4.4225 reviewsPrice
$10/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
40 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
Price
$10/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
40 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
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5 Smokey Bear Circle, P.O. Box 170 Reserve, NM 87830
Anglers and paddlers who want Snow Lake to themselves on a weekday. The lower loop sites overlook the water, trout are stocked three times a year, and the whole setup costs $10 cash in a self-serve envelope. High-clearance vehicle is mandatory, not optional.
Low-clearance cars, popup trailers, or anyone who needs hookups. Rough, potholed gravel roads have turned people around before they even got to camp, and there's no dump station, no showers, and no cell signal to call for help if something goes wrong.
Reference information about Dipping Vat Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p><em>This is a fantastic place to get away from it all! </em></p><p>Dipping Vat Campground is located adjacent to the west side of Snow Lake. Snow Lake is approximately 52 miles southeast of Reserve, New Mexico. The campground offers a variety of activities to the visitor, including fishing, overnight camping, and hiking. Dipping Vat Campground has a potable water system including a well with a pump. </p><p>Snow Lake is stocked with trout three times a year, early spring, early summer, and late fall. If you wish to fish at Snow Lake you must have a New Mexico fishing license and more information is available at <a href="http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/">NM Department of Game and Fish</a></p>
The elevation is 7,300 ft. The campground, composed of two loops - upper and lower, is located along a mountainside nestled among Ponderosa pine and aspen. The lower loop overlooks Snow Lake. Surrounding views are of mountain meadows dotted with stands of Ponderosa pine. The campground is conveniently located to the Gila Wilderness (the nation's first designated wilderness - 1924) for hikers and horseback riders. Both boat and horse trailers can be parked on the large parking lot at the boat ramp. The understory is grass and the sites are well separated providing good privacy. Live stock are not permitted in the campground. A possible day trip is visiting the Catwalk National Recreation Trail, 37 miles from the campground at GPS coordinates N33 22.507, W108 50.248. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the Whitewater Picnic Area. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques. This is also cougar country - stay alert.
Services provided May 1 through November 14. Lower loop remains open after November 14 but without water; toilets also remain open.
Wheelchair friendly toilets located in lower loop. Gila National Forest 181
Snow Lake is 100 acres. Only electric motors are permitted.
The parking aprons are dirt and grass.
In Reserve, NM, at the intersection of State Rts. 12 and 435, take Rt. 435 south 5.3 miles to where it becomes Forest Rt. 141. Continue straight on Rt. 141 and go 24.1 miles to Forest Rt. 28 (Snow Lake sign). Turn right onto Rt. 28 and go 9.6 miles to a "Y" intersection and Forest Rt. 142 (Snow Lake sign). Bear left at intersection onto Rt. 142 and go 6.6 miles to campground sign. Turn right at sign and go 0.2 miles to campground. NOTE: Forest Rt. 141 becomes gravel after 19 miles and continues that way to campground. The access route is steep, narrow in sections and rough with potholes and washboarding.
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Summer delivers daytime highs around 65–80°F with cool nights dropping to 35–50°F. This is peak season for fishing, paddling, and hiking around the lake, though July and August bring afternoon monsoon thunderstorms. Mid-summer sees the heaviest crowds. Winter camping is possible but road access depends on snow conditions, and water service shuts down after mid-November. Pack layers. Mountain weather shifts quickly.
Peak season May–Nov; summer temps 65–80°F, prime for fishing, paddling and hiking despite monsoons.
Dipping Vat Campground offers a range of amenities including restrooms, potable water (seasonally available from May through October), picnic tables, and fire rings at each of its 40 campsites. The campground is described as nestled among Ponderosa pines and aspen, with two loops providing options for sites closer to Snow Lake or in a more forested setting.
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