McCrystal Campground
- May–Jun, Sep
- best months
Is McCrystal Campground open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Carson National Forest.
Current Prescribed Fire Activity and Plans
Agency alert covering Carson National Forest · USFS · Carson National Forest
Current Fire Restrictions and Related Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Carson National Forest · USFS · Carson National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Carson National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
- At 8,111 ftHigh camp: expect cold nights, even in summer
- Questa Ranger DistrictCarson National Forest
McCrystal Campground is a Forest Service campground in the Questa Ranger District of Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, about 5 miles northeast of Cimarron on Highway 64. The site has 55 campsites in the Valle Vidal elk and bear country, and it works well as a base for hunting, hiking and fishing. The route to the campground begins at Cerrososo Canyon, about 21 miles from Cimarron. Signs mark the way to the Valle Vidal Unit Boundary. From there, Forest Service Road 1950 leads to the campground, about 7 miles away. The road is gravel, and it is not maintained during the rainy season. Plan on a four-wheel-drive vehicle to reach it in wet weather. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Eagle Nest weather station, about 17 miles away, show July highs near 79°F and lows around 44°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 39°F and lows near 5°F. Shuree Lakes Fishing is about 4.6 miles away, and the Bent to Dan Beard Trail and the Rich Cabins trail are both within a short drive.
Local outfitters
- Angel Fire Luxury RV Resort27 mi away
- Taos Mountain Outfitters36 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Shuree Lakes FishingLake fishing4.6 mi
Bent to Dan Beard TrailHikingPhoto: sprague, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)7 mi- Rich Cabins to Dan Beard TrailHikingPhoto: sprague, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)7.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Dan BeardCamping · ~12 min drivePhoto: sprague — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Sioux CampCamping · ~19 min drivePhoto: sprague — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
PonilCamping · ~20 min drivePhoto: sprague — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Ring Place CampCamping · ~1 min drive
- Whiteman VegaCamping · ~2 min drive
- Seally Canyon CampCamping · ~3 min drive
- McCrystal Creek CampCamping · ~5 min drive
- Beatty LakesCamping · ~6 min drive
- Beatty Lakes Low Impact CampCamping · ~7 min drive
- Iris ParkCamping · ~7 min drive
Best time to visit McCrystal Campground
Best months: May–June and September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
39° / 5°
7 wet
Feb
42° / 10°
7 wet
Mar
49° / 18°
8 wet
Apr
56° / 24°
8 wet
May
66° / 32°
7 wet
Jun
77° / 38°
9 wet
Jul
79° / 44°
15 wet
Aug
77° / 43°
15 wet
Sep
72° / 35°
9 wet
Oct
62° / 25°
6 wet
Nov
49° / 15°
6 wet
Dec
39° / 6°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Eagle Nest, NM, 17.3 mi away at 8,280 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
McCrystal Campground
Book on Recreation.gov
