About this campground
Surrounding the Fort Stanton Cave Campground is the Fort Stanton Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area (NCA). At around 6300' elevation the NCA offers a diverse habitat of High Desert cedar/juniper hillsides with Ponderosa Pine stringers and hardwoods meandering through the canyon bottoms. Within the NCA is Fort Stanton Cave. At over 44 miles, it is the second longest cave in New Mexico, the 9th longest cave in the U.S., the 40th longest in the world, and the largest cave managed by the BLM. Fort Stanton Cave Campground features several shelters, tables and fire rings, as well as a vault toilet. All sites are dry and on a first-come, first-served basis. The access road off of U.S. Route 380 is graveled. This site provides a convenient location for camping, hiking, and exploring the history of the local area.
Getting there
From the east side of Capitan, NM, drive east on US 380 for approximately 5.78 miles to Cave Canyon Rd. Once on Cave Canyon Rd. (to the right), drive approximately 1.12 miles to the campground. From the west side of Lincoln, NM, drive west on US 380 for approximately 6.18 miles to Cave Canyon Rd.
Activities
- CAMPING
- PICNICKING
- BIKING
- HIKING
- PHOTOGRAPHY
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Rob Jagger's CampgroundFort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area1 mi
- Smokey Bear RDLincoln National Forest5 mi
- The Hubbard Museum of the American WestRuidoso Downs12 mi
- CEDAR CREEK (Sam Tobias)Lincoln National Forest15 mi
- Cedar Creek Picnic ShelterLincoln National Forest15 mi
- Monjeau LookoutLincoln National Forest15 mi
Explore more New Mexico camping
Fort Stanton Cave Campground doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby New Mexico campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse New Mexico camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.