★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Gila National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Sierra County, NM · 33.35458, -107.88975
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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.
Wow! A very remote, grassy, primitive site located in the heart of Gila National Forest. Ample room for a few overland vehicles. Two stone fire rings, one of which is in the mouth of a small cave. A very small stream runs through camp. Towering rock formations on both sides. Heavenly. Gila National Forest is huge and beautiful, with countless routes for overland exploration and camping opportunities. This campsite is a gem and possible favorite. Recommended. Absolutely no cell service.
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 7,626 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
- GGrocery14 mi
- @Mail14 mi
- FFuel21 mi
- WWater27 mi
- MMechanic38 mi
- HHardware40 mi
- LLaundry40 mi
- ShShower40 mi
- +Urgent care40 mi
- RxPharmacy40 mi
- OOutfitter40 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 27-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 14 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Dump, 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
7,626 ft
County
Sierra County, NM
Coordinates
33.35458, -107.88975
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureStream · nearby
- Nearest townChloride · ~12.3 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- Fuelnone within 30 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesLake Roberts General Store · ~27.4 mi
- Mapping is thin out hereAn empty row means nothing is mapped within that radius — not that nothing exists. Small stores, seasonal resorts and single fuel pumps out here often never make it onto the map. Treat these as unconfirmed and ask locally.
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)
- RestroomLookout Mountain-Cdnst · ~3.1 mi E · USFS
- RestroomCaledonia - Cdnst · ~3.6 mi E · USFS
- RestroomMonument Park Cabin · ~3.9 mi E · USFS
- RestroomTurkey Run · ~4.1 mi SE · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Black Canyon Campground - Upper~14.2 mi
- Black Canyon Campground - Lower~14.3 mi
- Lower Black Canyon~14.4 mi
- Wolf Hollow Campground~18.3 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Lookout Mountain at 8,500 ft, about 3 miles away. It sits about 874 ft higher than this camp, so treat it as a guide rather than a reading for this spot. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.
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 (Sierra 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 →Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Off-grid communication →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 →