A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service group campground

Lower Fir Group Area

Forest Service group campground in Lincoln National Forest, Otero County, New Mexico. 8,769 feet. 1.3 miles from Cloudcroft.

Managed by
Forest Service Lincoln National Forest
Elevation
8,769 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group standard area non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Otero County

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.

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.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping

The land around Lower Fir Group Area

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.