Lincoln National Forest
Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. Look for it 6 mi northeast of Mayhill. This is a site of the United States Forest Service.
A national forest, 6 mi northeast of Mayhill
Twin Forks is the nearest base
Twin Forks is 12 miles west, with 5 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from El Paso
El Paso is about 96 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1907
Lincoln National Forest dates from 1907 and is run by United States Forest Service. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 73–82°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
When to go
Here is how the weather at Lincoln National Forest changes month by month.
Lincoln National Forest
Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service located in southern New Mexico. The Lincoln National Forest covers an extensive 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Established by Presidential Proclamation in 1902 as the Lincoln Forest Reserve, the 1,103,897 acres (4,467.31 km2) forest begins near the Texas border and contains lands in parts of Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, and Otero counties. The Lincoln National Forest is home to three major mountain ranges: Sacramento, Guadalupe and Capitan. The three Ranger Districts within the forest contain all or part of a total of four mountain ranges, and include a variety of different environmental areas, from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. Clean air, water, and soil are necessary elements that the National Forests contribute to the environment.
- Type
- National forest
- Established
- 1907
- Area
- 1,725 square miles
- Run by
- United States Forest Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 8.4K a year
Where to stay near Lincoln National Forest
The nearest towns with places to stay are Cloudcroft (25) and Mayhill (4), and Ruidoso has the most rooms in the area (95).
Cloudcroft
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
757 people · 61% vacation homes
17 mi west of Lincoln National Forest
Ruidoso
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
7,580 people · 44% vacation homes
30 mi northwest of Lincoln National Forest
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Lincoln National Forest | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudcroft 61% vacation homes | 17 mi west | 25 min | 25 3 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 10 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 757 | $235K |
| Mayhill 45% vacation homes | 6 mi southwest | 10 min | 4 1 hotel · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 38 | — |
| Twin Forks 62% vacation homes | 12 mi west | 20 min | 5 1 hotel · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 310 | $250K |
| Ruidoso Downs | 28 mi north | 40 min | 11 6 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 RV parks | 2,588 | $154K |
| Weed 45% vacation homes | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 1 1 campground | — | — |
| High Rolls | 21 mi west | 30 min | 3 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 1,313 | $258K |
| Sacramento | 14 mi southwest | 20 min | 1 1 hotel | 246 | — |
| Timberon 80% vacation homes | 26 mi southwest | 40 min | 2 2 RV parks | 479 | — |
| Ruidoso 44% vacation homes | 30 mi northwest | 45 min | 95 28 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 43 lodges & cabins · 6 campgrounds · 12 RV parks | 7,580 | $244K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
These well-known places are within 70 miles.
44 mi National ParkWhite Sands National Park660K visitors a year
38 mi State parkFort Stanton
128 mi MuseumNew Mexico Museum of Space History5.0M visitors a year
69 mi State parkBottomless Lakes State Park
61 mi MuseumInternational UFO Museum And Research Center215 mi Ski areaSki Cloudcroft26 runs · 634 ft vertical37 mi Ski areaSki Apache46 runs · 1,796 ft vertical
30 mi Zoo & aquariumAlameda Park ZooPhoto credits
White Sands National Park: uncredited NPS employee, Public domain · Fort Stanton: AllenS, Public domain · New Mexico Museum of Space History: AllenS, Public domain · Bottomless Lakes State Park: NMMIMAJ, CC BY-SA 3.0 · International UFO Museum And Research Center: J Dykstra, Public domain · Alameda Park Zoo: AllenS, Public domain
Good to know about Lincoln National Forest
What town is Lincoln National Forest near?
Mayhill, NM, about 6 miles southwest.
When is the best time to visit Lincoln National Forest?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 73–82°.
How far is Lincoln National Forest from El Paso?
About 96 miles southwest of El Paso, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Lincoln National Forest?
Roswell Air Center (ROW), about 58 miles away. The nearest big hub is El Paso (ELP), about 96 miles.
Where should I stay near Lincoln National Forest?
Cloudcroft (17 mi, 25 places to stay), Ruidoso (30 mi, 95 places to stay) and Mayhill (6 mi, 4 places to stay).
Inside knowledge from Mayhill
There are no tips yet, so start one in Mayhill’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.