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

Black Canyon Campground - Upper

Black Canyon Campground offers a great remote camping experience. Located in a remote area of the forest approximately 30 miles from the Wilderness Ranger District office. This campground is accessible from Forest Road 150 (North Star Road). The upper campground is the first camping area you will come across and is visible from the entrance road. The forest recommends high-clearance 4x4 vehicles on Forest Road 150.

Open nowFirst-come, first-served

More like this: first-come in New Mexico

Black Canyon Campground - Upper
Photo from the area. Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons
2fires
active
Rx Wagon Wheel North Piles Fy27 (prescribed burn) · 25 mi away
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestGila National Forest
BookingAll Gila National Forest campgrounds have a 14-day stay limit.
FeesThere is no fee for this campground ($0.00).
RulesThere is a 14-day stay limit. OHVs and ATVs prohibited in the campground.

Gila National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Black Canyon Campground - Upper30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.01 inches of precipitation, 3.0 inches of snowFebruary: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowMarch: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowApril: 0.41 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 0.52 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.66 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 2.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 3.07 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.18 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 1.03 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowDecember: 1.17 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.0°F averageFebruary: 40.8°F averageMarch: 46.0°F averageApril: 51.7°F averageMay: 58.4°F averageJune: 66.8°F averageJuly: 71.2°F averageAugust: 70.2°F averageSeptember: 64.3°F averageOctober: 54.2°F averageNovember: 44.3°F averageDecember: 37.1°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Gila Hot Springs, 10 miles from the campground at 5,636 feet, station USC00293530 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 15 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 6 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

The campground is located off FR150 (North Star Road) approximately 30 miles from the Wilderness Ranger District offices (approximately 40 miles from Mimbres, NM).

Coordinates33.1853° N, 108.0307° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Wagon Wheel North Piles Fy27

    25 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Rx Wagon Wheel West Piles Fy27

    26 mi from the campground · 33 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearOutdoor gear ↗30.6 mi

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

Explore

Video

South Rim Campground Review | Best Place to Camp Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Par

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.4 mi
    Lower Black Canyon
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Middle Mesa ↗
    7.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1 mi
    Black Canyon ↗
    12.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.2 mi
    Tom Moore ↗
    13.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Me Own
    4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 4.3 mi
    Aspen Canyon ↗
    5.2 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trailheads within three miles

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 Aldo Leopold Wilderness, which overlaps Gila 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

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

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Black Canyon Campground - Upper?

No. Black Canyon Campground - Upper is first-come, first-served. All Gila National Forest campgrounds have a 14-day stay limit. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Black Canyon Campground - Upper?

There is no fee for this campground ($0.00).

Source: Forest Service

Is Black Canyon Campground - Upper open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

What if Black Canyon Campground - Upper is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Black Canyon Campground - Lower (0.2 mi, first-come), Forks Campground (10.2 mi, first-come), and Mesa Campground (12.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby