U.S. Forest Service · Lincoln National Forest · New Mexico

Saddle

Saddle Campground offers 16 single units for tents or RVs up to 30 feet. This area is composed of a beautiful mixed conifer/aspen forest and sits at an elevation of 8,900 feet which provides Southern New Mexico an escape from summer heat on the desert floor. This campground is equipped with picnic tables, fire rings, parking spurs, toilets, and a central garbage depository. Interpretive trails are also available.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov21 sites30 ft max

More like this: reservable in New Mexico

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Saddle Campground SignMain sign for Silver, Saddle and Apache campgrounds.Host site at Saddle CGSADDLE Site 11
Photos courtesy of ExplorUS · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
D1 Programmatic Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 23 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups17
Host/management4
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Amenities & rules

Max vehicle length30 ft
AccessibilitySite 14 is listed accessible

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMay 12 to Sept 5
ForestLincoln National Forest
BookingFirst come, first serve. No reservations. Check In anytime Check Out @ 2pm - 30' RV Limit
Fees1-family unit: $32 per night; Extra Vehicle: $10 per night per vehicle Showers (available at Silver CG): $7 per person per use RV Dump Station (available at Silver CG): $15 per use Water: Free if camping or $0.30 per gallon after 1st free 5 gallons Trash: Free if camping or $3 per bag per day…
RulesRVs limited to 30'.

Lincoln National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Saddle30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.59 inches of precipitation, 13.1 inches of snowFebruary: 1.69 inches of precipitation, 13.3 inches of snowMarch: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 9.8 inches of snowApril: 0.85 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowMay: 1.22 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJune: 2.22 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 5.53 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 5.01 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.23 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.13 inches of precipitation, 3.2 inches of snowNovember: 1.38 inches of precipitation, 7.3 inches of snowDecember: 2.15 inches of precipitation, 16.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.7°F averageFebruary: 33.2°F averageMarch: 38.2°F averageApril: 44.6°F averageMay: 52.0°F averageJune: 59.6°F averageJuly: 60.1°F averageAugust: 59.1°F averageSeptember: 54.8°F averageOctober: 47.1°F averageNovember: 38.0°F averageDecember: 31.1°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Cloudcroft, 1 mile from the campground at 8,679 feet, station USC00291931 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 28 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 67 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, May 12 to September 5.

Getting there

Travel east on US82 from Cloudcroft, turn left onto NM244. In approximately 4 miles turn right at the Silver-Saddle-Apache Campground Complex sign (Forest Road 24C).

Coordinates32.9710° N, 105.7260° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D1 Programmatic Piles Rx

    23 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗0.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Saddle Valley Campground Review-Big South Fork

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • under 0.1 mi
    Saddle Snow Trail
    0.4 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • under 0.1 mi
    Saddle Nature
    0.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.1 mi
    Fir
    1.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.2 mi
    Silver Snow Trail
    0.3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 0.2 mi
    Silver Nature
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Apache Nature
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Lincoln National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for New Mexico

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Saddle?

Sites at Saddle are reservable on Recreation.gov. First come, first serve. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Saddle?

1-family unit: $32 per night; Extra Vehicle: $10 per night per vehicle Showers (available at Silver CG): $7 per person per use RV Dump Station (available at Silver CG): $15 per use Water: Free if camping or $0.30 per gallon after 1st free 5 gallons Trash: Free if camping or $3 per bag per day…

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Saddle?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Saddle open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May 12 to Sept 5.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Saddle have?

21 sites, including 17 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Saddle?

The longest site here provides 30 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there accessible sites at Saddle?

Site 14 is listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What if Saddle is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Apache (0.3 mi), Silver (0.3 mi), and Lower Fir Group Area (0.5 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby