US Forest Service
Learn about camping and boondocking in national forests and grasslands.
Red Cloud Campground, Corona, NM
This is a developed campground offered for free by Cibola National Forest. It has five sites, most of which are long back-in sites suitable for full sized RVs. There are also a few make-shift campsites that could serve as overflow sites. Elevation here is at 7,600 feet. The area is a an old mining district.
Baca Campground, Lincoln, NM
This is a free camping area designated by Lincoln National Forest officials. It's an undeveloped area in that there are no designated campsites, and no amenities aside from a vault toilet and an information kiosk. There is also a free-standing brick chimney; evidence of a home that once stood here.
Monjeau Campground, Ruidoso, NM
This is a free, developed campground operated by Lincoln National Forest. It's effectively two camping areas. both small. The more popular is the gravel parking lot where there are two tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings, and the other is a dirt area, used as an overflow campground, about a mile before the parking lot.
Bluewater Lookout Tower, New Mexico
Bluewater Lookout Tower is an old structure built in 1917 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It's approached by Forest Road 85. The motor vehicle use map of this area shows that dispersed camping is allowed all along this road, up until the last 1,000 feet of roadway.
James Canyon Campground, Mayhill, NM
This is a free developed campground offered by Lincoln National Forest. There are only two sites that you can park you vehicle next to, the other campsites are approached by foot walking across a small bridge. The two sites for vehicles are small, suitable only for cars, vans, motorcycles, or small RVs.
Sitting Bull Falls Road, Queens, NM
Sitting Bull Falls Road, also known as Forest Road 276, and County Road 409, runs into Lincoln National Forest. Dispersed camping is allowed all along the first 2.8 miles of this road beginning at the forest's eastern border where the road changes designation from County Road 409 to Forest Road 276.
Pine Camp Yellow Post Site
This is a single primitive campsite identified by a yellow post and a fire ring. It's officially marked at Yellow Post Site #14 on forest service maps. It's located up along a mountain ridge that parallels the Pacific Coast Trail. A high clearance, 4WD vehicle is required to drive up here.
Pit Camp Yellow Post Site
This is a single campsite marked by a yellow post. It's officially designated on forest service maps at Yellow Post Site #15. It's a primitive campsite with nothing more than a fire ring. It's also located high up on a mountain ridge and requires a high clearance 4WD vehicle to get up there.
Gobbler’s Knob Yellow Post Site
Officially marked at Yellow Post Site #16 on USFS Maps, this is a single campsite identified by a yellow post. It comes with a fire ring, and that's about it. It's sits up high on a mountain ridge and intersects with the Pacific Coast Trail. You definitely need a high clearance 4WD to get up here.
Alpine Canyon Yellow Post Site
Officially marked as Yellow Post Site #12, this is a single primitive campsites identified by a yellow post located about 8 miles up Lytle Creek from the town of Lytle Creek. This is the furthest-west of the Yellow Post Sites along Lytle Creek. There is a fire ring here and that's about it.
