Lincoln National Forest

Birthplace of Smokey Bear, the famous wildfire prevention mascot who was discovered as an orphaned, badly burned black bear cub clinging to a charred tree after a 1950 wildfire in the Capitan Mountains, Lincoln National Forest holds a unique place in American conservation history. The forest's 1.1 million acres encompass the Sacramento Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, and Capitan Mountains of south-central New Mexico, rising dramatically from the Chihuahuan Desert floor to the summit of Sierra Blanca Peak at 11,981 feet -- visible for a hundred miles across the surrounding desert basins. The White Mountain Wilderness protects 48,000 acres of pristine alpine terrain around Sierra Blanca, with trails winding through dense spruce-fir forests and high meadows. Ski Apache, operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe on Sierra Blanca's slopes, offers excellent skiing with reliable snowfall and stunning views. The forest's Guadalupe District in the far south protects a section of the ancient Permian reef complex, with caves, rugged limestone canyons, and desert grasslands adjoining Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks across the Texas border. The charming mountain resort town of Ruidoso sits within the forest, drawing visitors year-round for horse racing at Ruidoso Downs, hiking, fishing in mountain streams, and enjoying cool mountain air far above the desert heat.