0
Pull-thru
USFSLincoln National Forest · New Mexico
Black Bear Group Area
Overview Black Bear is perched atop the scenic Sacramento Mountains of south-central New Mexico, near Alamogordo and Cloudcroft.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.8,760ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rig35 ft
Electricnonesites
From Albuquerque4h31real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 8,760 ft, Black Bear Group Area has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 21°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and cool nights. Softest on shade.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Apr
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
60%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 30
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 17.
54°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Albuquerque
226 mi
4h31
02
Santa Fe
234 mi
5h15
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 2.4 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
75
Viewpoints
3
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
2.4 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.