Ruidoso · Off Resort Drive · Lake and trail system
Grindstone Lake
A mountain lake and 18-mile trail system a few minutes from Midtown Ruidoso, with stocked trout, kayaking, a summer water park and a $10 summer parking fee.
Opens the visitor bureau’s Grindstone Lake page. Summer parking passes and reservations are sold through the Village’s online catalog.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Lake and trails
Village of Ruidoso recreation area
Admission
$10 per vehicle in summer
Memorial Day–Labor Day; no fee posted off-season
Hours
Daily 5 am–11 pm
Fishing from a boat, dawn to dusk
Time needed
6.7-mi lake loop
Or a 0.5-mi shoreline walk on Fisherman’s Trail
Parking
Small lot
No RV rules posted; bring the tow vehicle
Trails
18 miles
Of year-round trails around the lake
What you’ll see
A mountain lake minutes from Midtown
Fish, paddle and hike around a Village of Ruidoso reservoir, with a floating water park in summer.
Start here
The Grindstone Lake Loop
The trail around the lake runs about 6.4 to 7.2 miles, depending on the source, through pines above the water. It is part of a year-round system of about 18 miles shared by hikers, mountain bikers and trail runners. For a short stroll, Fisherman’s Trail follows the west and south shores to the dam in half a mile at an easy 2 percent grade.
RV tip: the lot by the lake is small. On trail-only days, park at the disc golf lot on Resort Drive or at the Sawmill Trailhead on Mud Canyon Road, which was built to take pressure off the lake lot.
More to see
- Trout fishingThe lake is regularly stocked with rainbow trout, and anglers 12 and older need a New Mexico fishing license. Shore fishing runs 5 am to 11 pm, and boat fishing dawn to dusk.
- PaddlingKayaks, canoes, paddleboards and rowboats are welcome with a $5 day permit or $20 annual permit from Ruidoso Parks & Recreation. No motors.
- Wibit water parkIn summer 2026 the floating inflatable course cost $20 a person (card only) from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, with life vests provided.
- The Dam HouseThe concession rents boats and bikes and sells fishing gear, food and drinks in season, usually on summer weekends.
- Disc golf and wildlifeThe disc golf course is free if you bring your own disc, and the area draws deer, elk, wild turkeys and, in spring and fall, ospreys.
Why go
The closest lake to Midtown
Grindstone Lake is a Village of Ruidoso water-supply reservoir behind Grindstone Canyon Dam, and the visitor bureau calls it the closest lake to downtown. Its trails host the off-road legs of XTERRA Ruidoso and IRONMAN 70.3 Ruidoso, and the IRONMAN swim starts in the lake itself.
For RVers it is an easy outing, about 4 minutes from Midtown Mountain Campground, with restrooms and picnic areas at the trailhead. In June 2024 it served as a water source for aircraft fighting the South Fork Fire, and we found no reports of fire or flood damage at the lake.
Summer is the busy season. From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, parking costs $10 a vehicle and holiday weekends need advance reservations. The rest of the year the trails are quieter, and spring and fall bring migrating ospreys.
Photo: Beatnik Photos on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Why it made our list
- About 18 miles of year-round trails
- Rainbow trout stocked regularly
- Kayaks and paddleboards with a $5 permit
- A floating water park in summer
- About 4 minutes from Midtown
For RVers
A lake day without the rig
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Bring the tow vehicle
Nothing on RV or trailer parking is published, and visitors describe the lake lot as small. Leave the rig at camp; Midtown Mountain and Rainbow Lake are each about 5 minutes away.
Plan around the summer fee
From May 23 to September 7, 2026, parking cost $10 a vehicle, and holiday weekends needed advance reservations through the Village’s online catalog. Veterans and active-duty military park free.
Leash your dog
Dogs are welcome on a leash, and you are expected to clean up after them. There is little shade at the lake and no drinking water on the Forest Service loop, so carry water for everyone.
Watch for event closures
Big races can close the lake area. In July 2026 the lake, the water park and the main lot closed for a week during IRONMAN 70.3, while the trails stayed open from the disc golf lot.
What visitors say about Grindstone Lake
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 29, 2026.
a scenic, mountain lake and trails system just minutes from downtown Ruidoso
Discover Ruidoso, the Village visitor bureau · discoverruidoso.com
What visitors often mention
Popular mentions on Tripadvisor
Great fishingBeautiful sceneryPicnic
Tripadvisor’s popular mentions for Grindstone Lake are great fishing, beautiful scenery and picnics, shown without counts. Some reviewers also mention summer crowds and the small lot. Checked October 29, 2026.
Trail miles at a glance
Trail lengths in miles from Discover Ruidoso and Hiking Project; the Forest Service lists the lake loop at 6.4 miles.
Good to know
Summer parking$10 per vehicle, 2026 season
Boat permit$5 a day, or $20 a year
Wibit water park$20 per person, summer 2026
No chargeDisc golf (your disc)Sawmill Trailhead
Fees from the Village of Ruidoso and Discover Ruidoso, checked October 29, 2026. No parking fee is posted outside the summer season, and 2027 dates had not been set. Anglers 12 and older need a New Mexico fishing license.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Grindstone Lake
- Address111 Wiggins Way, Ruidoso, NM 88345
- HoursDaily 5 am–11 pm
Fishing from a boat, dawn to dusk - Phone(575) 257-5030
- Fees$10 per vehicle from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day; passes and reservations through the Village’s online catalog.
- Getting thereOff Resort Drive on the west side of Ruidoso, about 4 minutes from Midtown.
- ParkingThe main lot is at the lake. The disc golf lot on Resort Drive and the Sawmill Trailhead on Mud Canyon Road also reach the trails.
Fees, reservations and water-park hours change each summer, so check with Ruidoso Parks & Recreation at (575) 257-5030. The lakeside campground is closed indefinitely.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Grindstone Lake
These are the Ruidoso parks we have visited and written up, all within about 8 minutes of the lake.
Midtown Mountain Campground
Small park under tall pines on Mechem Drive, the closest park we cover to the lake.
Rainbow Lake Cabin & RV Resort
Wooded RV and cabin resort in Carrizo Canyon, just south of the lake.
Arrowhead Motel & RV Park
Retro motor-court motel on US-70, open since 1954, with about 15 full-hookup RV spaces.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
Open daily 5 am–11 pm
Ready to hit the trail?
Leave the rig at camp, pack water and a fishing license, and go early on summer weekends.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Robert Nunnally on Flickr and Wikimedia Commons, and Beatnik Photos on Wikimedia Commons (all CC BY 2.0); the images were resized. Video stills: World Clips and Zia Mountain Adventures on YouTube. Video: Pautzke Bait on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Grindstone Lake unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the Village of Ruidoso’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, pricing, rules and other details are set by the Village of Ruidoso and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Grindstone Lake at discoverruidoso.com or (575) 257-5030. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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