Pines Campground

Star4.56
85 reviews
Pines Campground

Quick Facts

8,700 ft

Price

Varies

Booking

Check Site

Sites

Varies

Season

Year-round

Cell

Unknown

Pets

Not Allowed

RV Friendly

Opens booking site

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Pines Campground
No fees available
Campsite Fees
Standard Site Fee$0.00
Hookup Site Fee$0.00
Premium Site Fee$0.00
Hike and Bike Site Fee$0.00
Group Site Fee$0.00
Food Storage Locker Fee$0.00
Total Campsite Fees$0.00

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What Campers Say

4.56

Top-Rated

Based on 85 reviews

83 Google reviews

Most mentioned

quietpeacefulcleanrestrooms

"Reviews for Pines Campground are overwhelmingly positive, emphasizing a quiet, peaceful, and beautifully maintained dry-camping experience. Campers praise the cleanliness of restrooms and campsites, the spacious and well-laid-out sites, and the exceptional on-site host. Many visitors say it’s one of their favorite or best campgrounds and plan to return regularly."

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About Pines Campground

Escape to Pines Campground, where towering evergreens create a natural cathedral at 8,700 feet in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest. This mountain retreat near Cloudcroft welcomes both tent campers and RV enthusiasts with shaded sites, paved access, and front-row seats to one of the region's most spectacular wildlife shows—majestic elk roaming through their forest home.
Pines Campground provides standard sites accommodating both tent and RV camping with paved parking spurs. No information about primitive, group, cabin, or glamping sites is provided.
ElevationPerched at a breathtaking 8,700 feet above sea level, the campground offers cool mountain air and stunning high-altitude views that make summer heat a distant memory.
Natural Features and SceneryMassive ponderosa pines tower overhead, their branches filtering sunlight into dancing patterns across your campsite. This isn't just a pretty forest—it's prime elk country, where bugling bulls and grazing herds are regular visitors, especially during dawn and dusk. The surrounding Lincoln National Forest spreads out in every direction, with trailheads to the Osha Trail, Little Apache Trail, and Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail right at your doorstep, inviting you to explore deeper into this mountainous wonderland.
Geological RegionNestled within the vast Lincoln National Forest, a 1.1-million-acre wilderness that spans south-central New Mexico's Sacramento and Guadalupe mountain ranges.
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Campsite details

Sites SizeStandard sites accommodating both tent and RV camping.
Total Campsitesnull campsites

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Reserving a campsite

Tents
Tents are allowed
RV vehicles
RV vehicles are allowed
Primitive
Primitive are not allowed
Reservable
Reservations are not allowed

Site layoutStandard sites accommodating tents and RVs with paved roads and paved parking spurs; amenities include picnic tables, grills, fire rings, water spigots and vault toilets.

Amenities available

Fire rings
Picnic tables
Vault toilets

Activities you can enjoy

Recreational opportunities at Pines Campground include hiking on nearby trails, wildlife viewing (notably a large elk population), caving, picnicking, horseback riding, hunting, and general sightseeing. The Lincoln National Forest contains several named trails such as the Osha Trail, the Little Apache Trail, and the Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail.
Hiking
Hiking opportunities are available on nearby trails including the Osha Trail, the Little Apache Trail, and the Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail within the Lincoln National Forest.
Wildlife viewing
The area is noted for a large population of elk, making it a prime location for wildlife viewing.
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Campground rules

  • Pets are not allowed

Hazards


Weather at Pines Campground

36
°F
Dec 11
Thursday
Clear sky
Precipitation: 0%
Humidity: 43%
Wind: 8.6 mph
Clear sky

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Campground Map

Pines Campground
Driving directionsTravel east on US 82 from Cloudcroft, turn left onto NM 244. Less than 1 mile later on your left you will find the entrance to Pines Campground (across the street from the Fir Campgrounds).
Accessible from US 82 via Cloudcroft; turn left onto NM 244 and the campground entrance is less than 1 mile on the left.
Nearby places
Alamogordo, NM — roughly 20 miles (stores and services).
Nearby supplies
Stores and supplies in Alamogordo, NM (approximately 20 miles).

Reviews from booking and map sources

4.6
85 reviews
Top-Rated
Top-Rated
Pines Campground is top-rated, placing it in the top 15% of campgrounds based on reviews
Reviews for Pines Campground are overwhelmingly positive, emphasizing a quiet, peaceful, and beautifully maintained dry-camping experience. Campers praise the cleanliness of restrooms and campsites, the spacious and well-laid-out sites, and the exceptional on-site host. Many visitors say it’s one of their favorite or best campgrounds and plan to return regularly.
Review Summaries
Based on 85 reviews

What Campers Love

Campers love the tranquil, dark, and quiet atmosphere, describing the campground as peaceful, relaxing, and an oasis of green in the desert. Sites are well spaced, meticulously maintained, and...
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Based on 85 reviews

Common Concerns

There are very few complaints in these reviews. One camper noted that their specific site did not have its own water faucet, which made things slightly less convenient compared to another nearby...
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Based on 85 reviews

Pro Tips & Recommendations

Multiple reviewers recommend arriving Monday–Thursday (especially in August) to secure a good site, as the campground is first-come, first-served and fills up on weekends and during busy times like...
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Based on 85 reviews

Camper Quotes

“We love it is dry camping, dark and quiet. Sites are spaced out each with firering and picnic table.” “This is the first campground in Cloudcroft I have been to where rules regarding...
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Based on 85 reviews

Site-Specific Reviews

A few details about specific site characteristics appear: one reviewer noted having a site without its own faucet, unlike a site they had at nearby Silver Campground, which made water access slightly...
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Based on 85 reviews

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Last updated December 10, 2025
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