Scenic Drive (FR 00540) in NM -- Free Camping & Overnight Parking in New Mexico

AnyRoost

Scenic Drive (FR 00540) in NM

Lincoln NF, Guadalupe Ranger District
6,964 ft
Maps
Overnight camping allowedRUTTED
VerizonWEAK
AT&TNONE
T-MobileUSABLE
StarlinkEXCELLENT

A 25.2-mile stretch of dirt National Forest road in Eddy County, NM. The road serves Deer Hill.

Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District allows dispersed camping here -- 14-day limit in any 45 days. Camp at least 100 ft from water.

13.3 of the 25.2 miles in are maintained only for high-clearance vehicles. 13.3 of the 25.2 miles in are dirt. Stretches run along a shelf with a drop of up to ~200 ft on the downhill side. Winds through 12 switchbacks. Dead-end road -- no mapped turnaround; expect to back out or unhitch. A water crossing 16.5 miles in.

Exposed here -- the nearest through road is 0.1 miles off. Jackson Tank lies 0.9 mi off. Travellers have camped along here. The nearest town, Carlsbad, is 40 mi off.

September normals 53–73°F, 3.9″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.

Nearby Spots
Upper Lower Hooper (FR 09551) in NMDispersed Camping1.5miSoldier Spring (FR 00307) in NMForest Road Road1.8miDark Canyon (FR 00069) in NMForest Road Road3.6miSummit (FR 09427) in NMDispersed Camping4.4miKuykendal (FR 00070) in NMForest Road Road4.6mi
Fire restrictions

Set by Lincoln National Forest, Guadalupe Ranger District. Stage 1 and 2 orders change within days -- check the current order before you build a fire.

fs.usda.gov
Sources checked August 2026Something wrong here?