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Lincoln National Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,926 Google reviews · Running trail in Alamogordo, New Mexico · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Lincoln National Forest's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Rugged mountain terrain with hiking & horse trails, campgrounds, picnic sites, skiing & more.
What runners say about Lincoln National Forest
“All in all it's a beautiful forest and very peaceful if you want to get away from everyone for a bit”
“I will say where we stayed the campsite was VERY quiet and managers are patrolling around very often watching everyone.”
Such a beautiful forest in the foothills and above. The rain made everything pop and all the flowers started to bloom. There is a ton of camping spots tucked away and off of the main roads. Elk, deer and so much more are in abundance throughout the park. Take a drive and a hike.
One of the nicer parts of New Mexico. Higher elevation so cooler temperatures when it's hot. I stayed at Baca Campground, about 6 miles from the highway, beautiful and peaceful. Lots of BLM so follow any dirt road to find a spot. Check out Fort Stanton and the cute little town of Capitan, home of Smokey Bear.
Fun adventures. There's tons of trails that you can either hike or take an off-road vehicle on. You even come across cool things( my first time hiking the dry river bed along route 120 I found 2 fossils, I still have one but the other was in a rock I couldn't move) there's the snowy river cave near devil's canyon and…
AMAZING!!! Such a beautiful and peaceful place. The abundant wildlife is magical in it's own right. We didn't stay at one of the paved campgrounds, instead we took the advice and direction from an employee at one of the shops in Cloudcroft.
Trail conditions & character
“All in all it's a beautiful forest and very peaceful if you want to get away from everyone for a bit”
“I will say where we stayed the campsite was VERY quiet and managers are patrolling around very often watching everyone.”
“), generator hours are limited, and a leash law is strictly enforced (which we greatly appreciate since we've had issues with large, aggressive, non-leashed dogs in campgrounds).”
Plan your run at Lincoln National Forest
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitefs.usda.gov
- Phone+1 575-434-7200
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–4:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–4 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Running trails near Alamogordo
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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