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What's Lincoln National Forest like in early March? Is there snow at higher elevations? Are there campgrounds open at lower elevations?
We're looking to do some hiking and car camping / mellow back packing (4 year old in tow) and from the photos I have seen and what I've read on LNF, it looks fantastic.
What are the best times of year to visit to hike and camp? Also, are there fire roads/ non-technical trails for mountain biking (we can pull the little one behind us in a suspension chariot)? Any reason to pack the inflatable kayaks?
Thanks in advance for any advice! We moved to Fort Worth for work reasons some four years ago after living in parts of the world w/ lots of outdoor recreation and we're still searching for the closest opportunities to get out into the woods, wilderness, and mountains.
I live in (actually, adjacent to... ) the LNF, and it is fantastic!
Speaking from the Southern end of the Sacramento Mountains, March is a bit early scenery-wise. At higher elevations (Cloudcroft, Sunspot) there may be old leftover snow on the ground, that has not melted yet. If it has melted, it will still be muddy. There won't be much new growth yet.
Best time of the up here in my opinion is May-June. It's warm, green, and the wildlife is out and about. Wildflowers start in June and finish during August. The downhill ranchers bring the cattle up to graze the mountains after May, and they are very cute with their calves. I enjoy the cattle
June - July is also optimal, although we will start to get the rains into August. Timberon has their annual Blues and Bar-B-Que Festival at the end of July. It's worth the trip.
If you get up to Sunspot observatory, the view is breathtaking.
The ranger station in Cloudcroft (right on the main road as you enter the village) has rec. maps and info that will help you with trails and such. There are lots of trails. I don't know about the kayaks, not much whitewater up here. A beautiful ride would be through Carr Canyon, which cuts through the mountain from High Rolls to the outskirts of Cloudcroft. There are primitive camping sites at the lower end. Fall colors (September) in Carr Canyon is not to be missed.
After you decide which of the three districts you wish to visit, you can pin down specific information by searching online using town names, etc.
March is not a good time to come if you have other options. Weather is USUALLY still very unsettled. Best time for camping is mid July to mid September, regardless of which forest district you choose.
That having been said, the best camping sites, IMO, are those in the Cloudcroft area. Reservations will be required for the peak summer months in the most popular campgrounds.
Thanks for the replies. Joqua, I'd previously perused that site and did not find any weather info. I had discovered that 5 of the 20 or so camping areas are open for use in March, but it was unclear to me how much of the recreational activities that we wanted to do would be feasible. Judging by the replies here, it looks like June will be a better time for our visit.
The site has a wealth of info, but it's a bit clumsy for anyone not already in the know:
For example, the link to recreation-- then, bicycling, led me to a long list of trails. It wasn't clear on first glance if that was a selection of trails from national forests across NM or just w/in LNF. They are divided into "Sacramento RD" and "Smokey Bear RD"; Does RD = Ranger district? If so, it looks like there is no lack of riding to be done in the Sacramento Ranger district!
Campeador...Cloudcroft still averages about a foot of snow in a typical March and a few inches in April and dusting or two in early May. I'd definitely go for July or August if you can deal with occasional rain and thunderstorms. It's always good to check the fire situation in the West prior to going. Although the New Mexico fire season peaks in May and June...and the fire season shifts toward the West Coast in July and August, once in a while, we can get smoke transported here from 1000 miles away or more when the weather pattern facilitates it.
Remember that barring any forest closure orders, the forest is open year-round for dispersed camping (away from developed campgrounds) However, if you depend on basic facilities, there are several options for year-round developed campgrounds.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park (NM State Parks)
Upper Karr Canyon Recreation Site (Forest Service) No fee charged!
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site (Bureau of Land Management.)
Three Rivers Campground (Forest Service)
You may also want to consider checking out Aguirre Spring Campground on US-70 near Las Cruces. The sweeping, panoramic vistas from this campground are nothing short of breathtaking. This is a developed, year-round campground with hiking trails as well.
And White Sands National Monument just re-opened after a brief closure resulting from a drone crash. Camping and hiking are available there as well. And the scenery there is some of the best on the country.
Sorry, I think we've wandered a bit too far away from the forest...
"Spring" barely happens unless there has been a good deal of winter snow... because spring is the driest time of year. Most of the wildflowers and plant growth hold off until the summer monsoons (frequent afternoon showers) in July.
I think the best season in the LNF is for a couple months after Labor Day. Rains have subsided, still warm enough, crowds are gone, flowers blooming or some trees turning color.
If I wanted to camp in early March, I'd go to AZ. The lush desert NW of Tucson is one of my favorite spots.
I know this post is a couple of years old, but I thought it made more sense to reply here than start a new topic.
We're planning a short camping trip for July and have fallen in love with the Lincoln National Forest through our online research. Anyone have experience camping in the Sacramento Ranger District? The national forest website says all individual campsites are first-come, first-served, and I'm a little leery of making a 500-mile trip with no reservation. I know there are plenty of areas for dispersed camping, but I prefer having a site with water and toilets nearby.
I called the park to ask a few questions: when are their busiest times, is it better to arrive on a weekday or weekend, how often do they have to turn people away, etc. The answer was a rather unhelpful "we are always busy in the summer."
I think outside of the major holidays (with their corresponding time off work) and the hunting seasons (spring turkey ends mid may) you shouldn't have an issue. Definitely better to arrive middle of the week.
It's a shame the rangers aren't more helpful. They're nice enough when you interact with them in person.
Definitely better chances of finding a vacant campsite midweek, but July is the busiest time generally. Can be rainy in July and August, which makes tent camping a challenge, but also makes building a campfire safer.
I have always "camped" in a travel trailer in the areas where there is good access from existing roads so never had a need to camp in the campgrounds. However there is no need to pay a fee to use restrooms and fill jugs with water in the campgrounds that have such facilities. I've also tent camped a few times when by myself, and also done that in open forest lands. I hate being in campgrounds where I have to listen to the noise made by others.
PS Here is a notice that affects a large area of usually accessible open forest where I have always camped in the past.
Last edited by joqua; 05-02-2016 at 07:48 AM..
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