USDA Forest Service · New Mexico
Lower Fir Group Area
USDA Forest Service · New Mexico, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Season
- May 14 to September 25
- Cost
- Group Standard Area Non-Electric: 1 to 30 people $123/night 31 to 70 people $154/night
- Max RV length
- 35 ft
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 8,720 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile good · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- FIR CAMPGROUND (NFSR 00422) · paved · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Lincoln National Forest
- Nearest town
- CLOUDCROFT
- Address
- PO BOX 836, CLOUDCROFT, NM, 88317
- Phone
- 575-682-7570
- Activities
- Camping
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Lower Fir Group Area is a high-energy and highly popular group campground in the Sacramento Mountain area. The site is set away from public roads, so that outside noise is non-existent, leaving only the sweet sounds of rustling aspen leaves.
The campground sits within the Lincoln National Forest, which spans 1.1 million acres of undisturbed landscape. Spend your days exploring the mountain trails, or head west for a day trip to White Sands National Monument, the world's largest dune field of pure, white gypsum sand. Bring your camera and binoculars for the chance to observe wild elk, deer, birds, and even an occasional black bear.
Recreation
An open meadow, ideal for activities like volleyball or horseshoes, is adjacent 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. A few miles south, the same trail opens up to motorcyclists as well.
Facilities
This is one of the only group sites with water access. Lower Fir comfortably fits groups as large as 70, and it's connected to Upper Fir Group, and even larger facility accommodating up to 120 visitors.
Natural Features
Lower Fir Group sits at a high elevation of 9,000 ft., providing visitors with dramatic views of the Tularosa Basin and lush mountain meadows surrounded by pine, fir, aspen and oak trees.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (575) 682-1518.
Nearby Attractions
The campground is a mile from the village of Cloudcroft, a quaint mountain town with New Mexico's only standing railroad trestle. Trails for ATVs are near the area, too.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 9° | 53° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 46° | 27° | 2° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 52° | 31° | 14° | 71° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 38° | 26° | 72° | 7 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 46° | 32° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 77° | 53° | 41° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 77° | 55° | 50° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 73° | 54° | 46° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 69° | 50° | 40° | 78° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 42° | 30° | 72° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 54° | 33° | 15° | 64° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 47° | 27° | 18° | 59° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Apache (NM) · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 29 sites
- Pines Campground · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 24 sites
- Saddle (NM) · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 21 sites
- Silver (NM) · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 35 sites
- Upper Fir Group Area · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 1 sites
All public campgrounds in New Mexico · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-03-11. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.