USFS · New Mexico

Carson National Forest

Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows for its use for recreation, grazing, and resource extraction.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.6 million acresUSFSNM21 campgrounds within 10 mi50 Forest Service sites120 trails
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
4 fires
active
Martinez Fall Rx (prescribed burn) · 14 mi from the center
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateNew Mexico
Size1.6 million acres
Forest Service code0302, region 03
Center point36.53° N, 106.02° W
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 17)

Boundary map

4 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground Forest Service recreation site

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Carson National Forest20°30°40°50°60°70°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.7°F averageFebruary: 26.5°F averageMarch: 34.9°F averageApril: 42.1°F averageMay: 49.6°F averageJune: 60.9°F averageJuly: 64.8°F averageAugust: 62.7°F averageSeptember: 56.3°F averageOctober: 45.1°F averageNovember: 32.7°F averageDecember: 24.2°F averageTemp °F
The line is the average temperature at Tres Piedras, 9 miles from the center point at 8,139 feet, station USC00299085 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

11 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 10 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

FS · Inside
Agua Piedra Campground
Reservable46 sites
FS · Inside
Canjilon Lakes Campground
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Cimarron Campground
Reservable36 sites
FS · Inside
Columbine Campground
Reservable27 sites
FS · Inside
Echo Amphitheater
Reservable13 sites
FS · Inside
Elephant Rock Campground
Reservable21 sites
FS · Inside
Fawn Lakes Campground
Reservable19 sites
FS · Inside
Hopewell Lake Campground
Reservable33 sites
Show 4 more

9 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 50

The Forest Service lists 50 recreation sites in this forest, among them 21 dispersed campings, 13 fishings, 9 campgrounds, 3 picnic areas. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 50

Distance is from the center point of the boundary, not from a road or town.

Trails

Every trail on Trailhead Atlas →

The Forest Service trail layer records 120 named trails in this forest, 609 miles in all. The 10 longest are listed here.

TrailMiles
Continental Divide Trail ↗102
South Boundary ↗20.7
Tony Marquez ↗19.6
Middle Fork Santa Barbara ↗13.1
Elliot Barker ↗12.2
Tusas Loop ↗12
Lobo Peak ↗10.4
Skyline-Divide ↗10.3
Ojitos ↗9.5
Martinez Canyon ↗9.4

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas. This trail list was copied from Trailhead Atlas on November 1, 2026 and is copied again on each weekly run. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

All 120 trails in Carson National Forest on Trailhead Atlas ↗

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Martinez Fall Rx

    14 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Willow Irtc Piles Fall Rx

    15 mi from the center point · 411 acres

  • Prescribed
    Stone Angel Fall Rx

    17 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Mesa Juan Domingo Fall Rx

    24 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Preserve · 23 mi
Valles Caldera National Preserve
National Historical Park · 23 mi
Manhattan Project National Historical Park
National Monument · 25 mi
Fort Union National Monument
National Monument · 30 mi
Bandelier National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 81 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for New Mexico

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Carson National Forest?

1.6 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Carson National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Carson National Forest in?

New Mexico.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Carson National Forest?

Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites. Check the forest page for closures. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Carson National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.526° N, 106.019° W. Valles Caldera National Preserve is 23 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Carson National Forest right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Martinez Fall Rx at 14 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Which national parks are near Carson National Forest?

Valles Caldera National Preserve (23 mi), Manhattan Project National Historical Park (23 mi) and Fort Union National Monument (25 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Carson National Forest?

The National Register has 81 listings within 15 miles, including Las Trampas Historic District and Carson, Kit, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Description: Carson National Forest on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, matched by forest code.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched by forest code.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.