Lincoln National Forest

Lincoln National Forest covers about 1.1 million acres spread across three disconnected mountain units in south-central New Mexico: the Sacramento Mountains, the Guadalupe Mountains, and the Jicarilla Mountains. Each sits like an island above the surrounding desert, creating dramatic shifts in elevation and ecology as you drive up from the lowlands.

The forest is best known as the birthplace of Smokey Bear — the actual bear, not just the mascot. A young black bear cub was rescued from a wildfire in the Capitan Mountains in 1950 and became the living symbol of the national fire prevention campaign. He’s buried in Smokey Bear Historical Park in the town of Capitan, just north of the forest.

Why Go

The Sacramento Mountains around Cloudcroft and Ruidoso offer cool relief from the desert heat, with elevations approaching 12,000 feet around Sierra Blanca. Visitors come for skiing at Ski Apache in winter, cool mountain hiking in summer, and some of New Mexico’s best fall colors in autumn.

Top Spots

• White Mountain Wilderness — 46,000 acres of roadless backcountry with peaks over 11,000 feet
• Ski Apache — high-elevation ski resort on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, adjacent to the forest
• Cloudcroft — historic mountain village at 8,600 feet, surrounded by forest trails
• Sitting Bull Falls — a rare desert waterfall dropping into a clear pool, popular day hike near Carlsbad
• Smokey Bear Ranger District — Capitan Mountains area with historical and cultural significance

Getting There

Cloudcroft is the north Sacramento gateway — take US-82 east from Alamogordo. Ruidoso is reached via US-70 from Alamogordo or NM-48 from Carrizozo. For Sitting Bull Falls, head northwest from Carlsbad on NM-137.