Mountain · 1 route
Moon Mountain
7,337 ft · New Mexico
- Summit
- 7,337 ft
- Routes
- 1 way up
Route up Moon Mountain
About Moon Mountain
Moon Mountain is a summit of 7,337 feet in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest, about a mile from Ruidoso, New Mexico. The peak sits on land that also includes State Trust Land. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Ruidoso show May highs around 73°F and September highs around 75°F, while July and August bring the most wet days, about 15 each month. The Moon Mountain Majesty Trail starts less than a mile away, and the Hull Loop is about 0.8 miles off. Lower Cedar Creek Trail and Lower Raven are both roughly 1.6 miles away.
Forecast on Moon Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Questions about Moon Mountain
How tall is Moon Mountain?
7,337 ft (2,236 m).
How many routes go to the summit of Moon Mountain?
One: Moon Mountain Majesty Trail.
Mountains nearby
- Grindstone Mesa7,894 ft · New Mexico4 routes4.1 mi away
- Lookout Mountain11,572 ft · New Mexico2 routes9.8 mi away
- Nogal Peak9,957 ft · New Mexico1 route14 mi away
- Church Mountain8,807 ft · New Mexico1 route16 mi away
- Tucson Mountain8,307 ft · New Mexico1 route21 mi away
- Padilla Point9,636 ft · New Mexico1 route23 mi away
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, 1.9 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
- State Trust Land · Public land
- Nearest town
- Ruidoso, New Mexico · 1.1 mi
Source: USFS EDW boundaries; NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
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
- Moon Mountain Majesty TrailHiking0.6 mi
- Hull LoopHiking0.8 mi
- Lower Cedar Creek TrailHiking1.6 mi
- Lower RavenHiking1.6 mi
- Plan B BoulderRock climbing3.6 mi
- Alto Lake BouldersRock climbing3.6 mi
- Alex Davis Memorial BoulderRock climbing6.4 mi
- Rio RuidosoCanoeing9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Moon Mountain open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Lincoln National Forest.
Order# 03-08-26-002: Temporary Road Closure
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · Order 03-08-26-002 · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Order# 03-08-01-26-002: Area and Trails Closure
Agency alert covering Smokey Bear Ranger District · Order 03-08-01-26-002 · USFS · Smokey Bear Ranger District
Current Fire Restrictions and Related Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
InciWeb - for current incidents
Agency alert covering Lincoln National Forest · USFS · Lincoln National Forest
Snow Play Closure
Agency alert covering Smokey Bear Ranger District · Order 03-08-01-24-007 · USFS · Smokey Bear Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Lincoln National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Moon Mountain
Best months: April–June and September–October. 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
49° / 21°
5 wet
Feb
51° / 23°
5 wet
Mar
58° / 27°
5 wet
Apr
65° / 33°
4 wet
May
73° / 40°
5 wet
Jun
82° / 47°
9 wet
Jul
81° / 51°
15 wet
Aug
79° / 50°
15 wet
Sep
75° / 44°
9 wet
Oct
67° / 35°
6 wet
Nov
56° / 26°
4 wet
Dec
48° / 22°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ruidoso, NM, 1.9 mi away at 6,930 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
