Lincoln National Forest

Lincoln National Forest is one of five national forests in New Mexico, covering 1.1 million acres in four counties. Elevations range from 4,000 to 11,500 feet in three major mountain ranges: Sacramento, Guadalupe and Capitan. The forest is broken down into four ranger districts: Smokey Bear, Cloudcroft, Guadalupe and Mayhill.

Must-see attractions nearby:

Address

Lincoln National Forest
Federal Building
1101 New York Avenue
Alamogordo, NM 88310-6992
United States

Phone 1 (505) 434-7200

Fax 1 (505) 437-7218

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

Related Attractions

Apache Point Observatory

Apache Point Observatory is located 18 miles south of Cloudcroft near the town of Sunspot in the Sacramento Mountains.

Tips

Grounds are open 7 days a week during daytime hours only. No public facilities or tours of telescopes.

Capitan Mountains Wilderness

The 35,000-acre Capitan Mountains Wilderness area is part of the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest. The Capitan Mountains are one of the few ranges that run from east to west, containing Capitan Peak (10,083 ft), Chimney Rock and Sunset Peak.

Address

Smokey Bear Ranger District
901 Mechem Drive
Ruidoso, NM 88345-7061
United States

Phone 1 (505) 257-4095

Fax 1 (505) 257-6174

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

Tips

No roads; travel by foot or horseback only.

Cloudcroft Ranger District

Cloudcroft Ranger District is part of the Lincoln National Forest, covering 209,668 acres.

Address

Cloudcroft Ranger District
Box 288
Cloudcroft, NM 88317-0288
United States

Phone 1 (505) 682-2551

Fax 1 (505) 682-3394

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

Guadalupe Ranger District

The Guadalupe Ranger District comprises the southern portion of the Lincoln National Forest, and is administered from Carlsbad. The rugged area is dominated by limestone caves and deep canyons.

Address

Guadalupe Ranger District
Federal Building, Room 159
Carlsbad, NM 88220
United States

Phone 1 (505) 885-4181

Fax 1 (505) 887-3690

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

Tips

All caves require permits for entry, available on a first-come first-served basis.

James Canyon Recreation Area

James Canyon Recreation Area is the only developed recreation site in the Mayhill Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest.

Mayhill Ranger District

The Mayhill Ranger District consists of 240,851 acres of the Lincoln National Forest, along the eastern slopes of the Sacramento Mountain Range.

Rim Road

The Rim Road is a gravel route along the southern part of the Guadalupe Ranger District, with views of Dog Canyon and the Brokeoff Mountains.

Sierra Blanca Peak

Sierra Blanca is the southernmost peak in the United States, rising to 12,003 feet, near the town of Ruidoso.

Address

Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce
720 Sudderth Drive, Box 698
Ruidoso, NM 88355-0698
United States

Phone 1 (505) 257-7395

Fax 1 (505) 257-4693

http://www.goruidoso.com

Ski Apache

Ski Apache, one of the largest ski resorts in the Southwest, is managed by the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Ski Apache has the second highest snow accumulation of any ski area in New Mexico due to its location on the slopes of Sierra Blanca Mountain in the Lincoln National Forest.

Address

Ski Apache
Box 220
Ruidoso, NM 88355-0220
United States

Phone 1 (505) 336-4356

Fax 1 (505) 336-8327

http://www.skiapache.com

Hours

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Open	8:45	8:45	8:45	8:45	8:45	8:45	8:45
Close	16:00	16:00	16:00	16:00	16:00	16:00	16:00

Always closed on:

New Year's Day (January 1)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)

Cost

Adult	$ 40.00
Child 12 & under	$ 25.00

All values are in United States Dollars

Tips

Half-day: $28.00 Seniors 75 and over ski for free Gondola ride only: $5.00

Facilities

Restaurant or food service

Smokey Bear Ranger District

The Smokey Bear Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest is administered from Ruidoso. The area totals 375,000 acres, including two wilderness areas.

Address

Smokey Bear Ranger District
901 Mechem Drive
Ruidoso, NM 88345-7061
United States

Phone 1 (505) 257-4095

Fax 1 (505) 257-6174

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

White Mountain Wilderness

The 48,143-acre White Mountain Wilderness is located in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest. Elevations range from 6,500 to 11,580 feet near Lookout Mountain.

Address

Smokey Bear Ranger District
901 Mechem Drive
Ruidoso, NM 88345-7061
United States

Phone 1 (505) 257-4095

Fax 1 (505) 257-6174

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln/

Tips

No mechanized equipment of any kind is allowed, including mountain bikes. No permits required to enter.