Searching for the best camping near Lincoln, NM? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Lincoln. Find the best campgrounds near Lincoln, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"But I rode my bike all over the place and there's dispersed camping everywhere. Good cell phone service. I plan on staying for a full week and working from here."
"Easy to find and not a rough drive. I saw several dirt pull offs surrounded by trees before parking. This was a very private remote area in the forest."
"Not to many trees that are tall so u get cover but not complete seclusion but enof to where it’s enjoyable and u see the sky at nights so path ways are very down sloap if ur in a car know how to drive"
"A lot of dispersed camping areas don't have toilets, but this one does.
Lots of first come first served campsites along the little creek. Not much privacy when it's busier (warmer months)."
"We had a great night drove through the entire area and off roads to find a nice quiet area we had our son and two big doggos and had plenty of space for them to roam."
"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."
"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 was a beautiful location, near the town of Cloudcroft. We enjoyed the cooler weather up in the mountains. It was peaceful and quite. There were not very many spaces available."
"Very much so dispersed camping with no amenities. The road up was a little muddy but over all smoother and easy. We picked a spot at the highest point along Bailey Canyon Rd."
"It's a decent pull off from a random dirt road in New Mexico. You have to drop off into a slight ditch to get to the spot, about 3-4 inches I'd say."
GuideNeeded a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. 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. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate
GuideNeeded a last resort spot to sleep and decided on finding a spot here. Visited in last day in November, so it was a bit cold at night. Since it was so late in the year I ran across 0 other people, and at night it was absolutely silent. 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. You can tell where other people have been due to campfires. But if you visit anytime in the year I’m sure you’re able to find a spot, as they can extend up to 200ft back into the woods and have lots of area. About 5 min drive to main road and 8 minutes to cloudcroft. There was no trash, and also no amenities. I highly recommend this spot if you need somewhere free to stay extended or even one night if you’re visiting Lincoln. Coordinates are accurate
GuideThe camping is great and the views are amazing. However, the trail up to the camping spots is steep, washed out, and tight. Can be navigated with a stock 4x4 pick up. Also, there is a gun range at the bottom, so you'll hear gun shots til sundown. Also, a little highway noise is present in the distance.
GuideIt's a decent pull off from a random dirt road in New Mexico. You have to drop off into a slight ditch to get to the spot, about 3-4 inches I'd say. We were fine in a truck camper but it's something to consider. There was a decent amount of local trees traffic on the road, but we were far enough away from the highway that we couldn't hear much of any road noise. Literally just a patch of somewhat level gravel
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.
LegendThis is right off of highway 244. From CloudCroft take highway 82 east to highway 244 about half mile past designated campgrounds is a dirt road to the left. There is a large grass/dirt area right off the road on the left and a couple of spots further down. To the right there are a couple of more"secluded" spots though the generator noise and the chainsaws are still loud. One generator ran all night long. The chainsaw eventually stopped after the guy had maybe enough for a log cabin.
You can continue up the road which is a nice hike and there are a few more pull out site along the road. The road Ys and to the left are more sites that are private but the road is a bit rough. This place is FREE which we usually look for but this is probably one of the loudest we've been to. Both roads at the Y offer a nice hike with minimal traffic, there was only a single vehicle we came upon. Very nice.
Good cell reception AT&T and Verizon. No water, garbage or bathrooms. PACK IN AND OUT! Multiple rock fire rings in random places as this is a dispersed camping area and watch out for the multitude of animal limbs and carcasses laying around from hunters.
GuideThis was a good patch of dirt and trees up in the mountain with a good clearing to park the truck. Very much so dispersed camping with no amenities. The road up was a little muddy but over all smoother and easy. We picked a spot at the highest point along Bailey Canyon Rd. There were several other dispersed spot further down the road. Nobody in sight, no animal sightings either.
TravelerA lot of dispersed camping areas don't have toilets, but this one does.
Lots of first come first served campsites along the little creek. Not much privacy when it's busier (warmer months).
Good base camp for some of the best hiking around Ruidoso (Big Bonito Trail, Argentina Trail, etc.)
Be prepared for lots of dust with the dirt road uphill from sites.
In the summer there are horse riding camps set up to provide trail rides.
Can get snowed in in the Winter months.
GuideIf you don't feel like dropping 20 bucks a night or more for a spot to camp, this is a great alternative. FR 568 is about a mile long and has a ton of all types of dispersed camping on both sides of the road, from little tent sites to pull-throughs for campervans and trailers.
Not a terrible road at all. I drive a little, low-clearance hatchback and was able to make it all the way to the end of the road and back out while scoping out sites. Go the whole length and see what your options are so you can pick the best one.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Lincoln, New Mexico, where nature lovers can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, this area is perfect for those seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Lincoln, NM is West Mesa Trailhead BLM Dispersed with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 16 dispersed camping locations near Lincoln, NM, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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