I could've bottled the pine smell! The deer and bunnies were happy to grace us with their presence also. Always a bonus to see animals. Not a very busy lake early in the morning had us walking the short path by ourselves and spending plenty of time reading signs and taking in the scenery. What a neat stop. So glad someone had the mind to preserve parts of our history, makes my imagination and appreciation skyrocket.

We love Clayton Lake State Park. The dinosaur tracks are truly amazing. The campground is nice but the sites are not really big rig friendly. We travel fulltime in a 40 ft fifth wheel & had to drive around pull thru & back in. The entrances are way too sharp & narrow for large rigs. Other than that awesome place. The hike to Dinosaur Tracks is easy. We also took the other hike & so glad we did. We saw wildlife & the views are really pretty.

This is a great place to look at dinosaur tracks. Gotta walk 1/4 mile but so rewarding. Tracks are everywhere with great new signage

We stopped by just to see the dinosaur tracks. The visitor center said there wasn't a charge which made us happy. We drove to the parking lot that leads to the tracks trail. It's only about a 0.25 mile walk on a gravel trail. There is a boardwalk around the tracks with interpretive signs. It was a lot of fun!

Beautiful and clean lake! Dinosaur tracks were awesome! Had someone to assist in viewing sun and stars. Very knowledgeable

Nice little fishing lake about 20 minutes out of Clayton. Wonderful area for kids to play on the rocks and run amok searching for arrowheads and playing with snakes. Also some cool dinosaur tracks embedded in the sandstone on the spillway on the other side of the dam. The visitor center is a straw-bale built building which is quite interesting.

If you are a fishermen this park is for you. I watched several people pull some good size fish out of the lake. There are only about 8 sites with electric and water but they are large sites with great views. Nice trails and knowledgeable rangers. No dump station or cell service. Park is about 15 miles off 64.

Clayton Lake State Park is light on "lake", and long on "park". Like so many of our local waterways, the drought has had an impact on the lake, but there's still a good deal of quality fishing to be had from the shore. The dinosaur tracks are a nice walk along the waterway, and the west campground features some rather unique terrain to hike for both the young and young at heart. And the campground is generally rather quiet and peaceful.

This was so-so for me. Like our professors said, it was our first stop and we would see much more spectacular locations. I did enjoy the park, but it didn't really have outlets to the lake that weren't "let's fall off a cliff" that I could see, and there were way too many bugs flying around, so I couldn't enjoy it to its fullest. Though the dinosaur tracks are definitely worth seeing

This is a great little park and is fantastic when you want to get away from it all. Droughts have dried the water up but that hasnt really affected the fishing too much. You may not be able to fish from a boat but fishing from the banks can yield big rewards too. The toilets are surprisingly clean for a State Park, there is hot water showers to use also. Obviously the Dinosaur tracks are a huge draw for this park, the walkway amongst the tracks get you within inches of these fine specimens. The nature trail and beyond is a very underused walk, there is a lot more to this place than dinosaur tracks. Walk the trail and keep walking and you will see lots of wildlife. You can take a walk by the creek that feeds the lake all the way around to the other side. Put several hours aside to do this walk as you will get lost in time while doing it. The staff are knowledgeable and very friendly too.

What a beautiful State Park and friendly people BUT I was shocked at the price for a nights stay on a site with electric and water . My hubby and I have travelled all over the USA and this is the most expensive State campground we have stayed at and for just afew dollars more you could stay in a MOTEL 6 and have full service with cable . I am handicap and must say their handicap shower is highly disappointing it needs to be a little bigger and have a more conveniently located bigger bench to sit on while using the shower Actually the shower should be updated . For the price that this campground charge it is now on my Do not return list.

This is a so-so state park in one of the more mysterious, beautiful parts of far eastern New Mexico. The electric campsites are ugly, few, and too close together. Multiple large construction machines (graders, bulldozers) went to and fro in front of my campsite for the entirety of my stay. They worked until nearly dark and were back at 7 AM the next morning, turning on their engines. A constant meep! meep! meep! the entire time, clouds of dust and fumes, roaring of engines, lots of shouting. The non-electric sites are prettier among rocks and pinon. To be fair, the ranger apologized for the commotion, saying they needed to prepare for a big annual event the following weekend, a "trout derby." It's a pretty drive out here with antelope, then comes the disappointment of the park itself. It's like a tacky ugly trashy marine settlement without the marina. The entire electric campground overlooks a trashy, weedy, equipment-filled lot. This remote, beautiful, and historic spot deserves better. Positives: The one ranger I was able to buttonhole told me how to get out to a little visited site on the Santa Fe Trail through private land. And, clean bathrooms. But if you want peace, a pretty park, go to Black Mesa State Park just 40 miles east over the Oklahoma Line.