Lincoln National Forest is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Lincoln National Forest, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Lincoln National Forest and user-submitted reviews.
$15 - $30 / night
"Very beautiful hidden away RV and Raised Primitive State Park full of marked and unmarked foliage and a nice museum reflecting on the surrounding area of New Mexico."
"Pets on leash (6' or less) at all times; lots of garbage cans to dispose of pet waste.
After recent rains, the park is strikingly green for being in the desert. "
"Well managed KOA and short driving distance from White Sands National Park and Lincoln National Forest."
"They had a dog park, laundry room, clean showers and bathroom. The pools was closed but looked perfect! Thanks for such a great experience!"
"04/15/22 service road 568, Lincoln National Forest, NM
Friday night/Good Friday
I found this camp on a suggestion from a local waitress at Big Daddy’s."
"You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."
"This is a quiet area tucked away in Lincoln National Forest. It's not too far from Cloudcroft, NM so it's easy to resupply on water, snack, etc."
"We arrived in Cloudcroft NM around 7pm on Thursday the 6th got some last minute supplies at all sups gas station and headed to the ranger station just down the 130 Cox Canyon Hwy to get a map of the park"
$32 / night
"I have seen mostly upper New Mexico and well when I found this area in comparison that or anything else near El Paso, I was more than a bit confused as to where I was."
"A very beautiful campground within about 6 miles out of Cloudcroft New Mexico. This is dispersed camping. Amenities include water, vault type toilets, picknic tables, fire rings, and a camp host."
"Good little spot away from traffic. Had some snow coverage in February that made everything look beautiful. Definitely a good stop!"
"You can get as far away from main roads as you need. There are infinite spots on this road. It’s quite long and the road conditions aren’t all that bad, so anyone can access it."
$28 / night
"Beautiful area near town. Site is quiet (minus the host's generator) and there is a nice, short trail surrounding the site."
"We chose this campground for the view but also because the hosts at the Pines campground were bizarre about rules...like when we went for a hike on the little Fir trail in the area, they got upset with"
"Lincoln National Forest is a little slice of heaven. Rick and Gale are the new owners and have worked hard over the winter to make lots of improvements to the property."
"with a large dog park and a new building for activities."
"Lower Karr Canyon campground is about 6 miles from the main highway at High Rolls, NM. The last 2 miles or so being rather rough dirt."
"You just have to look around to find the best one. Be aware of others though. We did have a family show up and start shooting guns in the area without any concern for others around them."
"This was a lovely campground near Cloudcroft, NM. It is located in the Lincoln National Forest. We really enjoyed our couple of days at this location."
"We visited pSleepy Grass in May 2021 and it was an amazing campground fairly close to the town of Cloudcroft, but secluded enough to feel like the middle of an alpine forest."
GuideThis RV resort is hidden away near Ruidoso and adjacent to Lincoln National Forest. Small and quiet away from the traffic but close enough to all the sights and attractions in the area. This resort makes a perfect home base.
RangerUnder new administration now its call Slow Play RV Park. Friendly and helpful owners. They will make sure your stay is as smooth as possible. Clean & quiet site with a dog walk trail.
Highly recommended if you are visiting Lincoln National Forest.
LegendI have seen mostly upper New Mexico and well when I found this area in comparison that or anything else near El Paso, I was more than a bit confused as to where I was. Yes, it is a forest, but still I wasn't ready for how forest-like and amazing it was.
Driving out you have no cell signal at all. The roads are winding and you see a lot of livestock, then out of no where deer, big deer and elk! It is like a different planet from everything else and the deeper into Cloudcroft you get the more and more it starts looking more like Colorado than anything you would assume would be New Mexico.
The campground is no different! Large shade trees standing tall above the site, the ground below looking like it was cut from a different cloth than anything from all the miles you travel in any direction from this location. The temperatures itself even is different, cooler by about 15 to 20 degrees.
The camp is small and while they have a posting for RVs I don't see how they could easily fit in the spaces I saw. There are minimal amenities such as drinking water and vault toilets but no dump stations or hook ups.
It was very quiet when we were there although there were other campers, the sounds of everything around seemed to muffle any noise they could be making.
TIPS:
Don't plan on contacting anyone, staying here is a truly unplug and unwind experience.
Explore some of the hiking in the area. Lincoln National Forest has nearly 50 trails so there is something for everyone from short day hikes to long treks for backcountry camping and hiking.
GuideThis is a quiet area tucked away in Lincoln National Forest. It's not too far from Cloudcroft, NM so it's easy to resupply on water, snack, etc. You can camp right next to a creek and the valley makes for some great views. This area is basically everything you can ask for when dispersed camping. It's quiet and other than the occasional hiker, nobody else is around. There's plenty of hiking and just good times to be had. A quintessential camping experience.
ScoutThis was a lovely campground near Cloudcroft, NM. It is located in the Lincoln National Forest. We really enjoyed our couple of days at this location. It is near several hiking trails and convenient located close to town in case you needed anything. This campground also has a special trail that was created for blind and deaf children, so it has signs with sensory additions. It was a really sweet spot. The sites themselves were spacious and very reasonably priced. If you want to be further away from people, pick one of the first sites you see, otherwise the sites are clustered in groups. We would definitely go there again.
ScoutWell managed KOA and short driving distance from White Sands National Park and Lincoln National Forest. This KOA is in the city so there is some traffic noise and there is a train that passes through at night. They have sleds to borrow for White Sands which saves you the hassle and cost of getting a sled at the White Sands park. Wifi was unreliable, but cellular internet worked fine on our phones.
RangerWe tent camped in mid September 2022 in the Lincoln National Forest south of Cloudcroft, NM off Forest Service Road 64. Over 9,400’ and it got cold at night. Saw one elk and heard more bugling. Plenty of wood to make a fire. Nice forest. We stayed at a spot on a meadow about 4-5 dispersed sites south of Sunspot Highway. Good times.
ScoutSuper friendly owners. A beautiful and picturesque location in the Sacramento mountains. Easy in and out just a few miles from the village of Cloudcroft in the heart of the Lincoln National Forest. On property hiking trail, and an excellent common areas. Fruit trees abound, and picking fruit is allowed in season. They also have a cabin with multiple rental rooms. Full RV hookups and wifi at very reasonable rates. It is close to the road, but traffic is minimal at night. They are open year round!
Guide04/15/22 service road 568, Lincoln National Forest, NM
Friday night/Good Friday
I found this camp on a suggestion from a local waitress at Big Daddy’s. It was a short drive off the main road to get to the camp. The spot I found felt pretty secluded despite there being a lot of other campers in the area. There were several rock fire rings so I took my pick based on the direction of the wind.
It’s a dispersed area, so no bathrooms or showers, but well worth it for the scenery. There was a dry water run off that ran the entire length down the mountain and a tree lined bluff across from there. I bet it’s pretty cool to see the water run when the snow melts.
There was an occasional OHV that cruised by and people walking their dogs, but everything went calm before sunset. I would have liked to hit some of the trails in the area, but my Jeep was completely overloaded so I decided to come back another time.
Explore the beauty of Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico while enjoying the company of your furry friends. There are several pet-friendly camping options that cater to both you and your pets.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lincoln National Forest is Oliver Lee Memorial State Park — Oliver Lee State Park with a 4.8-star rating from 64 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 94 dog-friendly camping locations near Lincoln National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
