U.S. Forest Service · Lincoln National Forest · Cloudcroft, NM

Upper Fir Group Area

Upper Fir Group Area is one of the most popular campsites in the Sacramento Mountain area. Unique to its neighboring campgrounds, it's set far back from public roads, allowing for true peace and quiet. The campground is on the northwestern portion of the Lincoln National Forest, a protected area spanning an incredible 1.1 million acres of land. Spend your days exploring the mountains, or head west for a day trip to explore White Sands National Monument, the world's largest dune field of pure, white gypsum sand.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov1 siteFrom $123 per night35 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in New Mexico · pets allowed in New Mexico · group sites in New Mexico

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Upper Fir Group AreaEntry roadStanding grillsRamada
Photos courtesy of RRM, Conservation Legacy · Recreation.gov
1fire
active
D1 Programmatic Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 24 mi away
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16
Incident details ↓

Site mix

group standard area nonelectric1
This site is booked as a single unit on Recreation.gov. The booking page shows which dates are open and how far ahead they release. How the booking window works

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 35 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfacePeople / vehiclesFires
1Back-in35Gravel120 / 35Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length35 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
FeesGroup Standard Non-Electric: 1 to 50 people $123/night 51 to 120 people $283/night

This is one of the only group sites with water access. Upper Fir comfortably fits groups as large as 120, and it's connected to Lower Fir Group if your party has a need for an additional group of up to 70 campers.

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 15 to Sept 30
ForestLincoln National Forest
Fees1-50 people: $123 per night 51-120 people: $283 per night
RulesRV's limited to 30'

Lincoln National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Upper Fir Group Area30°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, less than a 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 15 to September 30.

Getting there

From Alamogordo, take US 82 east 17 miles through Cloudcroft. Turn left onto NM 244 towards Ruidoso and go 1/2 mile. Upper Fir Group Area is on Forest Road 422 at the end of the road.

Nearest townCloudcroft, New Mexico
Coordinates32.9583° N, 105.7331° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D1 Programmatic Piles Rx

    24 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 ↗1.3 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

The campground is a mile from the town of Cloudcroft, a quaint tourist village with New Mexico's only standing railroad trestle.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.6 mi
    Pines
    1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Pines N. Trail
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 0.7 mi
    Silver Cross-Country Ski
    1.2 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
  • 0.7 mi
    Apache Nature
    0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Osha
    2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Sleepygrass
    1.1 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 →

Natural features

Set 9,000 feet above sea level in the Sacramento Mountains, Upper Fir Group Area is close to breathtaking scenic overlooks, spanning the far-reaching desert valley of the Tularosa Basin. The high-elevation region offers a mixture of pine, fir, aspen, and oak trees, with high mountain meadows full of wildflowers and blossoming plants.

Recreation

An open meadow, perfect for sports like ultimate Frisbee or horseshoes, is connected to the campground. The Rim Trail is a short hike or drive away, offering epic views, rocky inclines, and switchbacks for adventurous mountain bikers, hikers, and horse-back riders. Further down, the same trail opens up to motorcyclists as well.

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 Upper Fir Group Area?

Sites at Upper Fir Group Area are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Upper Fir Group Area?

Group Standard Non-Electric: 1 to 50 people $123/night 51 to 120 people $283/night

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Upper Fir Group Area?

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

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Upper Fir Group Area open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May 15 to Sept 30.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Upper Fir Group Area have?

1 site, including 1 group standard area nonelectric.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Upper Fir Group Area?

The longest site here provides 35 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 pets allowed at Upper Fir Group Area?

Yes, pets are allowed at Upper Fir Group Area. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Upper Fir Group Area?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. RV's limited to 30'

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Upper Fir Group Area?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Upper Fir Group Area?

An open meadow, perfect for sports like ultimate Frisbee or horseshoes, is connected to the campground. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Upper Fir Group Area?

Cloudcroft, New Mexico. The campground is a mile from the town of Cloudcroft, a quaint tourist village with New Mexico's only standing railroad trestle.

Source: Getting there

What if Upper Fir Group Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Pines Campground (0.7 mi), Apache (0.7 mi), and Saddle (1 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby