Grindstone Mesa
About
Grindstone Mesa is a summit of 7,894 feet in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest in southeast New Mexico, about 3.6 miles from Ruidoso. Several named trails start right around it, so the mesa works well as a destination for a single objective or a longer loop. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby Ruidoso weather station show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 75°F, while July and August bring about 15 wet days each month. The closest trails are the Old Grindstone Loop Trail, about 0.1 mile away, and the Grindstone Loop and Old Grindstone Mesa Trail (91), each within half a mile. Climbers can head to Alto Lake Boulders, roughly 6 miles off.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
7,894 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Grindstone Mesa
New Mexico
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–82°F and lows of 33–51°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Ruidoso, NM weather station, 4.7 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan49° high21° low
- Feb51° high23° low
- Mar58° high27° low
- Apr65° high33° low
- May73° high40° low
- Jun82° high47° low
- Jul81° high51° low
- Aug79° high50° low
- Sep75° high44° low
- Oct67° high35° low
- Nov56° high26° low
- Dec48° high22° low
Where it is
- Smokey Bear Ranger District · Ranger district
- Lincoln National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Ruidoso, New Mexico · 3.6 mi
Conditions
Active alerts for Smokey Bear Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Order# 03-08-01-26-002: Area and Trails Closure
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- Old Grindstone Loop TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Grindstone LoopHiking0.4 mi
- Old Grindstone Mesa Trail (91)Hiking0.5 mi
- Grindstone Mesa LoopHiking0.6 mi
- Alto Lake BouldersRock climbing6 mi
- Plan B BoulderRock climbing6.1 mi
- Alex Davis Memorial BoulderRock climbing7.1 mi
- No Way Out BoulderRock climbing7.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
