About this campground
This lookout, a 30 foot high steel tower with a wooden cab 14 feet square, is an Aermotor MI-25 type. This type of lookout is unusual and rare in the Southwestern Region, with only one other known, located on the Gila National Forest. Ruidoso Lookout was erected in 1940 and is on the Smoky Bear Ranger District. Access to the tower site is by foot traffic only with access to the tower itself being closed to the public.
Nearby federal campgrounds
- CEDAR CREEK (Sam Tobias)Lincoln National Forest2 mi
- Cedar Creek Picnic ShelterLincoln National Forest2 mi
- The Hubbard Museum of the American WestRuidoso Downs6 mi
- Windy Point VistaLincoln National Forest7 mi
- Monjeau LookoutLincoln National Forest8 mi
- Rob Jagger's CampgroundFort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area15 mi
Explore more New Mexico camping
Ruidoso Lookout 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.