USFS · National forest · New Mexico

Santa Fe National Forest

The Santa Fe National Forest is a protected national forest in northern New Mexico in the Southwestern United States. It was established in 1915 and covers 1,558,452 acres (6,306.83 km2). Elevations range from 5,300 feet (1600 m) to 13,103 feet (4000 m) at the summit of Truchas Peak, located within the Pecos Wilderness. The Jemez, Coyote, and Cuba districts are located in the Jemez Mountains; the Pecos/Las Vegas district is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains; and the Española district is located in both mountain ranges. In descending order of land area the forest lies in parts of Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Mora, and Los Alamos counties. Forest headquarters are located in the city of Santa Fe.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Forest1.7 million acresUSFSNM39 campgrounds within 10 mi85 Forest Service sites
Official page at U.S. Forest Service ↗
2fires
active
Mogote Ridge · 32 mi from the center · 152 acres
1 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Forest
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateNew Mexico
Size1.7 million acres (Forest Service administrative boundary (gis_acres))
Forest Service code0310, region 03
Center point36.0714, -106.5505
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 14)

Boundary map

6 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.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

31 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary and 8 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
Aspen Basin Campground
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Big Tesuque Campground
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Black Canyon Campground
Reservable36 sites
FS · Inside
Black Canyon Campground
ReservableNM
FS · Inside
Borrego Mesa Campground
First-comeNM
FS · Inside
Clear Creek Campground
Reservable12 sites
FS · Inside
Clear Creek Group Campground
Reservable1 site
FS · Inside
Cowles Campground
First-comeNM
Show 4 more

27 more within ten miles are not listed here.

Trailheads and sites

Forest Service directory · 85

The Forest Service lists 85 recreation sites in this forest, among them 25 campgrounds, 18 trailheads, 12 picnic areas, 8 fishings. Each links to its page on fs.usda.gov, which carries the season, fees and current status.

Show all 60

The 60 closest to the center point are listed; 25 more are on the Forest Service site.

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

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Wildfire
    Mogote Ridge

    32 mi from the center point · 152 acres · 90% contained

  • Wildfire
    Frijoles

    41 mi from the center point · 15,956 acres · 74% contained

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 Historical Park · Adjacent
Manhattan Project National Historical Park
National Monument · 1 mi
Bandelier National Monument
National Historical Park · 2 mi
Pecos National Historical Park
National Preserve · 6 mi
Valles Caldera National Preserve
National Monument · 19 mi
Fort Union National Monument
National Register listings within 15 miles · 161 in all · Register Atlas

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

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Santa Fe National Forest?

1.7 million acres.

Source: Forest Service boundary data

Who manages Santa Fe National Forest?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

What state is Santa Fe National Forest in?

New Mexico.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Santa Fe National Forest?

31 federal campgrounds sit inside the boundary, including Aspen Basin Campground, Big Tesuque Campground and Black Canyon Campground. 39 in all are within ten miles. Dispersed camping is allowed on most national forest land outside developed sites; check the forest page for closures.

Source: Where to camp

Where are the trailheads in Santa Fe National Forest?

The Forest Service lists 85 recreation sites here, including 25 campground campgrounds, 18 trailheads and 12 picnickings. Each one links to its Forest Service page.

Source: Trailheads and sites

How do I get to Santa Fe National Forest?

A point inside the boundary is at 36.071, -106.550. Manhattan Project National Historical Park is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Forest Service

Is there a fire near Santa Fe National Forest right now?

2 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Mogote Ridge at 32 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Santa Fe National Forest?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 14 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Santa Fe National Forest?

Manhattan Project National Historical Park (adjacent), Bandelier National Monument (1 mi) and Pecos National Historical Park (2 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Santa Fe National Forest?

161 National Register listings within 15 miles, including O'Keeffe, Georgia, Home and Studio and National Park Service Southwest Regional Office.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage and code: the Forest Service Enterprise Data Warehouse.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Description: Santa Fe 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.
  • 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.