★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Lincoln National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Otero County, NM · 32.69570, -105.55969
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A primitive secluded campsite in Lincoln National Forest among tall pines. Ground is spacious flat and covered with pine needles. A bit of a valley next to a dry creek. Old fire ring. Just off of lightly traveled forest road. Might see loggers or ranchers in trucks but otherwise very little traffic. Despite dense forested setting elevation is high yielding cool air. No cell service. Enough room for several vehicles. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 7,516 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- LLaundry6 mi
- @Mail7 mi
- GGrocery8 mi
- FFuel14 mi
- DDump21 mi
- MMechanic26 mi
- HHardware26 mi
- +Urgent care26 mi
- RxPharmacy27 mi
- AAir-up42 mi
- WWater59 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 59-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 8 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
7,516 ft
County
Otero County, NM
Coordinates
32.69570, -105.55969
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Resupply lookup unavailable — try the map links below.
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletBluff Springs · ~13.9 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletJames Canyon · ~14.8 mi N · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletKarr Canyon Upper · ~18.2 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletAspen · ~19.9 mi NW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- James Canyon Campground~14.8 mi
- Karr Canyon Upper~18.2 mi
- Sleepy Grass Campground~19.8 mi
- Aspen Group Campground~19.9 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Otero County, NM). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
When the high country opens →Water on public land →What “dispersed” means here →Getting unstuck →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →